Auto-Ordinance Thompson M1A1 Questions

[JJR]

My wife and kids just gave me a new "Tommy Gun" for fathers day!

I'm proud to own it as it's a neat little piece of history, but I really don't know anything about it. I havn't had a chance to fire it yet and probably won't for a week or two. I'm just curious if anyone has any thoughts they can share with me about this gun. Pro's - Con's? Reliability (I've heard AO has had some quality controll problems)? Anything I should look out for or keep an eye on?

Any thoughts or advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Hal]

I don't know how much of this is marketing hype and how much is fact. I looked at one last winter, and in the process got into a discussion with the sales guy. He told me that the AO's were made with original Thompson parts, except for the bolt which was made by AO. AO only did the assembly, using Thompson recievers, barrels and stocks. Since I wasn't a buyer,just a looker, I think he gave me a pretty straight line. Still it's hard to seperate the fact from the hype. I looked it over pretty well, and compared it visually to a Class III Thomson that was on another dealers table. On the outside, they were the same, with the AO being the better finished of the two. IMHO, you did OK. Be sure to tell us how it shoots.

------------------
(!)

 

[James K]

The new semi-auto Thompsons do use some original parts, but are new guns, made to fire only from a closed bolt. Since they do not have API (advanced primer ignition) as an open bolt SMG has, they are harder to cock and have stronger recoil springs than the original. The original Thompson M1 fired from an open bolt but did not have the Blish "lock" of the M1921 and M1928. The operating handle was on the side rather than on the top as with earlier guns.

But the full auto M1 still has the hammer (actually a rocker that actuated the firing pin), while the full auto M1A1 has a fixed firing pin in the bolt face like an M3.

Your semi has a firing pin driven by a separate spring and a sear and disconnector to allow it to function only as a semi auto. So it does not work like the original even if they did make it look like the original and give it the same name.

Jim