M1927A1 SBR

[Enforcer]

I'm considering an SBR conversion for my 1996 vintage West Hurley M1927A1 to an SBR. Is the current Kahr Arms 10 in barrel compatable? I like it becasue it is already finnished in blue and would seem to be a straightfoward replacement. Also if anyone has done this conversion, did you use the cutts compensator off the long barrel or did you purchase a new one? The cutts seems difficult to remove.

 

TIA , Enforcer

[deerslayer]

You can use the new kahr barrel or any other. All thompson barrels have the same thread size. Compensators vary. Some fall off all by themselves. Some are screwed on with a little loc tite. Some are pressed on which is common to all the new guns. You could of course reuse the comp in both barrels have either threads or are press fit. New kahr barrels are all press fit so you would not easily use a thread on one. These press on ones can be very tight. Many creative people have made all manner of tools and jigs to help them remove barrels and compensators.

 

Hope this helps your thinking process

[anticus]

Use a GI barrel.

[Mario Scarpino]

I found a surplus M1 barrel at a gun show (about 12 years ago, cost me $60.00, those were the days!!). It was wrapped in burlap and coated with cosmoline. I had a machine shop cut fins on it to look like a 1921. I don't like compensators, so I ended up using a 1921 Colt front blade sight and had that pinned to the end of the barrel. Everything fit perfect! I later had my 1927A1 completely refinished when I had it converted over to an SBR. The guy doing the refinishing told me I could save a lot of money by me working the outside surfaces (upper and lower receiver, trigger, etc.) and not pay him tons of money to do it. So I did all of the surface work. All he had to do was remove the original barrel, install the short barrel and the bluing. It came out looking really good! I also installed a 1921 Colt safety switch and had PK add the knurling to a 1928 selector switch. I also installed a 1921 Colt lower grip. I had a local gun stock manufacturer rough out a front vertical grip and a butt stock (I used a 1921 Colt as the patterns for both) and I finished them. I had a pencil rub off of a 1921 Colt of the stampings on both sides of the receiver. I had a local laser shop (they could duplicate the font exactly!!) add the following to the left side of the receiver: COLT'S PATENT FIRE ARMS MFG. CO. and HARTFORD, CONN., U.S.A. I also added a surplus Lyman sight that I refinished and had blued as well. My ejector is the flat type, like the Colt guns. I used a 1928 lower and had the machine shop do the Richardson cuts to it. So now it has the removable butt stock and the Colt style wood fits perfectly! PK also made me 1921 style cocking knob.

 

NOTE: On a 1921 Colt, the middle line on the left side of the receiver (I think) states the following: MANUFACTURED BY

 

However, Kahr drops the first line of their information down from the top of the receiver and you cannot get the "MANUFACTURED BY" to fit on the receiver, or you would have to eliminate one of the two lower lines I mentioned above. I chose to leave the "MANUFACTURED BY" off. When I took the gun in to have the barrel installed and refinished, the guy at the counter asked his co-worker; "Do I put down Colt's as the manufacture or Auto - Ordnance"? I explained to him what I had done to the receiver.

 

For the most part, my Tommy looks just like a 1921-27A Model.

 

At the TATA show one of the participants saw my 1927A1 and said "I didn't now Kahr put that information on their guns". I told him I added it. I guess the purist will not like what I did, but then its my gun!

 

So you might think about some of these things when you go to the shop for the SBR.

 

Mario

[Enforcer]

Excellent info! Thanks! I have a lot to thingk about.

[james m]

Here's mine. I'll see if I can find a better picture. I used a 28 barrel and I'm not sure it it was a surplus example or a Auto-Ordnance example. I also changed it to the easy cock springs. I still have to do the removable butt stock conversion.

Jim

Edited August 21, 2014 by james m

[anticus]

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/altemuej/P1090693.jpg

 

My SBR triad. All have GI barrels.

[Hang-Fire]

Very nice.

[Embalmer]

Awesome. Love the m1928a1 look

[anticus]

Thanks. My favorite shooter is the M1. It just runs. It likes Seymour 30 rounders the most for some reason.