Opinons Needed

[JEB007x]

Hello group.  I am new to the Thompson arena ( an HK smg guy) but have always loved the history.  Definitely picking up several books to research.  Any thoughts on this one recently sold on GI.   Lots of ordinance stamps, re-import etc.  Probably will work my way from an M1 A1 back to a colt 1928.

Thanks in advance.

Edited November 23, 2025 by JEB007x
more pictures

[TD.]

Hi JEB007x,

Welcome to the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoards.com. 

The Thompson pictured above appears to be a run of the mill World War II late production Savage Thompson submachine gun. One ugly part is the (pistol) grip which someone sanded to death! Based on the "INTERARMS ALEX VA" marking I would guess this Savage was a Pre-Sample machine gun imported by INTERARMS and sold after 1968. It may be one of the lucky Pre-Samples whose registration status recently changed to fully transferable because it was purchased by a law enforcement organization. The advertisement should tell you if there are any restrictions to ownership. 

The "A L 720" markings are not from the Savage factory or applied by Auto-Ordnance. I believe they are Australian military markings. I would guess INTERARMS purchased this Thompson from the Australian military when it was no longer needed for service. 

If you are interested in World War II Thompson submachine guns, I highly recommend Frank Iannamico's, American Thunder, Third Edition. It is available on Amazon and a steal at 40 bucks with a hardcover and dust jacket. Aside from The Thompson Encyclopedia series which includes Frank's work, it is the stand-alone authority on the World War II Thompson guns.

Let me know if you're interested in other Thompson variations, i.e., Colt's, Savage Commercials, West Hurley's, Bridgeport Commercials, etc., and I can make other book recommendations.  

[JEB007x]

TD,

Thanks so much for the information.  It did not have much of a description or provenance history so I passed.  I am going to get The American Thunder book.  It seems like the go to for research.   Thanks again for the reply.