For all its reputation, the Thompson gave its users headaches at the magazine well. The early 50- and 100-round drum magazines looked formidable but were heavy, rattled, and were slow and awkward to change; the Army soon standardized on straight 20- and 30-round stick magazines instead. Even those fed into an open well without a dust cover, so grit and mud could work their way in during a reload — a real problem in the field. And twenty rounds emptied fast on full automatic, so soldiers took matters into their own hands, taping two magazines head-to-tail so a fresh one was ready the instant the first ran dry. The gun was loved anyway.

The figure crouches low, Thompson up and aiming, in khaki and a netted helmet with magazine pouches at his hip. He is a close-quarters hunter: pair him with the Infantry NCO with Thompson and the Infantryman Firing Thompson, working ahead of the Infantryman Advancing with Caution in a room-clearing diorama.

W. Britain model 25188. 1/30 scale (approximately 60mm), matte-painted metal. Single crouching foot figure on a sculpted groundwork base. Boxed.