One of the most popular guns of all time, the M1A1 Thompson submachine gun is now one of the most popular Airsoft guns on the market. The iconic "Tommy" gun is widely known as one of the guns that helped win World War II as well as the gun of choice for the gangsters of the 1920s and 30s.

Now this very same Thompson M1A1 submachine gun is a licensed replica and a true favorite among those who play Airsoft games per se. The Airsoft Thompson truly looks like a twin to the original Thompson M1A1 in appearance and is well liked for its other visual effects by many. The Airsoft Tommy is very different from the original submachine gun. It does not fire lethal projectiles and is used mainly for recreational purposes. The thing, which this Airsoft gun offers in abundance, is its overall effectiveness and versatility to adapt to numerous Airsoft players. It also is highly noted for its high rate of fire and has a very accurate shot. Most importantly, the Airsoft Tommy is very affordable.

The Thompson M1A1 submachine gun was invented towards the end of World War I by General John T. Thompson and was not available for sale anywhere until 1921. This "Tommy" gun quickly became an icon sensation not only because of its signature ammunition pan, but also because Hollywood did display the weapon of choice in many a motion picture and was part of unforgettable incidents as the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre. It also saw continued military service in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

The Tommy, adopted by the military in 1938, was also widely-used in both the European and Pacific theaters of World War II as well as the Korean War. Firing over 600 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition per minute, the Tommy gun could decimate anything in its path with its fearsome rate of fire. This combination made the M1A1 Thompson the perfect submachine gun for the small-arm combat of World War II.

The M3 came to be known as the "Grease Gun" and by the end of the war there was a whooping six hundred thousand of them. Something, which only served to make the retired "Tommy" Gun obsolete and no longer, viewed as the weapon of choice.

Today the Tommy gun has received renewed interest among Airsoft players. Airsoft Thompsons are highly valued thanks to their great performance as well as their historical accuracy. This makes them ideal for re-enactments as well as a variety of other Airsoft games. The two versions of the Airsoft Thompson submachine gun being produced today both feature semi- and automatic rates of fire and are full scale replicas of the original.

Both versions of the Tommy feature a metal body and a firing velocity of well over 300 feet per second. They both also have an 8.4 volt battery that can be fully recharged in 4.5 hours. All Airsoft Tommys come equipped with 47-round magazines with 300-round magazines available for an additional cost. These guns can fire over 650 .2g BBs per minute. Thats a lot of BBs.

An Airsoft Tommy can be purchased online and from a wide variety of retail outlets. These Airsoft guns are special for a number of reasons that have been cited here. However, one of the most visible of all is the affordable prices that go along with them, which is about $200 each.