Both inspired catchy nicknames, the “Tommy Gun” and the “Grease Gun,” respectively. And both inspired cool songs: “Roland the ...

But a more storied use of the “Tommy gun,” as it was dubbed, was employed by minions of Capone, the nattily dressed king of the Chicago underworld in the 1920s and ’30s. On Feb. 14,1929 ...

This is hard for me to admit, because of my previously indicated sentimental love for the Tommy Gun, but I’ve seen Tommy Guns, at least the semiauto carbine versions, jam all too often.