7 replies to this topic

[Ron A]

Arthur where are you getting shipping dates- is there anything to reflect that the gun had been purchased when shipped?

I thought that I had everything written, unless I missed something.
Thanks for the information on 398
What date do you have for 4001?

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

Ron,
#4001, Trenton, N.J.P.D. Sorry, no date of sale/shipping.

Since Auto-Ord stored the TSMG's coming off the manufacturing line at the same Colt Hartford, CT plant, I imagine that a shipping date would correspond with the initial purchase date. Where else would they be shipping it to?

[1921A]

Arthur:

Do you have shipping info on 21A #7941, 21AC #6250, 21AC 8887, 27AC #5190 or 21A #4124?

Thanks,

1921A

[Ron A]

Arthur - I didn't see a answer to the question asked by 1921a? I am interested where the shipping dates are listed???

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

Ron & 1921A,
Shipping dates for Colt TSMG's with early serial numbers under 1100 or so were found intact in the Auto-Ord business files. They can be found at the National Archives in D.C., if you wanted to peruse through the entire files, or they can be looked up in their truncated form in GH's book.

[TD.]

Arthur,
Tracie Hill's book, The American Legend, also lists the Date Manufactured and Date Shipped for the early guns. I have never compared this data in total to the data in Gordon's but I would assume it was the same. Have you noticed any major differences?
In addition, Tracie's first book with Jim Bannan, The Thompson Submachine Gun, Second Edition, lists the manufacturing dates of many of the Colt Thompsons. It states the dates are shipping dates, but I believe the dates refer to when the guns were shipped from Colt (really delivered) to Auto-Ordnance as completed guns for sale.
Ron A. and 1921A - Hope this helps.
TD.

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

TD,
There is some confusion between shipping and manufacturing dates. Since Auto-Ord's wharehouse was inside Colt's Hartford facility, it doesn't seem logical that shipping meant walking it from the assembly line to a storage facility. But in Hill's book, he even has the dates of manufacture later than the shipping dates, i.e., #457 the shipping date is 5/18/21, but the manufacture date is 6/9 to 7/16/21?

[Waffen Und Bier]

I suppose one could do a FOIA request to ATF. One of these days, I'll get off my a s s and do some for my C&R guns.