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Swapping Aluminum Receiver for Steel


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Good afternoon everyone,

 

Hypothetically, if someone got a Thompson T5 or A5 would they be able to replace the aluminum receiver with a steel one? I prefer aesthetic and ergonomics of the shorter barrel, but just about everything I've read says to avoid aluminum receivers for the Thompson so I figured this could be a best of both worlds scenario.

 

I'm just not sure if doing so would be possible and if it is whether or not it would cause the pistol to lose its pistol status and be considered a rifle thereby making it an illegal SBR.

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The serial number goes with the receiver. You could do what you're suggesting, but you'd have to get your hands on a steel simi-auto receiver that has not already been built as a rifle. The gun you built would be considered a completely separate firearm than the original aluminum receiver. If you did know where to get a stripped steel receiver, it would be just like in AR-15 land. You could build the receiver as a pistol or rifle. But if the first gun it was ever built into a rifle (either from the factory or in somebody's garage), then it will only ever be able to be a rifle or a NFA regulated SBR/weapon built from a rifle.

Edited by giantpune
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I'm not familiar with the Richardson receivers so I'll look those up but I won't hold my breath. Really the only reason I don't want an SBR is it sounds like too much hassle, such as how (from what I understand) I'd need to notify the ATF in writing in advance if I wanted to take it across state lines. I suppose when I really think about it, it probably wouldn't end up being that much of an inconvenience, but I like the idea of having some leeway with my firearms.

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Another option is to find the older tommy "pistols". IIRC, back in the day, they were sold with a 13ish inch barrel which brought the overall length to >26". And they were sold with the vertical front grip which keeps them from being a pistol or a rifle. They're simply otherwise uncategorized "firearm" and are not NFA items. If 13.5" barrel is too much, you are allowed to put as short of a barrel as you want on this, as long as you take off the vertical foregrip.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788366782

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Another option is to find the older tommy "pistols". IIRC, back in the day, they were sold with a 13ish inch barrel which brought the overall length to >26". And they were sold with the vertical front grip which keeps them from being a pistol or a rifle. They're simply otherwise uncategorized "firearm" and are not NFA items. If 13.5" barrel is too much, you are allowed to put as short of a barrel as you want on this, as long as you take off the vertical foregrip.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788366782

The circa 1978 WH 1927a5 pistol I had way back then had an aluminum receiver. The steel receiver was only on the carbine version at that time.

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Another option is to find the older tommy "pistols". IIRC, back in the day, they were sold with a 13ish inch barrel which brought the overall length to >26". And they were sold with the vertical front grip which keeps them from being a pistol or a rifle. They're simply otherwise uncategorized "firearm" and are not NFA items. If 13.5" barrel is too much, you are allowed to put as short of a barrel as you want on this, as long as you take off the vertical foregrip.

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/788366782

The circa 1978 WH 1927a5 pistol I had way back then had an aluminum receiver. The steel receiver was only on the carbine version at that time.

And how did you like it?

 

Also, thank you giant for the link. I'd already seen it and believing it to be at the crossroads of WH lack of quality with an aluminum receiver I wrote it off, but if new information contradicted my prior belief then I'd look into it again.

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The circa 1978 WH 1927a5 pistol I had way back then had an aluminum receiver. The steel receiver was only on the carbine version at that time.

 

Was that all of the WH pistols with the 2 vertical grips? I've seen a few of them floating around with the seller saying they have steel receivers. I wonder if they just don't know what they have.

 

Probably not a bad idea to have them try to stick a magnet to the receiver before you bid on one :D

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They do have vertical grips, but everything I've seen on them says aluminum receiver. From what I understand, Kahr made theirs out of aluminum because it was considered too heavy to hold with one hand which apparently restricts it from being classified as a pistol. If that's the case then I'd imagine the same is true for WH.
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