This is a review of the Cybergun M1A1 Thompson and 1928 Chicago Typewriter. There seems to be a surge in popularity with these two guns (based on my retail experience), so I decided to put together a detailed review for the two of them.
A popular and economical gun, both of these models are available at both high-end airsoft retailers and sports/general stores.
An obvious pro is that these are both quite affordable. Depending on which store you buy from, they could be anywhere from $150 up to $250 or so, and in the airsoft world, that’s a pretty good price. Both come in a standard cardboard box and styrofoam, with a charger, magazine, and battery.
Another obvious pro is that this is a great replica of a legendary gun. WWII, 1930’s gangster, and general gun enthusiasts will be quite happy to have a functional Thompson in their inventory. I actually have both models. The M1A1 I upgraded for better performance, while the Typewriter I had signed by R Lee Ermey and it proudly sits in my “trophy” room.
Anyway, on with the review- The charger is the non-smart wall version which, left unsupervised, will ruin the battery. A non-smart charger will keep pumping juice into the battery, even past full capacity. This in turn damages the battery. I always recommend purchasing a smart charger, even if a gun comes with a standard wall charger.
The battery is pretty weak for this type of gun. It comes with an 8.4v 1100 mah mini. The battery box is located in the buttstock and can easily fit just about any battery type. I say go big or go home. Without any modification at all to the buttstock, I put a 9.6v 4200 cranestock battery in there. The 3-nacelle design works perfect to manipulating such a huge battery into the compartment, but it fits perfectly. The 9.6 dramatically increases the rate of fire and the 4200 mah capacity ensures I have fight enough for several days without recharging. Such a big battery comes with a steep cost, so battery selection is entirely up to the purchaser.
When I first bought my M1A1, it came with a low-cap, non-winding mag. I quickly went out and got myself a hi-cap so I could keep up with all the other shooters out there. But when I realized some events don’t allow hi-caps, I desperately searched for any mid-caps. To my shock, none existed. I then searched through TM products and found that the TM Thompson has low, mid and hi-caps, but to my continued disappointment, the TM mid-caps require winding (which still were not allowable in an organized event) and I had serious feed issues using TM mags with a Cybergun. Suffice to say, TM and Cybergun were not totally compatible. So, to my dismay, I could not use my Thompson as my primary weapon in an event that did not allow hi-caps. As for the 1928, it comes with a drum-style hi-cap- perfectly suited to the Typewriter as it replicates the Tommy Guns of the ‘30’s. Since both guns are Cybergun, you can easily swap out mags between the two guns with no issues at all. However, working for a major retailer, I did notice that a number of 1928’s and their hi-caps were coming in for maintenance. I was a bit worried about the product at first, but then noticed that the people who were bringing them in were obviously not taking care of their guns. As happens so many times (especially amongst the lesser experienced players) people were over-winding the hi-cap and drum mags, breaking them rather quickly, or just plain abusing their guns. One person brought his 1928 gun in pieces. We took it off his hands and now use it for spare parts. After I noticed the trend, and having long experience with my own M1A1, my faith in the 1928 was restored and I quickly bought one up. I may never use it in an op (since R Lee signed it), but it sure does look great.
Performance-wise, both are great guns, with a great rate of fire (once you move to a 9.6v). Ads on the box say 465 fps. Don’t buy into the hype. The manufacturer used a .12 bb. Using a .20 bb at chrono, the guns shoot a respectable 360-380+. As I got into more organized ops, and the limit was 410 fps with a .20 bb, I saw that if I installed a 120 spring, I could get the gun up to 400 fps. I also installed a tightbore (6.04), which greatly improved accuracy and range.
As I had the gearbox open, I was alarmed to see plastic bushings. As with anything plastic, especially bushings, they will wear out- crack, warp, or shatter- over time. When that happens, it could lead to bigger gear issues. When I first bought my Thompson (a few years ago), I was stuck with the plastic bushings. However, technology has caught up with this gun and now metal bushings are available. They are the same metal bushings that go in P90's- Version 6. Now I feel confident that my gun could last indefinitely (barring any unusual accidents).
Another feather in the Thompson’s cap is that it’s the only gun that can convert into the M41 Pulse Rifle kit. Obviously, this is a very specialized item, but it only works with the Thompson.
There’s also a real wood kit out there as well, which makes an already good gun into a thing of beauty.
Pros-
-Legendary Thompsons, in your hands, and being able to actually shoot at people (legally)!
-Very economic.
-Solid performance out of the box.
-All in one kit- charger, battery, sling, mag
-Even if you don’t use it, it’s just plain awesome as a trophy and it won’t break your wallet.
Cons-
-Need a better battery. 8.4v 1100 mah does not do this gun justice, but at least the gun comes with a battery.
-Replace plastic bushings with metal ones at first opportunity.
-Lack of any mid-caps and does not work very well with TM mags.
-Specialized type of gun. Not as popular as M4’s and AK’s, and there is little tactical gear support.
Final verdict. I like both guns and recommend buying them. They are cheap enough that new players can afford them, and for the more serious players, keep in mind there are some things you need to upgrade.
