Rabbit57 Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 I picked up a couple of firing pin protrusion gauges from Apex Gun Parts and I received them today. They look to be virtually NOS. Does anyone know why one of the gauges has a hole in the middle, and the other does not? Thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APEXgunparts Posted January 9, 2023 Report Share Posted January 9, 2023 That way just having one won't be enough til you have all the variants! Wait til you note some of the holes are different sizes! The British were about fitment and function, lots of the parts we see have visible differences but all the do the job equally well. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit57 Posted January 10, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2023 Oh Richard, I am all about the different variations! I do have a couple of questions for you. Are these gauges British, and were they made for a specific model, or will they work with all military Thompson models? thanks in advance for your time, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
APEXgunparts Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 21 hours ago, Rabbit57 said: Oh Richard, I am all about the different variations! I do have a couple of questions for you. Are these gauges British, and were they made for a specific model, or will they work with all military Thompson models? thanks in advance for your time, Mark Looking at the pictures I would say these are are actually Canadien issue (British Commonwealth). I would expect them to have served in any of the British Commonwealth forces. If I had to guess I would say these 1943 dated tools are for the M1928A1 guns. I am not sure what the documented protrusion of the firing pin is for the M1 and M1A1. I am sure someone on this forum has better info about this than I do. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 About five years ago I bought a Canadian firing pin protrusion gauge from Richard G arcia, it is marked ‘C with Broad Arrow’, and dated 1943. I can't recall if it has any holes in it and I am away from home at the moment so can not check. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 I also bought a Canadian marked gauge from Richard in the same time frame. It has a hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit57 Posted January 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 rpbxps, StrangeRanger, do you guys know if this gauge is made specifically for the 1928A1 model, can it be used with the M1 model? Thanks, Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 I believe they were for the 1928A1. The M1 was short lived and many had their bolts replaced with the M1A1s bolts. M1s coming from the Bridgeport plant came out of the factory as M1A1s due to delays in production. The M1A1 bolts had a fixed firing pin, so did they require a guage? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 The geometry of the M1 bolt and the 1928 bolt as it relates to the firing pin is very similar. The gauge I have helped me diagnose a FTF problem I was having with my M1 as a short FP. You can use it with an M1A1 as well but instead of indicating time to replace the pin or hammer it would indicate time to replace (or possibly repair) the bolt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 Thanks for that information StrangeRanger, correcting my ignorance on the subject 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ndArmored Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 This is what I've got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit57 Posted January 11, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 StrangeRanger, you are da man! Thanks, that is just what I needed to know! Thank you sir. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 1 hour ago, 2ndArmored said: This is what I've got. 2nd Armored, That is the same 'C Broad Arrow' marking on mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeRanger Posted January 11, 2023 Report Share Posted January 11, 2023 Here's mine. The reverse side is blank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpbcps Posted January 21, 2023 Report Share Posted January 21, 2023 On 1/11/2023 at 3:19 PM, 2ndArmored said: This is what I've got. Just got home from a short trip to Kenya, and have found some time to do some personal admin, which included looking for some of my Thompson 'bits and pieces'. My Firing Pin Protrusion gauge was located, and the markings on it, are identical to 2nd Armoreds gauge, apart from the position of the Canadian 'C / Broad Arrow' marking, and their is no hole in my gauge either: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now