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1928 A1 Is It Ok?


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Hi There

 

Apologies for the use of layman's terms, this is all a bit new to me!

 

I'm in the UK and have just bought a deactivated Thompson and need more info please, I think it might have been put together out of several guns and need to advice if it’s ok.

 

On the left side it’s marked " U.S. MODEL OF 1928 A1 NO.S 505522" & "THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN CALIBRE 45 AUTOMATIC CARTRIDGE" it is also stamped GEG & R.L.R. There's also a funny faint circle that could be the flaming bomb but it not clear. The right side is marked with the big long list of patents from 1,131,319 to 1,817,321 along with "AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A."

 

The stock is removable (doesn't have the bolt though it) and underneath it has a matching serial number and the GEG mark.

 

As you'd expect for an A1 it is top cocking with a knurled knob and has the Thompson 'bullet' logo. It is fitted with a fixed sight with no side plates marked "LYMAN"

 

It is fitted with a 'Cutts' compensator, with all the marks, Thompson logos, etc you'd expect and is also marked Auto-Ordnance Corp.

 

This is the bit that's troubling me, the barrel has no fins and it has the M1 style horizontal fore grip. Most of the info I've managed to find out about the 1928 A1 seems to suggest they all had the finned barrel? The only marking on the barrel is a "P" at 12 o’clock where it joins the 'body'.

 

Anybody any thoughts? The barrel is (very) slightly finished slightly differently to the rest of the metal work so maybe it’s been replaced with a later one??

 

The dealer I believe to be reputable but I got it too cheap (it was ‘under the counter’) so feel nervous!

 

Any help to put my mind at rest would be gratefully received

 

Thanks

 

Paul

 

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Paul,

Your 1928A1 is a late model Savage judging from the 500,000 serial number range. The "S" prefix stands for the Savage arms company.

With out consulting my books, the gun sounds to be OK.

By that serial number range the finned barrel had been dispensed with and also the Lyman sight had been simplified.

The fact that the reciever number matches the trigger frame number is very good as a lot of such guns they do not match.

Not all 1928A1's had the bolt in the stock and by the late production period

the vertical foregrip had been dispensed with also.

Your gun sounds great to me.

If you would like to learn more, get yourself a copy of Frank Iannamico's "American Thunder" The Military Thompson Submachine Gun. You can obtain it via this forum and it is great value.

Welcome to your new addiction!

Regards

Murray

New Zealand.

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Thanks for the prompt reply

 

According to the dealer, who sells 100's of them they were all originally supplied to Russia by United States in 1942 as Lend-Lease but were never used, and have been stored in underground Salt Mine until October 2003. See his website at :

 

http://www.rytonarms.co.uk/

 

Any idea what date approx the serial number is from?

 

thanks

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The GEG stands for George Goll, who was on the original Thompson design team, having started out as John Thompson's driver (as in automobile). He stayed on as an inspector for Auto Ordnance. OK, "fess up" as we say in the States. Tell us how much you paid (only if you want), so we can all be insanely jealous. She sounds like a beauty!
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The website he posted listed the prices.

 

M1s for 250BP ~$470USD.

1928s for 320-390BP ~$602-733USD.

 

 

I think most of us would jump on that just for a parts kit. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif

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These Thompsons recently imported and sold in Britain have been deactivated to the specification that came into force in late 1995.

 

Before then all the working parts were present although the front of the bolt was machined away. The lower receiver was left untouched. In both old and new specifications the barrels are slotted with a rod welded into the bore and the barrel welded (sometimes rather brutally) to the receiver.

 

From late 1995 the bolt had to be destroyed completely and the actuator (the cocking handle) welded into place along with a metal tube to simulate the bolt in the forward position. Also the trigger mechanism is welded up.

 

This is why "old spec" deacts command a much higher price than "new spec". There are however quite a few old specs still around. One currently for sale is an M1 but with a finned barrel and a Cutts Compensator.

 

It is tragic that these like new Thompsons from Russia have had to be made non-functional. Too bad they didn't end up in countries where they can still legally be owned.

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I wonder if Britain would allow them to be stripped down and sold as parts, minus receiver? That would be better than welding them up.
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