knobcreeknut Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I used the rainy day off work to follow up on info I had heard years ago. Hntrdarren and I took a trip out to a local shop that deals in black powder guns and saw some great old machinery. Of the most interesting to this board woudl be the 4 dual spindle profilers that belonged to auto ordnance. I snapped some pictures, but they are not great. Lighting was not optimal to say the least. I will go back soon with a flashlight and a rag and some cleaner to try to get some better pics. http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/70FA36FE-481D-47A0-BD1F-1AEE47369FA8.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/0B4CB24D-4D57-4161-8F79-EFD7D3513BF2.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/4CFF2051-F413-42C0-8673-6CCF8791F57A.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/4DF58BB5-CAAA-480C-868F-482092F91766.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/39F182EA-5A07-4AF0-BF34-185B52269A75.jpg http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/knobcreeknut/0F9CCCBF-DB7E-4F6B-85E5-1430EE277999.jpg They are still operational and being used occasionally. The grey one is set up to machine flutes into the barrel assembly of a pepper box. The shop was a step back in time in the world of machining and gun manufacturing. All of the data plates that I could make out had the same order number and were made between March and May of 1942. One of the plates had to much paint on it to make out the date of manufacture. I had to use a tomahawk to scrape off the built for section. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubguy Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 I would love to see that in person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hntrdarren Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 It was a great afternoon knobcreeknut, thank you for inviting me to go back in time. If only these old pieces of our past could tell us a story. I almost heard the one spindle profiler with the old receiver hanging on it wanting to tell us a story.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobcreeknut Posted July 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 Forgot to mention that one of the machines has a receiver hanging from it. Not a Thompson. Does anyone know what other rifles aut-ord made? It looked like it was tube fed. Long tang. Instinct says lever action but I don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 AOC made some M1 Carbine receivers for one of the Carbine contractors. I am not aware of anything else other than some of the prototypes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mgvince Posted July 3, 2015 Report Share Posted July 3, 2015 What a cool find. You've got to wonder how much of the old wartime tooling is left around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reconbob Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 This is fascinating and a real find for us Thompson geeks. This type of profiling and shaping machineryis a thing of the past. They were great machines in their day. When I got into the business back in the mid1970's I could not afford new machines and I bought several used horizontal milling machines. In the courseof doing this I visited 4 or 5 of the big used machinery dealers in Philadelphia. (they are all gone now). Allof them had tons of these old shaper and profile machines which they could not give away because nobodyused them anymore. You should liberate (with the owners permission) those data plates. They should bepreserved because someday those machines will be scrapped and it would be a shame if the data plateswent with them. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobcreeknut Posted July 4, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Bob I don't think he will part with any of the plates right now. He realizes that the machines are of no use to anyone but him. He also realizes the historical significance of the machines. As a casual machinist I could really appreciate them just because I understand the use of them compared to modern cnc. The aut-ord machines were just the icing on the cake. He had stock duplicators from iver Johnson made for m1 carbine production, and machines from remington and winchester are there also. I need to spend some more time in there with the man who bought all this stuff originally and get all of the stories. The place could be a war era machinery museum. Darren may remember some other particulars. I think we were both a little in shock at the amount of machines. When he turned on one of the profilers, the building went dark for a couple of seconds. I asked if he wanted to sell the unfinished receiver that was on one of the profilers, but he didn't even consider it. ( after looking at some pics and drawings I think it is for a savage 99). I will make sure that if he ever scraps this stuff I get a shot at the plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aut-ord-co Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 knobcreeknut, Great historical find! Thanks for posting. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 knobcreeknut,Excellent find. And excellent commentary by reconbob. When you study and research the Thompson gun in detail you quickly learn there is much more to the story of Auto-Ordnance than just the firearm. Those who have purchased Bill's new book will certainly agree. Those that have not are really missing out on some great history. His book is a must read. If Bill does an updated edition, I am betting this information will have a place. To that end I know you have the makings for a great TATA and TCA Newsletter story. Are you a member of one or both groups? I would encourage you to return to this site and obtain all the information you can on the AOC machinery along with more pictures - high resolution if possible. I am betting the owner would not mind a little free publicity for his business as the newsletters have a good circulation. Share this story in print!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 (edited) Forgot to mention that one of the machines has a receiver hanging from it. Not a Thompson. Does anyone know what other rifles aut-ord made? It looked like it was tube fed. Long tang. Instinct says lever action but I don't know.Maybe Auto-Ordnance Corporation owned the machines but they were used at the Savage Utica Plant for Thompson SMG Production. They could have remained at the Utica plant after the war and were used by Savage Arms for commercial firearms. Savage with a long tang receiver...Savage 99? I know it has a rotary magazine and is not tube fed. Edited July 4, 2015 by Bridgeport28A1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 Excellent post! I love this kind of stuff. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
full auto 45 Posted July 4, 2015 Report Share Posted July 4, 2015 I've got a decent camera if you want to get some good photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Dudley Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Neat history. Thanks for posting. U D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Those with copies of The Ultimate Thompson Book need to turn to page 328. I believe there is a picture of a profile milling machine machine like knobcreeknut found in use at the AOC factory. The picture and story are from The Iron Age magazine, July 2, 1942. I believe this story is also in Tracie's earlier book, Thompson: The American Legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paladin601 Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Like finding the lost Ark, thanks for the post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knobcreeknut Posted July 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Page 183 in American legend. I will try to get a shot of one from the same angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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