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Gun Show Find: Two Piece Actuator w/ Colt's Bolt?


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I picked this up in a parts set I bought at the Big Reno Gun Show. It came with a Richardson 28 receiver and an M1A1 barrel with lots-0-little parts. Kind of a messed up set of parts and pieces. I paid 500 bucks for the pile so I hope I didn't get ripped off to bad. :happy: I don't know Colt's bolt from shinola so here are some pics for your long drawn out opinions......

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014a_zps4e422e18.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014c_zpsf359f802.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014b_zpsa5f1f631.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014d_zpscbc36eb9.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014e_zps3161516c.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014f_zpsb9d3ab71.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014g_zps1bd24826.jpg

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/twopieceactuator11212014h_zpsa356ba2e.jpg

 

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Wow! Good questions!

 

The actuator knurling doesn't appear wide enough to be a Colt but certainly is a two piece. Not the first one we've encountered with welded on weight when the rivet becomes loose. Thought maybe someone welded on a knob that broke off but the only heat marks appear to be from the weight section. The slot in the knob section is also not teardrop shaped like a Colt.

 

The bolt doesn't appear to have the signature Colt chamfur on the rear and I thought they were unmarked. Remington replacement?

 

http://www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/tcn/1999/aug/aug1999p1.htm

http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7582

 

My vote is for not Colt on either but interested in what others think.

 

TC

Edited by ThompsonCrazy
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$600? Mine was nearer to $1,400.....!!!

 

But - funny, I have an actuator that looks almost exactly like that one. Came in a parts kit. I will look at it and come up with any comparison observations I can find.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I am a bit confuzed about this now. We agree it is a two piece bolt but that the actuator that is attached to the bolt bottom is not Colt's. So the actuator is made by Savage then? Who all made the thin actuators? Certainly you are not saying that someone milled down a bolt them made a two piece after the fact. I guess it could be someone making a bogus two piece actuator.... Hmmmm...

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The "R" marked bolt appears to be a legitimate Remington WWll unit. The actuator looks like some sort of home made project/repair thingy. As far as I know only Colt made thin actuators and that ain't one of them based on the knurling on the knob. It may be a combination of a broken rear portion of a Colt 2 pc actuator and the front of a WWll unit.

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My final conclusion is this: This is an actual 2 piece Colt's actuator that for whatever reason has had a new knob welded on. I suspect the Colt's knob busted and this one replaced it. It has original blue down to the grind line if front and heat discolor from the welding. The rest of it looks identical to those I see pictured elsewhere. Don't know the value on a repaired one, that will be determined when it goes to auction.

http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p178/z3bigdaddy/Thompson%20Stuff/2pieceColts12122014a_zps445facbf.jpg

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  • 4 years later...

Well let's see what it does, five years later..... Bet you didn't even know the Z3 f****r was still alive. ;) Been a while since I have done Thompson parts, so don't know if the auction will make it to the end or not.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/143129049120?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

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No visual indication that any welding or milling has been done below the knob so it has not been “repaired” in my opinion. I’ve been welding for 55 years and on MGs for 35 to this day and have seen every possible effort to disguise welded seams and there is no way, especially on vintage MG parts with disparate base and rod alloys. Years ago I welded back togethr a single saw cut ‘28 Thompson receiver and from the parts of another Savage torched receiver made some sections of narrow “rod” to TIG the seam. After welding, I annealed the receiver and finished ou the seam which looked really good but there was still evidence of a welded seam. It oxided well and the seam disappeared, but with close inspection the seam was still there.

I don’t see any possible seam or weld evidence in the close up of the knob and the slight heat blued area tells you nothing. FWIW

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Ok,

I changed my auction a bit. Thanks for the input. I did add a caveat to look very closely on the photos though. As pointed out way back when the knurling on the knob is suspect. I guess imaging would tell.

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I was glad the post was about this and Not that we lost another member.Looks like a Nice actuator....And every Thompson guy needs some action.hope you do okay with it.Ron Colt

 

 

I'm a lot like herpes... just last forever... can't get rid of me. As much as some un-named people tried.

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I was glad the post was about this and Not that we lost another member.Looks like a Nice actuator....And every Thompson guy needs some action.hope you do okay with it.Ron Colt

 

 

I'm a lot like herpes... just last forever... can't get rid of me. As much as some un-named people tried.

 

Wow, just looked at your profile and you are 97 years old! You remind me of my grandfather who lived to be 107. That guy was still following the stock market daily, and could hold a decent conversation right up to the end. He was in the Kansas National Guard and wore the old blue calvary uniform. Were you in the military during WW2, Korea, Vietnam?

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I was glad the post was about this and Not that we lost another member.Looks like a Nice actuator....And every Thompson guy needs some action.hope you do okay with it.Ron Colt

 

 

I'm a lot like herpes... just last forever... can't get rid of me. As much as some un-named people tried.

 

Wow, just looked at your profile and you are 97 years old! You remind me of my grandfather who lived to be 107. That guy was still following the stock market daily, and could hold a decent conversation right up to the end. He was in the Kansas National Guard and wore the old blue calvary uniform. Were you in the military during WW2, Korea, Vietnam?

Actually truth be told, that is the birthday of the 1921 Thompson I used to own... I did not participate in any conflicts but that is a whole nother story.

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