20 replies to this topic

[kilroyjones]

I picked up my new (and first) Thompson yesterday. A Kahr 1927-A1 with the 50 rd drum mag.

I read the instructions and loaded the new drum. I had failure to feed toward the end becuase the drum wasn't wound enough. I know it is 9-11 clicks, but when I wound the drum it was clickin' and clackin' like a freight train going down the tracks.

How do I tell which CLICK counts and which ones are just noise? Do you turn the key x number of degrees for one click? Or is there a way to eliminate some of the excess noise? I definetly don't want to over wind the spring. Thanks for any help or suggestions

[PK.]

50 rds = L drum

1 “click” = ¼ revolution, regardless of what you hear.

The pre-war drums actually did click 4 times per revolution.

[DINK]

Paul;

I just picked up one of these drums (even though I am temporarily Thompsonless. Sniff, sob!) and haven't even opened it up yet. How difficult is it to take down the rivets or whatever it is that's causing the extra clicks? Since this drum isn't anything collectable, I'm willing to have at it.

[PK.]

Hey Dink,

It’s not rocket science; the trick is to get as smooth a transition between the edge of the rivet and the face of the body where they join inside. If you simply cut off the rivet head, then it isn’t doing anything to hold the parts together. I remove the excess material and then re-set the head in a press using dies of the proper radius to form a nice contour on the inside and not mar the outside. You can do this also with a punch and hammer if you are so inclined, and have a friend to hold the body while you do the beating.

[Norm]

DINK,

Before my WH drum was worked on and "smoothed out", I just followed the old WH drum rule:

The loud "CLUNK!!!" or "POP!!!!" is the "click" that you need to count.

Norm

[PK.]

Unfortunately, the new Kahr drum “clicks” all sound about the same, kind of like a music box. I forgot to mention that you should take the burr off the spring plate edges and bend them a bit to give a more positive engagement and “pop” sound.

[Norm]

PK,

Leave to Kahr to something troublesome even worse.

OK, DINK; forget my advice. I guess it doen't apply to the new Kahr drums.

Norm

[kilroyjones]

Thanks for the information PK. I didn't notice that I had typed C instead of L, may have been wishful thinking on my part.

One click= 1/4 turn was the info I was looking for. Thanks again

[julianmb]

i don't have any drums, but i can't help feeling you are ALL missing something here...if you have bought something that doesn't work, why the hell don't you send it back to the supplier / manufacturer at THEIR expense, tell them to make make it work AT THEIR EXPENSE, and send it back to you AT THEIR EXPENSE???

[kilroyjones]

Today I loaded my drum following PK's instructions. Took it out back and started shooting from the hip as fast as I could pull the trigger.

Everything was going fine until I heard "click". I thought it had jammed, but turns out the drum was empty. I didn't realize how fast 50 rounds can go down range.

The Thompson and drum are both running great. Thanks to all for the help.

[DINK]

Well, I took the drum apart and looked at the rivets in question. There's nine spot welds holding that assembly together beside the rivets, so I just ground the inside protrusions off. If they fall out, I'll just send the thing back to Kahr. If they don't, I'll continue to shoot. I'm very glad there's a source of drums for the shooters now and I can retire my original L drum. I appreciate old stuff, but am NOT a collector. Guns (and mags) are made to be shot.

Now if a certain well-known gunsmith who'se initials are P.K. would just fix my WH 28 and get it back to me, I would be a happy man, indeed! I never knew six months could be so long!

[wildwilly2002]

Cut the rivets down to half the origional higth. Added small amount of grease over rivets and indentations in body. Now the clicking sounds just like my origional seymore drum. DID SEND MY DRUM back to khar with a list of problems. After 3 weeks got same drum back. Had same problems only it appeared they greased the rotor. Figured if I was ever going to get one to work I was going to have to fix it myself. Did just that. Wanted shooter drum to save wear on my origional. All khar did was nicely blow smoke up my a..

[CowEyeball]

Greetings!

I'm new here and am more than thrilled to have found this site. I am new to the Thompson scene and am really digging the history and culture of the weapon.

I purchased a 1927A1 about a year ago and have been having a lot of fun with it. It was just recently that I was able to obtain a 50rnd drum, purchased from gunbroker.com, and I took it out over the weekend to try it out. I was very disappointed to encounter nothing but difficulty with it which is what brought me here.

I am now feeling two things:

1. I feel discouraged and foolish for having purchased this on gunbroker. The most common "fix" for problems like this seems to be sending it back to Kahr...this is an option I don't have. I can say though that I saved quite a bit of money this way but, well, money saved is really only exciting if you get what you were expecting.

2. I am a bit intimidated by the remedies you all are suggesting. If we were talking computer parts I'd be right there with yah! However talk of spring burrs and cutting down rivets sort of sails over my head. Simply put, I am a newbie on this front and am feeling at a bit at a loss because of it.

The Problem:

I am another "multi-click" sufferer who's experiencing feeding failures. The round doesn't quite make it up into the chamber but rather slams into the bottom edge of the feed ramp. The result: The gun jams and the bullet gets forced back into the shell. This is not a good thing and I'd like it to go away.

The good news to all of this is that the range owner took notice of my problems and brought out a 40rnd drum he's been sitting on for awhile. Said he's been meaning to sell it but never had the chance. I am now the proud owner of it and it works like a champ!

So...what advice can you give an anxious newbie like myself? Take it to a smith? Send it to a drum doctor? Risk it and dive right in myself and hope I learn something? I'm open to anything!

Thanks!

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE

The good news to all of this is that the range owner took notice of my problems and brought out a 40rnd drum he's been sitting on for awhile. Said he's been meaning to sell it but never had the chance. I am now the proud owner of it and it works like a champ!

Yeppers those XL 39 rounders are actually nice drums, and usually work right out of the box....

Don't be discouraged... I bought some tommy stuff that I paid to much for before I found this board, but hey if that is the worst gun deal you've done then you're not in a bad spot......

[wildwilly2002]

COWEYEBALL, had problems with mine. Dosn't take a rocket scientist to take care of them. Sending it back wouldn't likly do ya any good anyway. Sure didn't do me any good! Give me a call and I'll walk you threw the fix. (520) 240-8349. Be glad ta help.

[Elbow]

Guy's I hear ya's. I'm waiting on my drum to come back from Kahr,for the 5th time. I called them and they told me that the drums are on backorder for a week or two.I'm thinking this MIGHT be a good thing, thinking that they are going to fix the know problems once and for all. But then again wishful thinking will get me know where. I think it was my 3rd drum I got back from them looked like if was used.They all had had the typical problems we've been talking about. In the mean time I'm waiting on a set of Dan's wood stock sets to arrive .

Hey, anybody know if Numeric has any of thiers in stock? They say the drums are built on original tooling. Has anybody here bought one from them since the sunset.

[CowEyeball]

Thank you for the advice and encouragement, I'll see what I can do with it this weekend. Good point Phil about the lack of anything significant to lose, it's the truth. If I do break the spring I assume I can somehow get it replaced or is the drum garbage at that point? Can't imagine it'd become worthless but...then again...I guess it's not worth too much now.

Tnx for the walkthrough offer willy, might take yah up on it if I get in a bind.

[Zamm]

I've been told they are to be wound 9 clicks, hit twice with a hammer, then continue winding to 11 clicks, open, unload
and repeat the process until it's out of your system and you opt for the stick mags...
Sorry, it's late and I'm slap-happy.
Z

[Zamm]

QUOTE

Remember, unless you pay 600% of market value, it might not work. That's just basic kahrnomics .

My bloody "Quote" button is broke!

Z

[CowEyeball]

I can't even say if this is a Kahr drum or not, would those most often be the ones that hit the market after the sunsetting of the AWB? This one has "For military and law enforcement use only" stamped on it so I'm not exactly sure where/when it came from.