What it isn't:
It isn't a lightweight assault weapon.
It isn't a target rifle with a nice trigger.
It isn't really a good home defense weapon.
It isn't cheap.
What it is:
It's the closest thing possible to a fully-auto Thompson gun, that's legal to own.
Look at them in the same way as one of the modern replica Winchester lever guns, or a Colt single action.....a shooting replica of a historic firearm.
It fits best as a plinker and range toy.
Some people will tell you the older Numrich Arms made guns are junk, or are great.
Others will tell you the current Kahr Arms guns are junk, or are great.
The gun is HEAVY, just like the original. It's made of solid milled steel and American walnut.
The trigger is HEAVY, creepy, gritty, and long. This is due to the design necessary to get the gun past the ATF when it was first designed.
There is little that can be done to improve the trigger, again, due to the design.
The gun is hard to cock, with extremely heavy springs.
There is little that can be done about this, again due to the three spring design.
DO NOT start cutting or replacing springs. While there are some things that can be done, the gun is set up to work as is, and altering anything can cause problems ranging from stoppages, to a battered or broken receiver.
Altering the trigger assembly improperly will NOT improve the trigger, and it won't convert the gun to full-auto. It will simply cause the gun to malfunction.
If you buy one, let me know, and I'll post info on how to improve things.
Using the drum magazine can be quite difficult, UNLESS you invest in the "Third Hand" device that helps install and remove the drum.
The gun is usually reliable, AS LONG as you have good, properly fitted 20 and 30 round magazines.
On magazines you have choices.
1. Modify GI issue magazines by filing the catch hole upward slightly.
2. Replace the magazine catch with an original full-auto catch.
3. Modify the semi-auto catch.
Most semi-auto problems are due to clapped-out old magazines, or magazines that don't lock into the proper position.
The gun is usually very accurate, BUT the sights are rather crude and have no adjustment for windage and only rough elevation adjustments.
The original Thompson's Lyman sight had fine adjustments and the gun could be sighted in to pin point accuracy.
If you can afford the high cost, an original Thompson 1921-28 rear sight can be easily installed.
With the current factory sights, if the gun shoots off, there is little that can be done without a trip back to the factory.
The gun is an absolute HOOT to fire, and always draws a crowd at the range.
The gun is expensive to shoot, since it just flat EATS ammo.
The manual tells you to shoot ONLY 230 grain, full metal jacketed ammo.
I have shot a good amount of 230 grain cast lead bullets, BUT the Cutts compensator leaded up badly.
The guns often don't work with hollow point defense ammo, and the manual warns NOT to use them.
I'd go with what the manual says here.
The gun was engineered from the get-go in 1921 to use GI-spec 230 full metal jacket ammo, and that's what it shoots best, and safest.
The gun often DOES NOT "like" cheap ammo, and especially not the steel cased Russian stuff.
Bottom line: If you want a really fun to shoot plinker that's as close as you'll likely get to a full-auto original Thompson, you'll probably like it.
If you expect a tack driving, light weight, modern assault weapon, with a great trigger, an easy to operate action, from which you can shoot a wide variety of cheap, or steel ammo, it probably won't suit you.