Thompson Semi-Auto Model 1927-A1 Tommy gun

[gearchecker]

Tommy Gun - Shameless Gun Porn
Well I finally went and did it. I bought a gun on impulse and went a bit over the top.
I bought a AO Thompson Model 1927-A1 Semi-Auto Tommy gun. I wish it was Full Auto, but it will do. It has the original Thompson 50 round drum mag and 4 strip mags with a magazine pouch.

The moment I got home I called my wife up to the living room and showed it to her. I can't repeat some of the comments she made. After giving me a bit of what for she said it was the most useless gun I've ever bought. I agreed and said "Yeah, bit isn't it cool!" then she found out how much I paid for it. I think I'll be paying for it around the house for a couple of months now. I was giddy for a few hours after getting this one.

It was built in 1977 and was Mfg by Auto Ordinance.
Complete and intact. Currently Kahr sells a revised model of 1927 but it's design isn't even close to the rifle I have. The biggest sign that mine is an original is that the flash suppressor has the Thompson signature logo stamped into it. The Kahr bolt handle is different along with the fire/safety selector, the mag release, and the frame design for holding the drum magazine is completely different too.
To the best of my knowledge the Kahr Tommy's have a KA prefix in the serial number, and are missing the Thompson logo on the flash suppressor too.

I know this rifle was destined to be mine!
I am so blasted by getting this I'll never be able to express myself.
This rifle has been sitting in a pawn shop on the shelf for over a month. It was looked at by a whole lot of people, and I don't think any of them realized what they had in their hands, and/or they weren't willing to pay $1600 for a used rifle. For the record, I didn't pay anywhere near $1600 either.

I took a few pics to show.

Here they are.

Please feel free to let me know what you think
Regards,
~gearchecker~

 

[Murphy4570]

I think you need to get a reloading setup for .45ACP. Your gonna be using a lot of the stuff.

 

[gearchecker]

I agree, I have 4 .45 cal pistols that I need to feed as well.
The 45 is by far my favorite caliber to shoot on a regular basis.

 

[Germster]

I had a friend who owned one of these. He bought it in 1974. The problem with this gun, if it has a problem is that it shoots from a closed bolt. You cock the hammer while you pull that long trigger pull, just like we did when we shot cap guns in the 50's. As you make that long trigger pull you have to struggle to keep the rifle steady. Not very accurate.

The gun was made, and still is made, full auto. Cops have the submachine guns. You used to be able to buy one where I live until Clinton's time when all new machine guns were banned. (The SOB.) They are heavy, as I'm sure you know, and don't kick since they weight a ton. It's just sad we can't buy full auto ones anymore. Oh, you still can buy a full auto where I live, but they used to cost $900, now they cost $20,000.

I hope you enjoy your Tommy Gun. They are fun to shoot. Heavy as lead. Expensive to feed. It's just a shame that we all can't buy a full auto one if we want to.

 

[DPris]

Not sure what you mean by 100% original Thompson.
The original Thompsons were full auto & made by a company long out of business.

Over the years since the Auto Ordnance name was revived & the semis were developed, parts have varied on the semi-autos. Originally, surplus wood was used, stocks have long since dried up.
Parts have also undergone some changes, mostly in manufacturing methods to lower costs.

My M-1 semi-auto from the 1990s (pre-KAHR) has Thompson logo markings on it, that doesn't make it a true "Thompson".

Don't know what you mean bgy labeling yours the "real deal".
Denis

 

[Elbert P . Suggins]

I bought an Auto-Ordinance M1 with a Thompson logo and 'bolt on the side' with 2 mags for $1200 in 2004 from a pawn shop. I just had to have it because no one else had one, it looked cool, and for a few more reasons I have forgotten. Found 4 more mags that were ill fitting that took alot of filing to get them to fit. Finally had to reload because it was too expensive to buy ammo and feed it. You could hit the barn but not the door at 100 yards. It was way too heavy on the nose to be comfortable to shoot for very long. Hung it on the wall for all to see and everybody wanted one. Traded it two years ago for 2 AKs and 500 rnds. Best deal I ever made. One of the very few guns you can't wait to own but down the road you can't wait to get rid of. My opinion, sorry.

 

[madcratebuilder]

Sounds like you have a Auto Ordnance manufactured Thompson. The original Thompson closed it doors years ago. Auto Ordnance sold the Tommygun rights to Numrich and Numrich sold them to Kahr.

Excellent bullet hose!

 

[fulltanghalo]

Cops have the submachine guns. You used to be able to buy one where I live until Clinton's time when all new machine guns were banned. (The SOB.)

Sorry but the Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) was enacted May 19, 1986, by the "(R) patron saint Ronald Reagan" endorsed by the NRA, throwing title II owners under the bus for no apparent reason. Long standing reason why the NRA will never get another cent from me.

As for the Tommy gun I was mulling over one last month at the gun show. I just don't fancy the wooden pistol grip versions. I prefer the SBR WW2 "Trench Broom" look.

 

[Tommygunn]

I like the 1928A1 look.

 

[gearchecker]

I stand corrected. It is an Auto Ordinance rifle.
I'll edit my OP to reflect the update.
Does Numrich still sell parts for these?

 

[vellocet]

If you want all the fun of a tommy gun without the expense get an old volunteer arms mark three or five. Make sure the lower is metal, tho, not plastic. The plastic ones crack.

 

[DPris]

I'm sure Numrich would have SOME parts, but not necessarily new ones.
Forgot to mention, by the way, that's a Cutts Compensator, not a flash suppressor. It's purpose on the full-auto guns was to reduce muzzle climb, not flash.
Denis

 

[gearchecker]

The Cutt's compensator makes sense now thet it's explained for that purpose. Do you know if it helps reduce muzzle flash? I wiould thinks there must be at least a little suppression or blow off of the flash with the porting. I think it would be fun to shoot at night with some tracer ammo.

 

[DPris]

It's not been known for reducing flash, if you've ever seen footage of a genuine Thompson firing in the dark it can get pretty bright.
Denis

 

[Carl N. Brown]

You could hit the barn but not the door at 100 yards.

That is an exaggeration. I have a West Hurley (Numrich Arms) Auto Ordnance TM1, semi-auto 16.5" barrel, which I have used to participate (if not compete) in local military rifle matches.

From the bench and sandbags at 100 yds it shoots 6" groups with Walmart Winchester and Federal .45ACP 230gr FMJ ammo.

Shooting off-hand at 100 yards, three targets, ten shots each, I shot a score of 227 out of a possible 300 for 30 shots in Sep 2010 match. Best single target Mar 2011 was 76 of 100 for 10 shots. Changing ammo brands in Aug 2011 my first target was a dismal 48 with four shots low outside the 5 ring. Holding higher on the target the next was a 69 with all shots in the lower half of the 20" scoring circle. It is a heavy son of a gun and clumsy from the shoulder (12 pounds heavy and 17" length of pull is long for my arms) but it is capable of better than minute-of-barn accuracy.

 

[vellocet]

The accuracy I get with my old Volunteer .45 fake tommy is about like Carl's, maybe due to the forged barrel, and I can use grease gun magazines, too. Last time I looked SOG had those Kahrs for around 900. I wish I had the money for a real/not real/ real looking one. Oh, well. Also, if you move the front sight up an inch or so on my fake, the cut-outs make it function like a compensater(SP?) but it is really not needed because the rise is nothing on rapid fire. Wish I'd bought one that fired nines.

 

[Germster]

But wasn't it a Clinton era construct that limited the number of full auto guns in the US to ones already registered?

I have a friend, who owned a full auto tommy gun. He told me that he bought it for $900 and was sorry he sold it. Now a similar gun, according to info I get at gun shows, would cost nearly 20K.

Of course not everything one hears at gun shows is gospel.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

^No, closing the NFA registry to new machineguns was a last minute amendment by Rep Hughes (D) to the Firearms Owners Protection Act in 1986, under Reagan. I suspect the amendment was intended to poison pill the bill, which rolled back many of the restrictions of the 1968 GCA.

 

[fulltanghalo]

But wasn't it a Clinton era construct that limited the number of full auto guns in the US to ones already registered?

As Carl N. Brown said it was "Hughes amendment" that closed the full auto registry, 922(o) in the 1986 FOPA.

I think you're thinking of the 10rd magazine ban/"assault weapons" aka "evil feature ban" that was enacted under Clinton, that sunset under Bush II.

Depending on what year, configuration, extras, a transferable Thompson is somewhere between 15k to 30k. Or 15-30x's what one would cost if we had an open registry.

 

[shootr]

Full or semi -- what a cool-looking piece!! I'm with the OP, these are awesome adn I'd love to blast through some ammo with one.