Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 .45 Carbine Semi-Automatic Rifle

The Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 .45 Carbine has gone by many names for over 100 years: “Chicago Typewriter®”, “Tommy Gun”, “Chicago Piano”, “Trench Sweeper”, and “Trench Broom”. Today’s Thompson 1927A-1s are .45 carbine semi-automatic rifles, but they still carry all of the signature features of the World War II weapon: the Thompson submachine gun. The original Tommy Guns were select-fire submachine guns, which are now very hard to find, very expensive, and require a lot of extra red tape with ATF.

Since the Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 .45 Carbine is a semi-automatic rifle, you can get one at a much lower price tag than the original military-style weapons, which run anywhere from $25,000 to $45,000 in the historical firearm market, and are thus mostly for the well-heeled gun collector. Today’s Thompson 1927A-1s are available at a fraction of that price and only require a standard ATF Form 4473 which any other firearm purchase from an FFL requires.