#M1a1

If you’re one of those people who think the Thompson submachine gun never should have gone away, then Kahr Arms (Auto Ordnance) has the gun for you. Displayed at their booth at the 2018 SHOT Show is a Thompson different than any of the other semiauto Thompson recreations in their catalog. Decked out in black tactical furniture, and featuring a unique railed receiver, this weapon is a Thompson updated for the 21st Century.

Working under contract from the Army’s Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM), AimLock, a subsidiary of Rocky Mountain Scientific Laboratory, developed an actively stabilized weapons chassis for AR-15 rifles. AimLock has been in the news before for their stabilized rifle platform, which was shown off in a presentation at the 2016 National Defense Industry Association conference and subsequently reported on in Futurism and Popular Mechanics, and, of course, here at TFB.

The 2.36 inch M1A1 “Bazooka” entered service midway through the Second World War in the U.S. campaign in North Africa. From there it become widely liked that the rocket launcher was issued at the infantry platoon level and used with much success against German and Japanese enemy positions and armor for the remainder of the war, of course barring the Tiger and Panther tanks employed on the Western Front. Although seemingly a well-thought out weapon system, the “Bazooka” is as rudimentary as a Walmart Potato Gun. Made from simple tubing, wooden furniture, wrapped wire, a heat shield, and sights that would make Browning himself blush, the weapon was very intuitive to operate and maintain. Later versions incorporated a tube that could be folded in half, and a 3.5 inch rocket. This saw much usage in the Korean War as a the M20 Launcher.

Quick: What’s the definition of “assault rifle”? I’ll give you a moment to think about it.

The M1A1 carbine is perhaps one of the more iconic rifles from American forces in World War Two. It was specifically designed for the Paratroopers, and was used extensively in numerous campaigns of the War. With a folding stock, it allowed Paratroopers to carry less weight, and squeeze the carbine into their gear for their combat jumps over Sicily, Normandy, Holland, and Germany with the 17th Airborne Division. Today it fetches a collector premium over other M1 carbines in their original, unaltered form.

The American Thompson SMG is a gun that has been used by hero and villain alike, and countless film and television appearances have cemented its reputation as piece of Americana. But beyond its iconic status, the gun was a very effective piece of military hardware and was used to great effect in conflicts around the world until it fell into obsolescence. In this episode of TFBTV, we do some shooting with the M1A1 variant.

What’s the coolest firearm you’ve ever shot? A fine, antique shotgun? An old war horse oozing with history? A rapid-firing machine gun?

Well, sort-of-not-really, although it makes for a pretty great title. The Bendix-Hyde Carbine was in fact one of the nine prototypes initially submitted to the Light Rifle program (not to be confused with the Lightweight Rifle program  that is the subject of my ongoing serie s), and it’s in many ways the most interesting one to me. First, though, a brief overview of George J. Hyde, the brilliant designer who invented it:

Some guns just get way too much attention. In this list, we highlight 5 firearms that get unfairly placed on a pedestal for a multitude of reasons that we lay out for you to consider. You may disagree, and that’s just fine. Also the list is about overrated guns, not necessarily bad ones.

The American Thompson submachineguns are perhaps the most iconic SMGs in the world. They have graced the hands of heroes and villains, but the humble M1A1 is the result of many cost cutting measures designed to get guns to our boys during WWII quickly and cheaply. In fact, M1A1s reduced the cost of the famous SMG to less than a quarter of what it cost to build a M1928. So, how will it fare on the run and gun course?

In October, I traveled out to see my co-writer Alex C. to collect data on the weights of different long guns and some of their components. Over that weekend, I weighed 58 rifles and submachine guns, and numerous magazines, bolts, bolt carriers, and other miscellaneous items. The purpose of this was not only to collate a general list of the weights of different weapons, but to be able to enhance the accuracy of a previous spreadsheet I’d produced showing the loaded “combat” weights of different rifles; that being available at this link.

Welcome to another Friday Field Strip. Watch the Field Strip video below, then read the article below…