bt3_guns Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 (edited) All, Carol & I got to visit two more museums in the Ardennes over the New Year Holiday. Both are in the vicinity of Bra, Belgium. There is a group of museums all devoted to the battle of the bulge in that area and we plan to ultimately visit all of them. It is only 90 minutes or so from home so we can easily get to one on a weekend. One of the museums is in the town of La Roche. La Roche was heavily damaged during the battle. Allied bombers were used to knock out the bridge in the center of town which was a critical choke point of the German attack. In La Roche we got pictures of Model1928A1 SN 12925. The other museum is in La Gleize. Both are collections and you can do justice to the in a half day easily. Here are a few pictures of the Tommy Guns in the museums. I’ve put additional pictures of the museums in the Ardennes on the TCA web site www.thetac.net/europetsmg.aspx. Bill Troy Edited February 1, 2009 by bt3_guns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye_Joe Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 In pic #2 going from the left, that is a UD M42 SMG...We they used in the battle? I thought they all went to the OSS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Ploughboy Posted February 1, 2009 Report Share Posted February 1, 2009 Cool paper weights in the shot on the first row, left column. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reconbob Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yes, I also am amazed that there is a UD M42 in what appears to be pristine shape in that display. If the guns could only talk... Thanks for posting! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye_Joe Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 The other weird thing about is ..there is what looks to be a 9MM round displayed with it. It could just be the lighting but I'd swear it was a 9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balder Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 The other weird thing about is ..there is what looks to be a 9MM round displayed with it. It could just be the lighting but I'd swear it was a 9. As far as I know the UD M42 was made in 9mm only. Balder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye_Joe Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yer right.. my bad... I thought that I'd read that it was in 45 ACP...Don't know where I saw that, or maybe I was thinking of the Hyde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artie in miami Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 Yer right.. my bad... I thought that I'd read that it was in 45 ACP...Don't know where I saw that, or maybe I was thinking of the Hyde. I did a google on the ud m42 and saw a close up of it...the mags look just like thompson 20 rounders...but it said "9mm"...I had never seen or heard of one before...thanks for pointing it out...I'll bet the mags are worth a few bucks ! artie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balder Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 A friend is the fortunate owner of a Marlin-made UD M42, delivered to the Norwegian Resistance during WW2. Truly a beautiful gun with great attention to finish, I've fired it on several occasions. Balder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkeye_Joe Posted February 2, 2009 Report Share Posted February 2, 2009 (edited) Probably what is just as rare are the 4 cell mag pouches that were issued with them. Edited February 2, 2009 by Hawkeye_Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike45 Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 The UD mags are identical in fit & function to the 45 mags, they hold 25 rds of 9mm. They are marked in same loc. as 45s, United Defense Supply Corp, New Haven Connecticut,SPC. They function great in a Thompson w/a 9mm barrel. A few yrs. ago I picked up a 9mm barrel, bolt & the UD mags from long time,been there, done that Frank Galati. Put it together & it ran circles around the 45. No muzzle climb to even notice. You could cut the head off a target without even trying. All good things can't last forever, After being completely wiped out by hurricane Katrina, the best stuff that i had saved on high ground were stolen from my temporary home by some dopeheads who broke in. I found out who it was & the local gestapo would not even bother. They had bigger fish to fry like bleeding FEMA for all they could get. If I come across as sounding a bit bitter about it it is because I AM. I will never forget how shi**y I was treated by LEO . Like OH is that your biggest problem, we don't have have time for things like that. Hide your goodies well, O'bummi's democraps will have the troops out looking B4 you know it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Bill, Thank you for starting this excellent thread. Great pictures of Thompson's and other firearms most of us will never see. We all look forward to hearing about more of your travels in Europe. That is a very early Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport serial number. I have never studied the AO Bridgeport Thompson's. Has anyone seen an earlier serial number or better yet, have a picture of one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schatzperson Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 It seems I missed AO 10631 on the serial list in the guns I examined. I do not know if the gun is still in the crate; I can find out. Did AO start from serial 1 ? I still dont know if the number on the list is a misprint, or the gun itself has had the serial # messed with. I will try calling the warehouse and see if they can find the thing. Bill, Thank you for starting this excellent thread. Great pictures of Thompson's and other firearms most of us will never see. We all look forward to hearing about more of your travels in Europe. That is a very early Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport serial number. I have never studied the AO Bridgeport Thompson's. Has anyone seen an earlier serial number or better yet, have a picture of one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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