pitfighter Posted September 1, 2020 Report Share Posted September 1, 2020 (edited) In the Iannamico book the letters are shown without the little crown, I presume this is nothing but an average Anniston, Alabama, rebuild mark? Just curious really. Edited September 1, 2020 by pitfighter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted September 1, 2020 Report Share Posted September 1, 2020 I do not believe a crown over the letters AN is Anniston Army Depot rebuild mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitfighter Posted September 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2020 We'll see if any one else has any thoughts on what this one is.It was not marked up to "A1" and is still a clean M1 on the left side of the receiver.Though when I took possession of it, it had an M1A1 bolt in it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halftrack Posted September 2, 2020 Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 I thought Anniston puts more letters than that like on our rebuilt WW2 M2s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted September 2, 2020 Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 The crown looks like the ones seen in a lot of European countries' proof marks. If this one was re-barrelled in a foreign arsenal that might be a mark from re-proofing it. Don't have a clue as to which country though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted September 2, 2020 Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 pitfighter,Is that M1 Thompson in the USA? My first thought was a deactivation mark from Great Britain or Europe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TSMGguy Posted September 2, 2020 Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 Right, it's not American. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitfighter Posted September 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 pitfighter,Is that M1 Thompson in the USA? My first thought was a deactivation mark from Great Britain or Europe? Yes - I did feel it looked somewhat European, the US not really being into the whole crown and royalty thing (anymore) It is legally residing in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted September 2, 2020 Report Share Posted September 2, 2020 Its french St Etienne deactivation stamp AN=Arme Neutralisée Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitfighter Posted September 3, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Its french St Etienne deactivation stamp AN=Arme NeutraliséeAwesome, thank you!That explains a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 pitfighter,It would be interesting to know how a French deactivated Thompson submachine gun was legally registered in the USA. I would guess it was acquired by a company like Interarms or Service Armament years ago and imported into the USA. If it was deactivated in the past, I have heard that the old deactivation standards in Europe usually only involved the barrel and bolt. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request would certainly provide more information. Thank you for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Tom,I'm certainly no expert, but it might be possible that "deactivated" might mean different things in different countries.In this case it might mean "released from military service".I think my M3 GG has such a stamp from the UK.Jim C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 Jim,Excellent point! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annihilator Posted September 3, 2020 Report Share Posted September 3, 2020 No, the french proof house Saint Etienne AN stamp means deactivated/demilitarized: welded chamber and welded or 45 degree cut off bolt head Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted September 4, 2020 Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 (edited) Here is a more recent French deactivation stamp from 2016, hence reference to EU, but the crown looks the same. and an older mark, like the one on your M1, stamped on a revolver. Stay safe Richard Edited September 5, 2020 by rpbcps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted September 4, 2020 Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 This is one fantastic forum. Thank you Frank Iannamico for starting this Board and David Albert for keeping it going! It now appears pitfighter's M1 Thompson was deactivated or demilitarized in France sometime in the past. How it found its way to the USA would be an interesting story. I do know that receivers only were imported into the USA by Interarms in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps, Interarms purchased some deactivated Thompson guns in France with unaltered or intact receivers, stripped the guns and imported these guns as receivers only. Just a guess on my part. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) would certainly provide more information, i.e. a 1968 Amnesty registration as a dewat. Regardless, it would be an interesting story. pitfighter, I will help you with a FOIA request, if interested. Contact me at tkd5501@fuse.net and we can start the process, which is normally free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitfighter Posted September 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 This is one fantastic forum. Thank you Frank Iannamico for starting this Board and David Albert for keeping it going! It now appears pitfighter's M1 Thompson was deactivated or demilitarized in France sometime in the past. How it found its way to the USA would be an interesting story. I do know that receivers only were imported into the USA by Interarms in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps, Interarms purchased some deactivated Thompson guns in France with unaltered or intact receivers, stripped the guns and imported these guns as receivers only. Just a guess on my part. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) would certainly provide more information, i.e. a 1968 Amnesty registration as a dewat. Regardless, it would be an interesting story. pitfighter, I will help you with a FOIA request, if interested. Contact me at tkd5501@fuse.net and we can start the process, which is normally free. Thank you, for your offer to help. I had considered a FOIA request on this for a while and have actually drafted the letter.It will be interesting to perhaps learn something of its history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted September 4, 2020 Report Share Posted September 4, 2020 (edited) This is one fantastic forum. Thank you Frank Iannamico for starting this Board and David Albert for keeping it going! It now appears pitfighter's M1 Thompson was deactivated or demilitarized in France sometime in the past. How it found its way to the USA would be an interesting story. I do know that receivers only were imported into the USA by Interarms in the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps, Interarms purchased some deactivated Thompson guns in France with unaltered or intact receivers, stripped the guns and imported these guns as receivers only. Just a guess on my part. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) would certainly provide more information, i.e. a 1968 Amnesty registration as a dewat. Regardless, it would be an interesting story. pitfighter, I will help you with a FOIA request, if interested. Contact me at tkd5501@fuse.net and we can start the process, which is normally free. Tom,since reading your post earlier this afternoon, With reference to your mention of "I do know that receivers only were imported into the USA by Interarms in the 1950s and 1960s". with the assistance of search engines, I have been attempting to review the history of French laws on deactivation, (DEWAT). I know there has been many changes in the UK laws over the years, so I presumed France would be the same. After many hours I have come across this reference: "The Stamp. The 1978 regulations introduced that only the St Etienne proof house was approved to carry out neutralization operations. When the neutralization is carried out by St Etienne, the proof house affixes on the main parts of the weapon a hallmark representing the letters AN surmounted by a crown and issues two official certificates of neutralization, one for the owner, the 'other for administration" ,https://mvcgfrance.org/menu3/utile_savoir/UtileR2.html. So perhaps the 'AN surmounted by a crown' stamp was only used after 1978? From the year 1983, the AN surmounted by a crown was followed by a code letter which changed each year. They skipped the letters 'O' and 'X'. So 1983 had the letter code 'A', 1990 letter code 'H', 2006 the letter 'Z' and following that, 2007 double 'AA' 2008 'AB' etc. So from my enquiries so far, Pitfighters, 'AN / Crown' stamp, as it has no extra code letter, would have been added to the receiver of his M1 between 1978 and 1983. Perhaps one of the French members of the board can confirm or refute that information. Post 2016, the French deactivations also added the letter EU and the year of deactivation, example shown in post #15. Richard Edited September 5, 2020 by rpbcps 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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