frt for the thompson

[signal_4]

On 3/18/2026 at 4:56 PM, deerslayer said:

Looks like your could cut off the tip of your firing pin and grind down the disconnector.  Save $275.

 

 

Hey Dan ! After all the work and experience you’ve been doing with these, do you think this idea is still good or better to buy the kit now they are back in stock ? $275 it kinda pricey for what it is because I would also need the newer style semi bolt which is about another $160. 

Edited April 15 by signal_4

[NFA amnesty]

7 hours ago, signal_4 said:

Hey Dan ! After all the work and experience you’ve been doing with these, do you think this idea is still good or better to buy the kit now they are back in stock ? $275 it kinda pricey for what it is because I would also need the newer style semi bolt which is about another $160. 

Cheaper than 28k for a registered select fire.  All relative my friend.  My state has banned FRT so a no go for me but if I lived in another state that allowed, would go for it.

[thompsonteenager]

On 4/2/2026 at 9:49 AM, Bill in VA said:

But how much difference of a hassle is it when people call to complain about machine gun fire and it really is a machine gun? Or when people call to complain about gunfire in general? 

All of this hand-wringing over FRTs is a bit of Chicken Little mentality, and even a touch of fuddery. A bump stock was used in the Las Vegas mass shooting and they were still considered semi-auto. The Courts have ruled that the FRT (or at least the Rare Breed FRT) is still a semi-auto. Both fail to meet the statutory definition of a machine gun. 

And if we’re worried that FRTs might shine a light on, or expose our “dirty little secret” of machine gun ownership: the internet already has. Moreover, the notion of sacrificing FRTs to protect our machine guns is just as fuddish as sacrificing those black plastic rifles to protect our shotguns and deer rifles. I

What about potential upsides to the growing proliferation of FRTs? Maybe…just maybe they might even crack open 922(o) to a viable legal challenge? Or maybe they might instigate another amnesty (besides the legally questionable amnesty over Streetsweepers and USAS 12 shotguns.)

Agreed, since guntube got popular in the early 2010s MGs are known by everyone, no longer an esoteric interest. Thats how I found out about what type of guns you could own when I was very young. I hope sometime here with the new ATF director and enough pressure a 922(o) repeal preceded by an amnesty will happen. 

[deerslayer]

12 hours ago, signal_4 said:

Hey Dan ! After all the work and experience you’ve been doing with these, do you think this idea is still good or better to buy the kit now they are back in stock ? $275 it kinda pricey for what it is because I would also need the newer style semi bolt which is about another $160. 

Ive worked on 4 guns now with the frts.   Two guns that I did all my standard thompson upgrades worked good for me. (So thats upgrade cost. Plus frt cost, plus frt installation and testing $635). One had out of battery problems.  4th gun worked fine for me, but back to owner, hes getting out of battery split cases.  We are trying a few more things.  If your undecided, maybe wait another week or three for a bit more time to see if we can get best function. 

[signal_4]

Ok sounds good ! Thank you Dan. 

[Countryboy77]

On 3/31/2026 at 7:18 AM, Mike Hammer said:

The feds may be allowing these things for now however quite a few states (15)are not allowing them. We will see if that list grows. The full auto crowd was a rather small and quiet group, now with these things growing in popularity it's shining a bright light on rapid fire guns. With the huge increase of fully automatic,(or similar functioning guns) I'm just waiting to see how long before some bone head uses one for criminal purposes. These devices end the end may turn out to be a negative.

I dissagree.I think we are on ourcway to the eegistry beingvre opened or eliminated." Common Use is a Term and the more FRTs and automatic simulators , somthing got to give.Its all Unconstitutional anyway. I just feel bad for the guys with major investments in ' transferrables. A lotvof them dont want the registry to ever open or they loose A LOT.

[spall]

On 5/28/2026 at 2:55 AM, Countryboy77 said:

I dissagree.I think we are on ourcway to the eegistry beingvre opened or eliminated." Common Use is a Term and the more FRTs and automatic simulators , somthing got to give.Its all Unconstitutional anyway. I just feel bad for the guys with major investments in ' transferrables. A lotvof them dont want the registry to ever open or they loose A LOT.

Give it some time, and FRTs will be on the chopping block. I had one confiscated by the ATF and subsequently returned. I had a laugh with the agents who gave it back that I'd see them again soon when the agency changes its mind (again).

As a transferable-owner, myself... I'd love to see the Hughes amendment repealed, "investments" be dammed if it would stay that way. Being realistic... it's not going to happen. A consideration that few give credence is that MGs are currently a somewhat "protected" category, and fall outside of the aim of the seemingly seasonal gun ban efforts. Most people don't realize they're legal and thus don't focus their efforts on them. Let them loose, and that all changes. See them used in crime, and I wager they're blanketly banned in a decade without a grandfather clause.

[Mike Hammer]

On 5/28/2026 at 2:55 AM, Countryboy77 said:

I dissagree.I think we are on ourcway to the eegistry beingvre opened or eliminated." Common Use is a Term and the more FRTs and automatic simulators , somthing got to give.Its all Unconstitutional anyway. I just feel bad for the guys with major investments in ' transferrables. A lotvof them dont want the registry to ever open or they loose A LOT.

I stand by my comments. Time will prove me right although I'm not happy about it. We are now entering dystopian times when all of our freedoms will be controlled even more than they are today. The government will not willingly unregulate anything.

[WrenchNHammer]

On 5/28/2026 at 4:55 PM, Countryboy77 said:

I dissagree.I think we are on ourcway to the eegistry beingvre opened or eliminated." Common Use is a Term and the more FRTs and automatic simulators , somthing got to give.Its all Unconstitutional anyway. I just feel bad for the guys with major investments in ' transferrables. A lotvof them dont want the registry to ever open or they loose A LOT.

I've got two NFA full autos and I would be overjoyed to see the Hughes amendment overturned. Weighing the un-realized $30k (both bought 30+ years ago for under $1k each) against the ability to legally drill a few holes and install the fun parts on a stack of AR's, AK's, FAL's, TSMG, etc - I wouldn't care in the least about my "investment".

[signal_4]

On 6/4/2026 at 12:54 AM, WrenchNHammer said:

I've got two NFA full autos and I would be overjoyed to see the Hughes amendment overturned. Weighing the un-realized $30k (both bought 30+ years ago for under $1k each) against the ability to legally drill a few holes and install the fun parts on a stack of AR's, AK's, FAL's, TSMG, etc - I wouldn't care in the least about my "investment".

Everyone instead of reposting all the pics check out this thread !!!!! Bye bye Hughes is in the works ! 
 

 

[signal_4]

On 5/29/2026 at 12:46 PM, spall said:

Give it some time, and FRTs will be on the chopping block. I had one confiscated by the ATF and subsequently returned. I had a laugh with the agents who gave it back that I'd see them again soon when the agency changes its mind (again).

As a transferable-owner, myself... I'd love to see the Hughes amendment repealed, "investments" be dammed if it would stay that way. Being realistic... it's not going to happen. A consideration that few give credence is that MGs are currently a somewhat "protected" category, and fall outside of the aim of the seemingly seasonal gun ban efforts. Most people don't realize they're legal and thus don't focus their efforts on them. Let them loose, and that all changes. See them used in crime, and I wager they're blanketly banned in a decade without a grandfather clause.