TD.

Notice what appears to be a British Off-Set Sling Swivel on the horizontal fore grip. Also note how the actuator is cocked and ready to fire!

KKCook, gijive is spot on with his post. This is information worth printing and saving. The number 4233 is a production assembly number for the different parts of the butt stock during production. It has nothing to do with the serial number of the Thompson submachine gun it was originally affixed to. The butt plate, butt stock and stock slide assembly were all numbered on the earliest completed stocks. Looking at a number of Savage Arms butt stocks over the years, it appears that the numbers on the stock slide assembly were deleted first. I don't know when during production this deleletion occurred. The numbering of the butt plates and butt stocks continued for a longer period. That is a very nice and desirable butt stock you have. Congratulations.

Richard, I really like these cards. +1 and thanks for sharing.

Quick question: Is this a Merle kit or a Ciener kit? If a Merle kit, Federal Bulk Pack 36 grain hollow point ammunition was Merle's preferred brand. I would start there. I have tried other brands and bullet weights with little sucess. I use a brand new USGI recoil spring that has been cut down to 10 inches. I never tried the two springs included in the kit. The front piece that screws into the barrel liner should only be SNUG on the liner. Do not over tighten. I usually have to snug it down after shooting two magazines or a drum dump as it will loosen (but works well with a snug fit). The extractor should just glide along the rib on the bolt. It should not drag on the bolt. This is a key lubrication point. If using a drum, the adaptor has to also be a snug fit. Do not overtighten. I usually just dump a magazine or drum. Short bursts will work but can lead to misfires. Rimfire ammunition is not perfect for 100% reliability. My kit, magazines and drums work well enough to suit me. I would guess 90 to 95% of the time. It is a lot of fun!

Norton, Welcome to the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoards.com. Thank you for ordering my book. I do hope you enjoy the book. All comments are appreciated. I really appreciate the excerpt you posted about Chief Lower and NO 2487. If I had known about this episode with NO 2487, I certainly would have included it in the story. I too could tell stories about funny things that happen on 3rd or midnight shift at a police department. I know those that have worn a badge and worked this shift can also tell many stories about what happens when most of the people are home and asleep. If I ever decide to include this short story in a future book, I will certainly include this story. Again, thank you for sharing.

Tracie, thank you for sharing. That is a great display. The early history of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation and the Model of 1919s and much much more is included in Volume 1 of, The Thompson Encyclopedia. It is mandatory reading for the Thompson enthusiast. Be advised, after reading Volume 1, you will definitely want Volume 2!

KKCook, Welcome to the Thompson forum and congratulations on your "new" West Hurley Thompson submachine gun. First off, make sure the buffer pilot has a "S" mark on the flange. Most of the original West Hurley buffer pilots are two-piece and can separate when firing creating a dangerous situation. Or a real mess inside the gun. Here is a link to a Small Arms Review magazine story I did in 2011: THOSE WEST HURLEY THOMPSON PARTS - Small Arms Review I updated this story in my 4th book, Thompson: Colt's, West Hurley & More, available directly from me or on Amazon.com. One of the many issues of a West Hurley receiver is the pilot hole. Often times the hole is too large or not perfectly round and causes the buffer pilot to move sideways when firing. If not corrected, it can cause operational problems and undue wear on the side of the actuator hole. Forum member PK. does correct this problem with an oversize buffer pilot when he re-manufactures West Hurley guns to USGI specifications. Unfortunately, PK., is no longer accepting any new guns for this process. That said, you may reach out to PK. at: p-k@myctl.net and see if he will make you an oversize buffer pilot. Of course, what size do you need is the question. My thoughts are to have Recon Bob make sure the pilot hole is straight and provide a measurement to PK. for an oversized pilot. Machinists have equipment to provide near perfect measurements. Of maybe Recon Bob may be able to make you a custom pilot. I know you would have a lot of fun at the Hill family All Thompson Show & Shoot later this year. Be advised, this event is addicting!

Very nice Tracie. +1 Thank you for sharing.

I recently had the opportunity to write about Colt Thompson NO 2487. As you can tell from the cover page, it was a basket case when acquired by the current owner. I brought along a draft copy to the Thompson Collector's Association (TCA) Show & Shoot (a fabulous event in case you missed it) and passed it around for comments. Everyone liked it and wanted a copy. I received permission to use some of the pictures while at the TCA S&S and submitted it for publication when I returned home. The book was approved yesterday and is available on Amazon.com. I have priced the book at $9.99, just about the minimum price allowed due to printing costs. I do plan on raising the price to $14.99 in the near future but wanted to give everyone a chance to obtain it at this low price. It is quite a story! Here is the link: Amazon.com: Saving Colt NO 2487: 9798244265248: Davis Jr., Tom: Books

valman35, NO 5070 has a very interesting history. It appears NO 5070 made its way to Nicaragua. We look forward to pictures. There are a lot of very knowledgeable people on this forum. I have thought about doing a short Thompson newsletter story on the Pennsylvania State Police Thompson guns, especially the early ones. I look forward to seeing the inventory number on the butt stock.

valman35, Welcome to the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoards.com. If you like Thompson submachine guns, this is the place to be. I have followed the Pennsylvania State Police Colt's for some time now. The early ones (NOs 179, 202, 278, 356, 1093) certainly did have sling swivels and Type 2 compensators. While I have not seen pictures of them all, I don't believe all were equipped with sling swivels. There are a number of these Pennsylvania State Police Colt's in the civilian marketplace. I don't have time tonight to check all my files. Here is a list of known Colt's: Which one is yours? When the Colt is yours, I can help you with the FOIA request.

jim c 351, As you well know, members of the TUSCO Rifle Club can also attend the Thompson Collector's Association (TCA) Show. After all, it is your club house and range. That said, it is a private event and not open to the public. While I can only speak for myself, I am very grateful that the TUSCO Rifle Club allows TCA to use its facilities for the annual show & shoot. Last I checked, I believe most of the current TCA officers are also TUSCO Rifle Club members. I also doubt any of the TUSCO Rifle Club members that are not active in the Thompson community frequent the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoard.com. So come join us in the fun.

NO 3380 hammered at 90K plus a 20% Buyers Premium. Impressive. Those that attend the Hill family All Thompson Show & Shoot have seen this Thompson displayed many times. The package contained the only U.S. Marine Corps Service Kit I have ever seen - see below. Also included was a 2nd Edition Auto-Ordnance handbook (not pictured). NO 6014 hammered at 106K plus a 20% Buyers Premium. Very impressive since it had a World War II grip and the fore grip appeared sanded. The butt stock looked a little rough and did have a small crack toward the front. There was something going on with the wood on this Colt. The package did include a lot of extras including what appeared to be a L drum with a nickel rotor. Unknown if the L drum was numbered.

seth m, Welcome to MachineGunBoards.com. Forum member Annihilator was last on this forum on December 14, 2025. He has not been a frequent visitor of late. If you click on his name on the top left of his post, it will take you to Annihilator's page. Every registered member has a page. You will see a rectangular box title "Message" at the top of his page. Click on this and send him a private message. He will receive an email from this Board telling him someone has sent him a Private Message. Hopefully he will reply and you two can make contact. I am interested in the French Colt's as part of my continuing research on the Thompson submachine gun. I have only found 24 French Colts thus far. All are listed in my story, A French Colt Returns Home, in my 3rd book, A Thompson Compendium. Please let me know if you discover additional French Colts as part of your research. You can Private Message me as well. Best, TD. - Tom Davis, Jr.

JEB007x, It appears you have a very nice example of a M1 Thompson submachine gun. This variation is not my specialty but others on this forum are very knowledgeable. If you do not already have a copy, I highly recommend, American Thunder, Third Edition, by Frank Iannamico. It is a steal at 40 bucks on Amazon.com. I can say the bolt you pictured is not an Auto-Ordnance West Hurley, New York bolt (good news). I have found the best place for parts is Board member Phil Askew. He has a very nice selection of NOS parts. Phil can be reached via PM on the Board or by emailing him at: philfordparts@yahoo.com Phil will be at The American Thompson Association Show & Shoot later this year. Another reason not to miss this event.