13 replies to this topic

[philasteen]

I had a chance to visit the People's Museum of Chinese Military Revolutionary History in Beijing yesterday.

They have what was now identified for me as a 1923 Thompson display together with many, many
Thompsons, Greaseguns and M-1 Carbines. All Korean war captures. There were also Shermans,
Pershings, various field artillery, SPGs, APCs, etc. Some, such as the Sherman, appeared to
have had the barrel destroyed by Americans prior to capture.

The museum was more like a museum of captured American and Japanese weaponry. Interestingly
enough there was only one M16 (as compared with 3 MP-44 Sturmgewehr rifles). There were
however several M60s that looked as if they had been repaired with makeshift parts by vietcong.

Here are photos of some captured Thompsons.

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

Philasteen,
WOW! Thank you for these pics. Just the way the Chinese display their captured/modified weapons is revealing in itself.

[full auto 45]

Holy Crap there Art, you Colt boy's have to be chocking back the tears with seeing those Colt's in the hands of the F'n Commies like that! Hell next we'll hear the slants are making copies of our guns!
Tracies 1923 looks a little different than the chinese gun if I recall. I'll have to hunt up some pix to see.

[Ron Mills]

If I remember correctly, the Chinese did make a Thompson copy that looked more like that '23 in the museum. I believe there were a few bastardized copies used by the Viet Cong in Nam too, that looked like combination of '21 and M1A1. Germany had thought about it in the late 1930's, but abandoned the project. I'll try to hunt up the Chi-com pic that I have.

[Norm]

Check out the Colt 21a copy (?) in the third picture.

It has no rear grip.

Painful to shoot!

Norm

[John Jr]

What are the japs doing with our guns. THEY LOST. Send em home and let em get registered.

Jr

[AZDoug]

I notice the buttstocks don't have sling swivels. Did you ahppen to notice if the swivels may have been removed, or is maybe those were original 1921 stocks? Maybe they want to trade some really, really nice WWII stocks for those they have????


I wonder where those guns came from?

Doug

[AZDoug]

Check out the actuator knobs.

Are those the big honkin' square WH actuators on those guns?

Doug

[John Jr]

Good one BigDaddy!!!!!!!

Jr

[giantpanda4]

Nice job documenting what most of will never see! Thanks!
The one picture of the wall of guns also shows a 1923 style buttstock, and it looks like it is on a 10 1/2" barreled gun.
Is that the same one featured by itself? If so - were they letting you handle them and set up photos?
That would be too Cool!

[StoryforU]

QUOTE (Norm @ Jan 15 2004, 11:13 PM)

Check out the Colt 21a copy (?) in the third picture. It has no rear grip. Painful to shoot! Norm

Prototype Norinco export version for the People's Republic of Kalifornia.

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

John Jr,
These guns are in Beijing, China; not Tokyo, Japan!!!

[John Jr]

Nevertheless, send em home!

JR

[Bob]

In the top photo it looks like they attached a Chauchat bipod! (along with some weird chicom tube). Wonder what caliber? 7.62x25 perhaps?