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Whelp, these things have a funny way of happening when you least expect it. After driving six hours back from Massachusetts with a new/ used Buick LeSabre, I was sitting in the third level of purgatory (the DMV) when I got a ping in my inbox telling me that yes, the day had come. My form 4 for my first Thompson had been approved! The shop that had possession of the Thompson was located two hours away, and closed in an hour forty five. Anyhow, ignoring those minor details, mission success! I'm now the proud owner of the 1928A1 S/N A026237. Which as I understand it, places its production as during 1940. What a day! Credit to SP Sarge for helping me make the connection with the folks out in Arizona who were selling this Thompson.

It's really quite remarkable what they have kicking around in their museum. One time I visited, they had a complete rack of a dozen Thompsons in for some reason or another. Their reloading component prices are the best around in my experience.

I looked that place up and then spent the next hour looking at their pictures. Quite an outfit.

back around 1960 when i was a teen ager i had an uncle who lived in hooksett nH, I REMBER THAT THIS TINY 1 road town dad 3 gun shops ! if i rember correctly the big one was rielys gun shop, across the street was a gun shop run out of the front of a guys house, he had a 25 mm french anti tank gun on the front lawn,, up the street was another shop , spragues , i think, run out of guys house, he had a WW 1 cannon on front lawn, what memories,!! just sayn

Hello -- A friend suggested I register here to report on this forum what I found with KAK Industries stuff... (I never use these forum things, so I don't know whatever proper etiquette of what I'm supposed to say/do in writing this topic posting.) This relates to the Smith & Wesson Model 76 submachine gun with aftermarket barrel of KAK. My gun is a "U" with serial number in the 4000's if that matters. You can find the KAK Industries products available online at: https://kakindustry.com/specialty-parts/firearm-platforms/smith-and-wesson I ordered online on Monday 4/22 and was surprised yesterday (Thursday 4/25) morning to see it had been delivered. (1) Short Barrel, (1) Long Barrel, and (2) of the "S&W Model 76 - Micro Shroud - with rear serrations" (which I sometimes refer to as a Barrel Nut, or Shroud, or whichever, it's both). Total price was just under $400. So I had some time yesterday afternoon to play a bit. Here are some notes and observations from first testing: 1) The barrels are not perfect; some people might not be satisfied. The barrel nut is nice and slightly different and seems functional (maybe a bit of issue, but I'm not really sure yet) 2) I suggest you look carefully at my pictures. In particular, look closely at the side-by-side comparion of KAK long barrel with my regular barrel. -- Photos and a video. Link: https://imgur.com/a/rrPtqyg if link doesn't work, let me know by replying to this. -- There are various general 'what's it look like' photos and detailed photos. Half way through the photos there's a video showing gun running with "crap" ammo. -- Toward the bottom end of the photos are the "size issue" detail photos which compare the KAK Long barrel (which I have not tested) with it side-by-side to the barrel I usually use (which I assume is a factory barrel). Those are the photos you might wish to inspect carefully. 3) I have only tested the short barrel so far. I have only tested two types of ammo. This is all preliminary initial testing observations -- DON'T TRUST ME ON THIS! -- it's all jsut my first quick impression. 4) First test of short barrel was not good. With 147 grain brass case Winchester brand new ammo, there were moderate cycling problems. With 115 grain aluminum case "crap" ammo, it almost always failed to cycle. It had failure to extract or failure to eject along with insufficient bolt travel for sear thing to catch the bolt (in semi-auto). Inspection of aluminum cases showed mark of extractor not far enough forward to grab around the rim well, plus some popped primers -- it seemed clear that the case was slightly forward of proper position, therefore leaving slight gap between bolt face and bottom of case. 5) Over an hour or two of screwing around with the thing, testing, whacking, twisting, cleaning, lubing, etc., I gradually improved the cycling functioning. Finally it got working well enough to eat several full magazines of 115 gr aluminum crap ammo without any problems. -- I think the gun gets finicky about ammo when using the KAK short barrel -- Solution was 1) everything well cleaned and lubed; and 2) apply force to seat the barrel as tightly as possible (and tighten the nut with force). 6) After looking carefully and comparing to my other barrel and playing around, it seems to me very likely that the root cause of all this relates to imperfect barrel length: -- with round in the chamber, consider the distance from (A) the base/bottom of the case to (B) the barrel 'ring' seating surface. That distance is too short with the KAK barrel. -- That distance could be too short due to chamber depth (too deep), or due to length of barrel from rear end to the ring seating surface (too short). I am fairly sure it's the barrel length and not the chamber head spacing -- saying that length is too short is the same as saying the position of the ring on the barrel is too far aft. 7) ... so with well cleaned and lubed gun, perfect shaped and greased magazine lips, and the tightening the heck on the barrel nut, the thing seems to be ok. BUT there is still probably a tiny gap between the bolt face and the bottom of the case which makes it fussy. I will check back for replies to this. Feel free to comment back to me. Give me other thoughts/ideas that I'm missing or tell me if I'm wrong in my thinking. Please note your suggestions as to how I should handle this. I suppose I will do further testing and more careful measuring and then contact KAK about it.

selling my Japanese MG's at Morphy's. Type 100, 96, & 89 (TE4) https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602545 (this gun has the original 1946 IRS paperwork that states it was "captured in combat in the pacific" https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602637 https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602629

Selling my MG42 at Morphy's. It's an amnesty gun with the original paperwork with it. Has been rewatted by US Aramament Corp. https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602643

Saw a neat little display at Shooters Outpost in Hooksett NH.

well.....you can certainly buy mine for less than that....maybe! https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602627 I also have a Chinese type 50 in the auction as well: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/LotDetail.aspx?inventoryid=602622 Both are amnesty guns that came out of an estate as dewats and I had them reactivated.

Thank you! That's a better option than making one myself from scratch. I have emailed them to inquire if they would be interested in making thread protectors. Awaiting reply. I'll keep the board posted. If they do run with it, I'll share with the semi board, as well. Karl

Maybe contact these guys: https://www.columbusordnance.com/product/1918-bar-flash-hider-new-production

May very well be an original barrel based upon the direction of the P. Replacement barrels that I have seen have the P readable from the muzzle end, not the receiver.

I did a paper F4 to a dealer in January and it was 5 weeks.

I wonder what the thread is on my Swedish Kg m/37 is. I have several thread protectors on 5 or 6 of my barrels and flash hider on my other one. Colt made the original Swedish BAR guns so I wonder if they are in imperial threaded.

lol. I was thinking the same thing before I read your comment

the welds on the reciever trigger and sear bosses looks like repair,, me thinks gun is old reblue,, just sayn

Thank you. As they say, that's good enough for gov'ment work. I don't want to bung up the threads on the rifle, and a hair loose is much better than a hair tight. I can use a rubber o-ring to snug it down without fouling the threads. I may even make it out of aluminum to be extra sure. I've found the taps on line at several sources, ranging from $17-$50 (dependent on quality & material, I'm sure). V/R Karl, 68coupe

11/16"x28 Some info here. https://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?/topic/21691-1918-bar-flash-hider-made/

Hello - all original Thompson spare barrels were proof fired- hence the P. When a spare barrel was fitted to a gun and proof fired it was center punched inside the P and at the front of the receiver. Many barrels have a small O stamped at the rear in addition to the S. I do not know what the small O means. The large O in your picture, I do not know what that means either, and the two draw lines - who knows? But we would expect to see only one draw line. I agree that the raised edges around the hole for the comp pin are a clear sign the pin has been removed and refitted Bob

Who am I to question brilliance? I just need to make a thread protector that will stay put, as they seem to be made of unobtanium. I'm doing good to keep my firearms running, much less invent one that lasts forever. ROFLMAO Karl, 68coupe

You questioning the great John Moses Browning 😜 I think thread sizes were not nearly as standardized in the early 20th century as they are later so they just went with what looked right? It is a strange size.

To be honest, I've never heard of, or seen, a 2/3" ANYTHING, much less tap or die. We just don't think that way here in the USA. LOL My math doesn't come up with a fractional size that makes sense for a tap or die. Where to I find such a rare beast? I want a thread protector, and my searches have come up empty. The rubber one that came with my rifle seems a little inadequate, but it's now clear to me why that's what they gave me. V/R Karl, 68coupe

just me but yes it does look strange.

Yes i had the same thing happen to my stepfather while they lived in Florida

Anyone have an idea if paper form 4 to dealers is getting faster? I have two coming to me, though they have only been in process for just under two weeks.