Semi-Auto Thompson

[Capybara]

Yeah, but there isn't ANY gun (rifle/carbine) out there that ISN'T better with a F/A option. If THAT were your governing criteria, you shouldn't own ANY guns in CA b/c you can't get them FA. I have a registered Thompson and enjoy shooting it from time to time - makes a great historical piece. I love my registered Uzi as well. Very accurate at close to moderate ranges and again, great to shoot. Yes, BOTH would be MUCH better FA, but even in "free" states FA versions of those guns are $20,000 + so.... semi is a great option.

It's not just F/A. With the Uzi, if I were moving to a free state and could have even SBR'd my semi-auto Vector with the 10" barrel, stuck a suppressor on it and replaced the wooden stock with the folding metal, I would have easily kept it. But 16" barrel, non folding wooden stock with too short LOP, plus it weighed 11lbs. It was a dog, not fun to shoot at all. Just heavy, awkward and boring in my opinion. Oh and you should browse the subguns NFA ads, you can still get plenty of FA Uzis for well under $20k. My friend in Arizona just scored a really nice full sized Uzi FA transferable for $12k. Still a lot but not out of reach for everyone who is sane.

As far as the Thompson, for many, the idea/look of it outweighs the practicality of it and that's fine. Same with the Uzi, the guy I sold it to was thrilled with it, was going to buy it for kids at a local gun club to shoot. Different strokes.

[lgm118icbm]

They are a neat but they are super heavy and the way the mag release works, the bullet button has to be one of the worst I've encountered.

Just a novelty really.

[pitfighter]

IMO they are like a combo mill/lathe shopsmith thing. Not a good sub gun, not a good semi auto carbine. A little bit of each, not enough of either. The semi's are NOWHERE near as smooth as an original 1928 or M1 Thompson.

I have owned three now (including a .22), kept hoping I'd find a combination or style that I liked.
I agree.
We put hundreds of factory FMJ .45 rounds through the older, pre KAhr arms 1927A1 - without a jam or FTF that I recall, it was never unreliable, just boring and heavy, it had to be shot on the Angeles rifle range not pistol distances, even though it was a pistol caliber, so unsatisfying at long range.

As a sub-gun it is a great looking movie gun, but no other reason to own it, really.
(BTW, you can get a dedicated and legal BFONG barrel at the correct length.)

Had I been in WW2 and had the opportunity, I'd have traded it ASAP for a nice M1 carbine.

[TransplantTexan]

I have what I call a "Tommy Boy" . It's an Auto Ordnance .22 Thompson. Same look as the .45 ACP but obviously a lot cheaper to shoot. I haven't taken this out in quite awhile. I think the next range trip this needs to find its way out of the safe.

[Capybara]

I have what I call a "Tommy Boy" . It's an Auto Ordnance .22 Thompson. Same look as the .45 ACP but obviously a lot cheaper to shoot. I haven't taken this out in quite awhile. I think the next range trip this needs to find its way out of the safe.

What does it weigh?

[TransplantTexan]

What does it weigh?

6.25 lbs.

[Fishslayer]

I've had 2 with the ca. Bullet button they are a pain to load
Did I say the steel version is also heavy
Fun to shoot though

My interest in owning one cooled the first time I hefted one...

[Top Shotta HiFi]

Quick question - would I be able to register a featureless (no bullet button) Thompson 1927 as a Cali DOJ certified 'AW' after Jan 1 next year?

I have a buddy in Utah who offered me his West Hurley 1927 if I want it - and I do! In making it Cali compliant, I would prefer not to go with a Bullet Button as I understand they suck to operate and he would have to tap into the receiver to install it. As I see it, since I am planning on removing the BB after AW registration anyhow, why damage the receiver for a temp configuration.

If I go the featureless route (horizontal handgrip to replace the pistol foregrip and the grip-wrap the rear pistol grip) I believe I should be able to DROS it, however will I be able to register it as an AW if it is in a featureless configuration at the time of AW registration? After it is a registered AW I would then put the pistol foregrip and pistol grip back on.

Does this seem like a sound plan? I would think so, however wanted to check the collective wisdom of the CG hive.

[FeuerFrei]

Quick question - would I be able to register a featureless (no bullet button) Thompson 1927 as a Cali DOJ certified 'AW' after Jan 1 next year?

I have a buddy in Utah who offered me his West Hurley 1927 if I want it - and I do! In making it Cali compliant, I would prefer not to go with a Bullet Button as I understand they suck to operate and he would have to tap into the receiver to install it. As I see it, since I am planning on removing the BB after AW registration anyhow, why damage the receiver for a temp configuration.

If I go the featureless route (horizontal handgrip to replace the pistol foregrip and the grip-wrap the rear pistol grip) I believe I should be able to DROS it, however will I be able to register it as an AW if it is in a featureless configuration at the time of AW registration? After it is a registered AW I would then put the pistol foregrip and pistol grip back on.

Does this seem like a sound plan? I would think so, however wanted to check the collective wisdom of the CG hive.

To get it into Cali legally (through FFL) all the seller has to do is remove the pistol grips and have it shipped.

Mod it with a grip wrap and you're compliant. Front pistol grip stays off until registration as AW.

The muzzle fob is a compensator and not a flash hider (Cutts compensator) so that should not be "evil".

I think this is right. If not the CG legal translators will be by to apply a correction.
Cali DOJ could still make up a regulation that could make this advice total BS anyway.

[K001]

HiFi,

The Thompson 1927 A1 does not require any modification to the weapon to install a BB and is a simple 2 screw installation.

I will say it is difficult to use the drum mags with the BB installed

[Top Shotta HiFi]

Thanks for the replies - looks like I may have had some bad intel re tapping into the receiver to install a BB. I will look into the most economical route - BB vs. the costs for making it featureless. Thanks again - good looking out.

[aghauler]

[QUOTEThey do look cool, but the long barrel kind of kills the whole look for me just a bit.[/QUOTE]

Same here especially after shooting real Thompson. No desire for one, neighbor has one with the gold trimmings on it, looks pretty in the glass case but the more I see it the less I like the look.

[loademup]

I owned a Auto-Ordnance semi-auto M1A1 Thompson many years ago. It was similar to the one shown in this YouTube Military Arms channel video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAm4lsJMeYQ

My Thompson was not a SBR, but to be legal at the time, it had a 16 inch barrel. The longer barrel kind of killed a realistic look for a World War 2 Thompson M1A1 model, since that version had the 10 inch barrel as seen in the video. Nevertheless, the few times I took it down to the old San Gabriel Valley gun club, it did attract some attention.

As some on this discussion thread mentioned, the Thompson is quite heavy.
I also found it to be kind of awkward to store in a crowded safe.

I sold my Auto Ordnance Thompson before the January 2001 Assault Weapons registration deadline. I guess I came to a decision I rather put my 45 ACP ammunition through my Colt 1911 pistol than the Thompson and also the fact that the 16" barrel didn't do anything for the historic look for that paticular Thompson model that I wanted, though it might have made it a better shooter.

[smle-man]

I owned a Auto-Ordnance semi-auto M1A1 Thompson many years ago. It was similar to the one shown in this YouTube Military Arms channel video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAm4lsJMeYQ

My Thompson was not a SBR, but to be legal at the time, it had a 16 inch barrel. The longer barrel kind of killed a realistic look for a World War 2 Thompson M1A1 model, since that version had the 10 inch barrel as seen in the video. Nevertheless, the few times I took it down to the old San Gabriel Valley gun club, it did attract some attention.

As some on this discussion thread mentioned, the Thompson is quite heavy.
I also found it to be kind of awkward to store in a crowded safe.

I sold my Auto Ordnance Thompson before the January 2001 Assault Weapons registration deadline. I guess I came to a decision I rather put my 45 ACP ammunition through my Colt 1911 pistol than the Thompson and also the fact that the 16" barrel didn't do anything for the historic look for that paticular Thompson model that I wanted, though it might have made it a better shooter.

My experience also. Had one, lost interest and sold it. It was a Numrich version. The only way I might own one is as a SBR once I leave California. I was watching "Agent Carter" on TV awhile ago (I only watched it for Haley Atwell - wowza!) and they were using semi auto SBR Thompsons. You could tell by the obvious semi auto fire and the rapid trigger pulling to simulate full auto. The Tommy gun looked cool being wielded by Haley! The top pic is with what I suspect to be the SBR semi auto guns. Either they swtiched guns between props with the bolt pulled to the rear and the SBRs when firing or maybe they were real Thompsons but only set on semi for better blank functioning. Either way a SBR version might be fun.

[saki302]

The semi M1 is pretty neat, the older ones run 100%.

Only catch is weight, but the originals were also very heavy.

If you keep it rust free, your grandkids will be shooting it. It's the most overbuilt pistol cal carbine in the world. I suspect they could make a polymer receiver for it and it would work just fine.

The old fashioned stock has a lot of drop to it, so the muzzle does rise a bit in rapid fire. But recoil is very pleasant.

-Dave