Balder

The going price in this part of Europe (Norway) would be about $ 500 - 600. There aren't too many of them here either, although they can still be bought new from Numrich/GPC for approx. $ 175 +additional export fees and all the paperwork. Balder

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin

Mike, Your recoil spring could be too weak, try replacing it. Balder

Gentlemen, I'm preparing a lecture on the Thompson for a historic association. Does anybody have a picture comparing the .45ACP cartridge to the .45 cartridge (.45 Thompson-Remington?) used in the 1923 model? A good picture of the M1923 would also be highly appreciated. Thanks! Balder

Sgt, Congrats on a very nice gun and webpage! I particularly liked the pics from your father's military service. As well as a Savage M1928 I also have a Vickers, an Australian Lithgow from 1942 (live). Balder

In the early 70's I talked to a Norwegian WW2 veteran who'd been equipped with an M1928 and L-drum on a raid on the Norwegian coast. He didn't have much good to say about it (weight and bulk) but it was the drum that was giving him the most serious problems; it rattled and alerted the German sentries that he was trying to sneak up on. As others have commented on, I think that the time spent reloading the drum was also a reason why the drum never was popular in action. Once I figure out how to do it, I'll show you guys some pictures of the Thompson in use by Norwegian military/resistance forces in WW2. Nick, can you help with pictures? Regards, Balder

Good job Steve! I'll hire you as a carpenter any day. Balder

Arthur, You're probably sick and tired of looking up numbers by now, but anyway - S-245XX? That's one thing I miss in "American Thunder", a list of production dates. I've tried looking for it on the Net, no luck there either. Thanks! Balder

Agreed, Mafia is a great game - I spent way too much time on it, now I'm just waiting for the sequel. Balder

Congrats! Balder

Gentlemen, Since I joined this site in November last year I have learned a lot about Thompsons and I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the discussions. I may even have been able to contribute a little. Although I have no problem contributing to the site, I have to agree with what many have said before; making this a pay-site would probably scare off a great deal of newcomers. I am fairly active on several message boards, gun-related and others. On those boards I have not encountered the same level of personal drittkasting (Norwegian saying, translates into "shit-throwing") as I have here. I come here to discuss Thompsons primarily, secondarily gun related issues. It should be possible to so without getting personal. Having made my contribution to the hat that was recently passed around, I think I am entitled to encourage the moderators to keep a stricter policy regarding personal insults and worse. Difference in opinions is a great thing - attacking people is a different matter. We do not need that. Nick, thanks for taking the trouble of keeping this site going! Regards, Balder

The ejector, safety and rocker pivot are not correct for such an early Savage. I'm not 100% sure about the magazine catch but I believe it should not have a hole. Balder

Happy birthday Ltcboy! I really appreciate the range of ages we have on this board. Balder

It should have the New York address and 12 patent dates, not numbers, on the right side of the receiver. Balder

PhilOhio, Good one! Your post made me able to prove to my wife that it's not only me who considers gun purchases as investsments (there's no need to tell them that we'll never sell). Balder

Hmmmm, this is weird. As far as I know Savage started their serial number range at S-15041, Colt's last one in 1922 was 15040. If the SN on this gun is correct (it doesn't say S-15043 like it should if it's a Savage) and it really is a Savage, then it is actually the third Thompson gun made by Savage. That would make it a straight M1928, not an A1. Something in that ad has got to be wrong. Balder

John Jr, I took my Brit-marked Savage 1928 (S-245XX) apart, no sign of Mr. Goll inside. No "E" either. My gun has only one encircled GEG stamp, on the left side of the receiver just outside the chamber. Balder

I am 43 years old, live in south Norway. Don't want my name on gun sites, I'm sort of a semi-public figure in my community. I served ten years as an army officer, now I spend my time teaching/researching. Collect primarily pre-1945 guns but like anything that goes "BOOM!" Wife, dog & daughter. Savage Thompson M1928. Sidecar motorcycle. 28' boat. Wife-certified pack-rat.

Hi all, I have two Mk II STENs. One is marked FN 475XX and M-158 on the magazine well, M-158 is also found on the stamped stock. The other one is FE 323XX, marked M/49 on its T-stock. Does anybody have a clue about year of production and manufacturers? Thanks! Regards, Balder

I have a Suomi M31 SMG, SN# 317XX. I've been looking all over the Net for information on Suomi serial numbers - no luck so far. Can anybody help me or point me in the right direction? Thanks. Regards, Balder

QUOTE (21 smoker @ Jan 23 2004, 08:21 PM) Your Tmsg if I remember from your previous posts was actually used by the Resistance during WWII, I can only speculate about mine. 21 smoker, Mine was used either by the Brits during WW2 or by Norwegian forces in the UK. After the war it was used on Norwegian Navy MTBs until the 1970's from what I can gather. We have all seen pictures of British soldiers carrying the Thompson, the truth of the matter is that it didn't really see much British front line use after the introduction of the STEN in 1941. They found it too heavy and bulky, it was issued mostly to the Home Guard and used on Navy vessels. In Jan/Feb 1943, the Linge Company (an elite Norwegian commando unit closely associated with the SOE) staged Operation Carhampton on the occupied Norwegian coast. In the early 70's I talked to one of the participating soldiers who had been equipped with a 1928 and an L-drum - he did not have many good things to say about it. What he particularly mentioned was all the noise the loaded drum had made as he was trying to sneak up on the German sentries. The Norwegian resistance used Thompsons, but only as personal sidearms for the agents (also Company Linge personnel) who were sent in to assist them. Thompsons were never received in regular supply drops - weight & volume are definitely issues when air-dropping supplies. The resistance received thousands of STENs, which was better suited for clandestine operations. I'll upload some pictures of Thompsons in the Resistance if and when that becomes an option again. Regards, Balder

Ron, The book from 1940 does not show a lend-lease gun, the lend-lease act wasn't passed until March 1941. The first guns procured under this act arrived Britain in the fall of 1941. Before this time the British government bought a lot of guns, including Thompson 1928's, directly from the manufacturer. Balder

QUOTE (21 smoker @ Jan 23 2004, 02:37 PM) Ron,... I have a Savage 1928 #24169(1st prod. run) that is Brit. proofed no Navy Wow.... 21 smoker, so do I, SN # S-245XX. They must have left the factory the same week at the least. In deed it is a small world. Apart from that, I think gijive is correct in assuming that the gun in Ron's book is a Colt. Regards, Balder

Ron, I have the same book, it's still available from Numrich/GPC, item # 109350 @ $ 8.50. I have scanned the picture in question but I guess we can't post for the time being. Balder

hardrede, I still do not want to continue this debate, to me there is nothing more to debate. Everything that I've stated in my posts can be found in my afore-mentioned sources and in the Norwegian edition of Snorre Sturlason's sagas - for Svein's fleeing I even gave a specific reference to where it can be found. If you have other sources that say differently, I'm sure that the University of Bergen would be more than interested: Universitetet i Bergen Post box 7800 N- 5020 Bergen Norway Balder