Auto Ord Thompson 1927a1 sbr build

I started this build over a year ago when I submitted my sbr paperwork to the ATF. I bought the AO West Hurley 1991 Thompson [not a Kahr] a month or two before then. Took a year for my sbr paperwork to return. During that year I bought a 10.5 in finned bbl from GPC, bought a surplus 1928 stock and refinished it. After getting my papers I shipped the gun and bbl to a Thompson smith on the machinegunboards forum to swap out the bbls, reinstall the cutts comp, mill it for a 1928 stock slide, solid rivet the rear sight and mill it to make it easier to dismount. He had it done in two weeks. But I’m still waiting for the stock slide. It needed a correct case so this is what I finally found. As opposed to the traditional violin case I’m using a baritone ukulele faux alligator case. Hawaiian mafia. I’m planning on having two layers in the bottom rather than using the top. The bottom of the case will hold 3 thirty rd mags, the 1927 lower, buttstock and a handful of 1911 mags under the stock. Maybe a couple of vintage repro boxes of .45. I am using a 1/8 inch piece of aluminum for the next tier which will hold the upper half of the gun and an Auto Ordnance 1911. About have the bottom done.
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What really sucks about this is that I REALLY LIKE IT! ;)

I've always loved the Tommy Gun. Had a poor copy in the late 70's or very early 80's, used the Thompson stick magazines. Never could find a drum to try with it. It was fun to shoot, but not all that accurate beyond 20 yards. Not even as good as my Franken11. Just looked on Gunbroker.com. Can't do that again for a while...

For a while in 'Nam I carried a Thompson with the buttstock removed and a GI canvas bag of stick mags. It worked well on trails with thick underbrush, but it got awful heavy, especially getting in and out of Hueys in a hurry. After that I tried an M3 grease gun, but some GI stole it right out of my ops center when I was asleep. Most of the time I carried a GI 1911-A1 that I had tightened up with a tight barrel bushing. I had a web belt with suspenders, flap holster, and four double canvas mag carriers, canteen and a small med kit that was my grab in a hurry set up. It's what I carried for most of my year there, and even had it with me during three weeks in a hospital. The NVA were so close that Chinooks were dropping 55 gallon drums of napalm ignited with M3 burster charges on the ridge line in view of the hospital. Fortunately I didn't have to E&E out of that place. GF

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Other than a stock slide it’s done.

When this came up under new posts I was hoping that it was in bst!

It looks great!

Thompsons are neat!

In the early 90's I bought my first machine gun. 1928 Colt Navy overstamp. It was made in 1921, but changes were made for military use and overstamped 1928. I never could find an FBI case that was reasonable and good condition. So I made a copy, only people real knowledgeable would be able to tell it isn't. But, I still get chills whenever I open that case. It holds drums and sticks. And yes it's a heavy sob. But put a 50 or 100 round drum? Well, I respect the men that carried them in ww2.

Enjoy your sbr, the longer barreled ones just look wrong.

With the 100 round drum, they are as heavy as a BAR. But yes! - that 1921/28 is a finely made piece of ordnance.

Nice looking setup.

I built a 1928A1 from a parts kit around 20 years ago.
Sportsman's Guide were selling them at the time.
I used a dummy receiver from a company if I remember right was called AJ Machine, it was a solid chunk of steel just behind the ejection port.
I dumped the Blish lock and modified the bolt to be hammer fired.
The lower I changed to semi-auto only with an AR-15 fire control group.
I silver soldered an extension on the barrel to satisfy the asinine length requirement as my state at the time would not allow SBRs.

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This was my take on an AR Thompson that I built after my retirement. Dpms upper, greasegun mag dedicated lower, Olympic Arms bcg and bbl, some AR stuff and some Thompson stuff, cutts comp, buttstock, handgrip and vertical handgrip. A whole lot lighter than my 1927a1.