In The Division we examine the named submachine gun Tommy Gun. This has been in the game since 1.5.
The 1.5 update introduced four new named weapons in The Division, including two submachine guns: The Tommy Gun and the Thompson M1928. Both SMGs come with the same fixed talent and they look quite similar. However, the Tommy Gun is the significantly better weapon. Why is that?
How to get the Tommy Gun – Location
The new named weapons from 1.5 are not easy to obtain: You need a lot of luck for them to drop. While you can grab the Thompson from Underground containers, you have to venture into the Dark Zone for the Tommy Gun. This can come from DZ supply drops.
Possible sources are also survival crates and the mission performance containers, which you earn with experience points.
Differences between Tommy Gun and Thompson M1928
Both SMGs come with two random talents and the fixed talent Carefree: This increases hip fire damage by 11%. The optimal range of the submachine guns is identical and the reload speed is similar.
There are significant differences in base damage, rate of fire, and magazine size. The Thompson deals more damage per shot, but the Tommy Gun has significant advantages in fire rate and magazine size:
The weapons can hardly be upgraded with mods. The Tommy Gun has only one slot for a magazine mod. Since both SMGs are quite unstable, it’s frustrating that no mods can counteract this disadvantage.
In a graphic displaying the damage over time of SMGs, it is clear: The Tommy Gun is the better weapon. It deals more damage per magazine:
Is the Tommy Gun worth it in PvE and PvP?
The talent Carefree favors an offensive close combat style. At greater distances, hip fire is hardly useful, as the bullets of the Tommy Gun erratically fly around. However, if you engage opponents up close, it also means high risk.
However: Even blind fire – meaning shooting from cover without shouldering the weapon – counts as “hip fire,” activating the talent. If you are in cover and an enemy approaches, the talent becomes practical.
Nevertheless, you don’t want to run straight into enemies in most PvE situations just to be able to take them out with hip fire. The usefulness of Carefree is therefore quite limited. In PvP, on the other hand, you often find yourself in scenarios where you are fighting against other agents at close range.
Interesting combinations for the Tommy Gun are the outstanding AlphaBridge set to gain additional talents on the weapon, or this powerful D3-FNC build. This set allows you to wield an SMG with the ballistic shield. And with the shield, you can get close to the enemies!
Conclusion: In some situations, the Tommy Gun can shine, but it is by no means a top-tier weapon.
Once, SMGs were the dominant weapon class: Almost every agent ran around with an AUG or a Vector before 1.4. Currently, SMGs are hardly worth it, which we discuss in the linked article. But who knows, maybe the 1.6 update will improve submachine guns again.
Do you have the Tommy Gun in your possession? What do you think of it?
