Weird S/N on Trigger Housing/Lower

[Rimcrew]

Can anyone tell me what is going on here? This is the lower from a Russian parts kit. The S/N appears to have been modified at the factory, before the finish was applied. Weird that the original was ground off, but even more bizarre that there is no manufacturers prefix.

 

[Adg105200]

Probably ground off and renumbered to match the upper. That way they matched for the Russian armory while being serviced/repaired probably.

 

Andrew

[TSMGguy]

Right. The font is not what you'd expect if the markings had been applied in the US. It's more European.

[Rimcrew]

So ground off by whom, the Russians?

 

It does not appear to be refinished almost like it was done while the lower was in the white.

[reconbob]

You see this a lot with M1928A1 frames. It is common to see trigger frames with numbers

X'ed or ground off and renumbered. I have seen frames with as many as three and on a rew

occasions four different numbers. Who knows where in the long life of a Thompson this was

done or by whom.

 

Bob

[Bridgeport28A1]

A lot of military Thompsons that went through an overhaul have receiver and trigger frames numbers that do not match. The Ordnance Department later in WW2 was not concerned with numbers matching, to the point of stopping the numbering on later production M1A1 trigger frames. Prior to the 1928A1 parts kits coming back into the USA how many renumbered trigger frames were observed? It always possible they were forced matched when we sent them as aid but I feel it is more likely they were forced matched while in possession of a foreign country and prior to them being imported back into the USA as parts kits. Edited March 12, 2020 by Bridgeport28A1

[reconbob]

Did they number M1 trigger frames? I thought that the frames were not

numbered at the factory, but that later, after issue, guns were numbered on

the bottom of the trigger frame so that the serial numbers could be read

without having to take them out of locked racks such as those found on

ships, etc. Yes? No?

 

Bob

[TSMG28]

This kind of renumbering has been done in Britain for at least the past 20 years. This was before the Russian kits began to enter our country. When I visited Britain in the early 2000's, I saw a couple dozen deactivated Thompsons (the older standard) with forced matched serial numbers like this. I have seen others there with similar changes.

 

I also saw modified numbers on newly deactivated Thompsons at the War and Peace show in 2014 and 2015. As Bob indicated, I have seen numbers ground off and restamped like this, X'd out, overstamped, and/or double-stamped.

 

I can't confirm when/where this was done, but I have not seen this on guns that came straight from military sources, FWIW.

[Frank Iannamico]

I seriously doubt that was done at the Savage or AO factory.

 

Probably done overseas, original number was ground off, new number stamped added and refinished

[Rimcrew]

Thanks everyone. I have so much to learn, I appreciate you all helping me along!

[rpbcps]

Attached is picture of the trigger frame S/N on a Model of 1928 in my collection, with added S/N and the original 1928A1 S/N above it.

 

 

Wartime usage of the Thompsons showed that many parts needed by unit armourers for repairs were recovered, or cannibalised, from unrepairable weapons in the field. The replacement of entire trigger group was not unusual to war time repairs of Thompsons, as it was easier to replace the frame than to change barrels etc. so mismatched serials numbers are common on Thompsons.

 

Trigger frame S/N ground off on my other, NY address, Model of 1928, but not replaced.

 

 

Stay safe

 

Richard

Edited March 12, 2020 by rpbcps