BR25188 U.S. Infantry NCO Crouching with Thompson, 1943-45

The Thompson submachine gun was adopted by the U.S. military in 1938, just in time for World War II. More than 1.5 million Thompsons were produced during the War, but preliminary designs had some flaws. Early drum magazines were heavy and changing the magazine was a slow and overly difficult process. Straight stick mags were better, but fed into a massive gap without dust cover, so dirt and debris could enter while changing mags. Soldiers also complained about the limited capacity. In the field many taped two 20 round magazines together to speed up magazine changes. Still, the M1A3 proved its mettle and was well liked by all who used them.