Thanks to TD and PhilOhio,
OK, I'm hooked - big time.
I haven't even fired this gun but already I'm thinking about the up-grades, buying a parts kit from Dan's and getting a SMG.
You people are evil - in the nicest way.
I travel most weeks but am home in Phoenix this week and will definitely shoot my 1927. I'll let you know what goes right and what goes wrong.
Question, mine has the ugly peep sight, is a Lyman worth the price???
BTW - my 80 year old Father-in-Law is as interested as I am. He carried a 1928 in the pacific during WWII.
He was a 17 Year old 120 lbs grunt in Light Artillery that was issued a 03-A3 but took the Thompson from a dead colleague. He told me that he would go into the field with the Thompson and 3 drums. They liked the sticks better as they were more reliable but they had the drums and used them. He only weighted 120 lbs back then (and not much more today) so that must have been a load to carry. He did the South Pacific including Bougainville.
He told me they used to use broken glass to scrape the mold from the wood parts on their weapons.
Of course, he also told me they used to take an extra back-pack filled with beer (3.2 beer) and take turns carrying it along with their gear...