M1928/M1928A1 Buttstock observations and questions

[reconbob]

     I was putting some stocks away - lining them up on a shelf - and there was a noticeable

difference in the shape of the buttplate for older stocks with no cross bolt vs. newer stocks

with the crossbolt.

    If I recall the original Thompson stocks were made by Remington, and the buttplates were

identical to the M1917 Enfield which makes sense since Remington had recently made M1917

rifles. This is the buttplate found on WW2 M1928A1 Thompsons. However, I have some stocks with no

cross bolt that have a thinner, rounded shape and the buttplates are not interchangeable.  So

no cross bolt = earlier stock, yet not M1917 pattern buttplate?

Left - Remington M1917 rifle buttplate - a little rough but the rest of the rifle is in

EXC condition with original military blue finish and original barrel dated 9-18.

Right - WW2 M1928A1 butttstock with crossbolt

Left - M1928/A1 Buttstock with no crossbolt. Buttplate is noticeably rounded and slightly thinner.

Right - Same M1928A1 buttplate as above.

Side view of the stock with the narrow, rounded buttplate.

Would this be something like a Savage "Commercial" stock?

Bob

[TD.]

Bob,

The butt stock you pictured with a side view appears to be an early Savage Arms butt stock. The butt stocks on 1928 Thompson guns sold to the various militaries and later supplied via Lend-Lease were identical to the butt stocks on Thompson guns sold commercially by Auto-Ordnance to law enforcement organizations during the 1928 production cycle at Savage Arms. The "commercial" collector designation only refers to the ultimate sales disposition, not a difference in the manufacturing process or parts. From what I have read, all the Model 1928 production butt stocks did not have the re-enforcement cross bolt. That later cross bolt butt stock variation was used for replacement parts, rebuilds, etc. 

Original early Savage Arms butt stocks will have a matching numbered butt stock, butt plate and stock slide assembly (see page 56 in, A Thompson Compendium). The numbering on the stock slide assembly was the first to be deleted. Some very early Savage Commercial Thompson submachine guns can be found with complete original Savage Arms butt stocks. It is very difficult to find an early military Savage gun in original condition, including the butt stock. As everyone knows, the military use of weapons did not take into account future collectors.  

I have found though personal experience that 1928 butt plate interchangeability is very much a hit or miss affair. To make matters more complicated, the later 1928 butt plates manufactured during World War II appear to have been manufactured with several stamped parts.

All good stuff!!!  

[reconbob]

   Yes, I have a few stock assemblies. I have not checked them all but one has the

matching assembly letter "D" stamped on the slide and buttplate and marked on the stock

in yellow chalk.

Bob

[TD.]

Bob,

That is a first for me. I have seen many numbered stock slide assemblies but never a butt plate and butt stock with just a letter marking that purports to match a numbered stock slide assembly. Of course, there is a lot about World War II mass production of Thompson submachine guns that is not known. M1 Garand and M1 Carbine collectors have thousands and thousands of guns to review and dissect. Not so in the Thompson world. That said, it appears to be a complete nice early butt stock. Thanks for sharing.   

[TSMGguy]

I also have an original Savage-made M1928A1 butt stock and a separate GI butt plate that does not fit the stock. The stock is both taller and narrower in the heel than the plate. Had thought this some kind of anomaly, but we see the same thing n Bob's posts above.   

[katanafred]

All great info. I was fortunate to receive quite a few extra parts with my WH model 1928 - including a matched number buttstock and buttplate (sadly no slide assembly at all). Using TD's book, "An Amateur's Guide for the Colt's Thompson Submachine Gun", I managed to restore the buttstock and re-blued the hardware. 

Edited June 5, 2024 by katanafred
add photo