The year 1939 was a time of change at the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. The Thompson family was no longer involved with the Company; Wall Street Financier J. Russell Maguire was now in control. Mr. Maguire invested a lot of his own money to take charge of a practically defunct company whose only assets were, “…in January 1939 approximately 4500 guns remained unsold.” (Blish v. Thompson Automatic Arms Corporation, 64 A.2^nd 581). But Mr. Maguire saw the clouds of war developing over Europe and believed General Thompson’s nearly twenty year old “Trench Broom” would be one of many answers to face the ever growing German war machine. As the deal for Auto-Ordnance was being finalized in the summer of 1939, the United States government unexpectedly purchased 951 Thompson guns and spare parts for $435,418.63. Mr. Maguire must have been all smiles knowing he had a large order in-hand on the first day of his presidency. But this one order would not sustain the company for long. There were many more guns to sell. 

France was one of many soon to be targets of Germany. The French government had to act fast to secure arms for a near certain invasion. Unfortunately, the production of military arms around the world had progressed at a snail’s pace after World War I – except in Germany. The French Purchasing Commission wasted little time engaging in negotiations with Mr. Maguire’s corporate attorney, Eugene Daniel Powers, for the purchase of thousands of Thompson guns. A deal was soon consummated and the French government purchased 3000 of the long ago Colt manufactured Thompson guns.

There has been much misinformation about the French November 1939 order of Thompson guns. The number sold has been stated as 2000, 3000 and 3750 from several different sources. An April 8th 1940 letter from Russell Maguire to the British Minister of Supply resolved this mystery once and for all. Mr. Maguire stated that the French government had ordered 6,000 Thompson guns, “…of which 3000 have already been delivered.” Since the initial delivery of 201 Thompson guns by Savage Arms did not roll out of the factory until later in April 1940, there is no doubt the 3000 delivered guns referenced in Maguire’s letter were of Colt’s manufacture. Of note, 180 of these first Savage made 201 Thompson guns were shipped to the British. What’s not in doubt is the purchase by the French government of 3000 Thompson guns represented the largest sale in Auto-Ordnance history to date.

The number of surviving Thompsons from this very large order of Colt guns is extremely small. As was the customary business practice during the World War II, there were no serial number lists of the guns sold. Like the Thompson guns purchased by the British Ministry of Supply (MoS) under the cash and carry program, 10 guns to a crate was most likely the method of shipment; 10 crates, 100 guns; 300 crates, 3000 guns. The known serial numbers of most documented French Colt’s appear to be in the higher serial number ranges – 9,000 and above.

Of course with everything Thompson, exceptions do exist. It is also believed the great majority of the 3000 guns sold were in the original Model of 1921 with no compensator configuration.

Colt Model of 1921 Thompson guns were not equipped with sling swivels when delivered to Auto-Ordnance Corporation by Colt’s, nor when sold to the French. The French military solved this problem by modifying the Thompson guns in a manner that made identification of the French Colt’s much easier in the years to come. It has been reported many times over the years that rotating Berthier sling swivels were fitted to the vertical fore grips and butt stocks. A close examination of eleven known French Colt’s revealed this is only half true. Non-rotating sling swivels that appear to be from French Lebel rifles were installed on the butt stocks of 10 of the 11 examined French Colt’s, including NO 10374. Only one exception (NO 12551) has been found to date. Further research continues.

Of the 3000 Colt’s purchased by the French government, only 23 have been identified from various sources to date. Known serial numbers include: 5771, 8207, 8540, 9259, 9283, 9639 (frame only), 9873 (frame only), 10171, 10374, 10384, 10592, 10623, 10697, 10709, 11659, 11733, 11848, 11944, 12290, 12551, 12592, 12784, 12799. Approximately one-half of these have not been personally observed so be aware of possible discrepancies. It is believed more French Colt’s will surface in the future and undergo the deactivation process in Europe. How many is the unanswered question? 

Robert Watson, Jr., enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1942. He attained the rank of Corporal before being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in September 1944 with duties in Mess Supply and Transportation. Lt. Watson was stationed in Landstul, Germany shortly after World War II ended and placed in charge of the Motor Pool. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in March 1946. Like many American soldiers, Lt. Watson was an avid gun aficionado. Germany in 1945 was awash with weapons, many just for the taking. Watson is known to have collected 6 or 7 pistols along with at least two rifles while stationed in Germany. He also acquired Thompson submachine gun NO 10374, the focus of this story. Watson was very careful to follow all the necessary Army rules and regulations in sending his gun collection to the USA. He completed and filed with the Internal Revenue Service on June 28, 1948 a Form 6, APPLICATION FOR IMPORTATION OF FIREARMS, to legally import and register NO 10374. The Form 6 was approved on August 31, 1948. NO 10374 is listed as a “Thompson Submachine Gun (Not Stamped U.S. Government property)” and described as a “…souvenir of the late war.” Watson was promoted to Captain in October 1953. He transferred to the Reserves in 1969 and retired from the U.S. Army with the rank of Major in 1984.

Members of the Watson family knew about the Thompson submachine gun, but it was never displayed or brought out at any family gatherings or get-togethers. Watson’s son, Robert III, was told his father mounted the Thompson gun on a motorcycle and supposedly rode around his farm shooting rabbits. Watson’s involvement with family functions greatly diminished after his first wife passed away and he remarried. Watson passed away in 1992. Shortly thereafter, his second wife called his son, Robert III, and told him all Watson’s guns were going in the trash if he did not come immediately and remove the guns from the house. Robert III wasted no time in retrieving all his father’s firearms, including NO 10374.

Thompson submachine gun and war souvenir NO 10374 is now part of the Watson family trust. The family did not know about the French pedigree until joining the Thompson forum on MachineGunBoards.com. They used to shoot NO 10374 on occasion until learning original Colt 1921 actuators are fragile – and expensive. Future shooting plans involve a GI 1928 actuator and buffer pilot!

A special thank you to Mr. Pierre Blaise for helping with the research on the French Colt’s sling swivels. His knowledge of the French Colt’s was invaluable. Tom Davis, Jr. is known to readers of Small Arms Review magazine for his stories about the Thompson submachine gun. He has written three books about the Thompson gun. The story about the French Colt is one of many stories featured in his latest book, A Thompson Compendium. All of Tom’s books are available at Amazon.com.

Part One of The NAC Thompson Guns provided an historical overview of how George Numrich and Numrich Arms Company of Mamaroneck, New York, (now located in West Hurley, New York) originally acquired all rights and interest in the world famous Thompson submachine gun. Included in this purchase were complete Thompson guns and many crates of parts that allowed the future manufacture of what are now known as the NAC or crate Thompsons. Part One ended describing the Colt NAC’s. Part Two begins with:

THE SAVAGE NAC’s

After the initial lot of late Colt receivers were serial numbered for registration purposes, it appears there was a switch to late production Savage Arms receivers. Known Savage Arms receivers with NAC markings include:

NAC 17: The US military nomenclature, “U.S. Model Of 1928 A1” and “S –,” is marked on this Savage Arms receiver. The serial number NAC 17 was hand stamped beside the “S -” roll marking. FOIA information begins with a June 5, 1953 transfer to a “Virginia State Agency.” Most likely, NAC 17 was sold to the Department of State Police in Richmond, Virginia with many of the NAC Thompsons with Colt receivers listed above. This NAC Thompson was one of many Thompsons featured in The Thompson Collectors Association 2004 display at the National Rifle Association William B. Ruger Gallery in the National Firearms Museum.

NAC 33: Only pictures of this NAC Thompson have been reviewed. It was built on a late variation Savage receiver with Model of 1928 and S – markings. The serial number, NAC 33, is hand stamped after the “S -” marking. It is very similar to NAC 34, below.

NAC 34: The serial number of this “Model of 1928” NAC Thompson is also hand stamped beside the “S -” roll marking on the receiver. FOIA information reveals it was registered with the IRS on June 10, 1960. Of note, another Form 2 was filed on June 21, 1960 with the serial number listed as SNAC34. Serial number confusion is common with NAC guns and occurred again during a future transfer. The current owner was told by a former owner this gun may have been previously owned by the famous Hollywood company, Stembridge Gun Rentals. The name, “Stembridge Gun Rentals,” is handwritten on the top of the June 21, 1960 IRS Form 2. NAC 34 has been professionally refinished. (Dan Shea verified that there was a Thompson Serial Number NAC34 in the Stembridge collection he sold in 1998. It was N838 in the LMO appraisal).

Just when the numbering is starting to make sense another series of serial numbers with the letters NAC used as a serial number suffix surfaced. J. Curtis Earl described this variation in his now famous catalogs as being “produced” by Numrich Arms with “composites of new and surplus parts” and “readily determined by the “NAC” after the serial number.” Earl labelled these NAC Thompsons as “Commercial 28s” with “poor quality in workmanship.”

S38NAC: This NAC Thompson clearly indicates not all the Thompson receivers were located by Numrich employees when the Thompson assets were transferred to West Hurley, New York. S38NAC is built on a late model Savage Arms receiver marked Model of 1928 and uses the roll marked “S -” marking applied by Savage Arms as part of the registered serial number. FOIA information indicates it was “born” on the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), commonly referred to as the NFA Registry, on November 28, 1960. Of note, it was sold by Numrich Arms as a registered dewat on a Form 5 with the following notation: “Gun made unserviceable. Witnessed by ATTD agent.”

S214NAC: This NAC Thompson is very similar to S38NAC, above, but has the U.S. Model of 1928 A1 nomenclature markings. Another difference is the mating of the 1928 Savage Arms receiver to an M1 Thompson frame. Again, Numrich Arms used whatever parts available. Of note, this NAC Thompson was born on the NFA Registry on September 22, 1972. This may indicate not all the receivers found by Numrich employees were 100% finished. Some receivers may have required additional machining operations to complete the product. Of note, this Thompson was registered 3 years before Auto-Ordnance Corporation, West Hurley, New York was formed. Most likely, the inventory of receivers and frames found in the crates was nearing the end.

S-15043: Two questions immediately come to mind when seeing this serial number: Is this a NAC Thompson? And is this the third Thompson gun manufactured by Savage Arms in 1940? It is definitely one of the crate guns found by Numrich employees in 1951. S-15043 was registered on an IRS Form 2 stating it was “manufactured, imported, or received” on December 1, 1951. However, unlike NAC 3 and NAC 5, above, the IRS was notified about the registration of S-15043 by Numrich Arms on or about January 14, 1952. The receiver stamped with serial number S-15043 was mostly likely in the first lot of guns and receivers found by Numrich employees. It is not the third Thompson manufactured by Savage Arms as that receiver would have been marked with a New York address. The S-15043 serial number is crudely hand stamped on this late Bridgeport, Connecticut Savage receiver but the receiver is mated to the original S-15043 frame – which obviously was found in the crates. The letters NAC were not part of the registered serial number but appear to have been hand stamped on the receiver before this Thompson was originally sold to the Village of Liberty Police Department, New York, on August 15, 1952 by the Numrich Arms Company. A previous owner removed most of the NAC markings from the receiver when S-15043 was refinished.

The early IRS Form 2’s used to register the crate Thompsons and other machine guns initially found contain enough space to list 12 guns on each form. Not every Form 2 filed by Numrich Arms showing the guns “manufactured, imported, or received” on December 1, 1951, has been reviewed. However, enough documentation has been obtained and studied to show the original filings for the crate guns occurred at different times in 1952 and subsequent years.

The AUTO-ORDNANCE BRIDGEPORT NAC’s

No Model of 1928 NAC or crate Thompson guns have been identified to date that have been assembled with an original World War II manufactured receiver from the Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport plant. These receivers were roll marked with the serial number prefix “A.O.” (Whereas Savage Arms serial number prefix was “S -”) While examples of this receiver with a NAC serial number may surface in the future, it is possible the Auto-Ordnance Division of Maguire Industries under George Goll assembled and commercially sold all the left over Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport 1928 receivers when marketing the AC variation Thompson.

THE M1 NAC’s

There have only been two M1 NAC or crate Thompson guns observed. The reason for the low number most likely deals with what happened at the end of the Thompson production. The last month of full production for the M1A1 Thompson was December 1943. 31,052 guns were manufactured. No guns were delivered to the US government in January 1944; 4091 guns were delivered in February 1944, the last month of production and delivery. This indicates the government allowed a clean-up period at the end of the production run, December 1943, to allow the vendor, Auto-Ordnance Corporation, to complete ever how much of the product, the Thompson submachine gun, remained on the production line. Of course, the guns delivered had to pass inspection or they would not be accepted (and paid for). This was a common practice at the end of every government weapon production contract and the fact no M1 Thompsons have been observed that were sold by the Auto-Ordnance Division during the marketing of the AC variation at the end of the war indicate very few M1 type receivers were left over.

The following two M1 Thompsons with NAC markings have been observed:

NAC18-0011: This M1A1 Thompson was originally sold to the Hammond, Indiana Police Department by Numrich Arms. The date of sale is unknown but it can be verified the Hammond, IN police department was involved in trading this M1A1 NAC Thompson in July 1971. The receiver of NAC18-0011 is devoid of all markings except the serial number and a very small marking or emblem of unknown origin. It has been commercially blued, equipped with a Lyman adjustable rear sight and compensator (on a smooth barrel). The numbers making up the serial number are in two different positions on the receiver. The trigger guard is marked, “AC 18” on bottom.

N.A.C. – 45: As the pictures reveal, N.A.C. – 45 is something special to behold. One look would make anyone think twice about saying anything negative about the crate Thompsons. Aside from the beautiful engraving, a close look at the receiver indicates it is from a special part of Thompson history. And leaves little doubt this receiver was found in the crates. Note the oversize hole at the end of the cocking slot on the right side of the receiver. This hole is for the removal of the bolt handle during disassembly. On production M1 and M1A1 Thompson guns the hole, actually one-half of a hole or cut out, is positioned at the center of the cocking slot. N.A.C. – 45 is built on a leftover Savage Arms M1 prototype receiver! The date this receiver was found and registered with the IRS is unknown. N.A.C. – 45 was sold by Numrich Arms in July 1963 to an individual buyer. The earliest Form 4 indicates “Numrich Arms Company, Williams Lane, West Hurley New York” is both the transferor and manufacturer. The original purchaser recorded that he had ordered a Model of 1928 Thompson with compensator from Numrich Arms for $200 or $225. Numrich was unable to supply a Model of 1928 in a timely manner and offered him N.A.C. – 45 instead for $300. The only change to this NAC Thompson from when it was originally purchased is the replacement of a GI blue bolt with a jeweled nickel bolt. The original production serial number on the frame has not been removed and obviously does not match the receiver. It is equipped with a Lyman adjustable rear sight, finned barrel and compensator.

WORLD WAR II PRODUCTION GUNS WITH THE LETTERS “NAC” AFTER THE SERIAL NUMBER

While the focus of this story is predominantly about the crate Thompsons, there is another group of NAC marked Thompsons that also cause a lot of confusion in the marketplace. This other group of NAC Thompsons found their way on the NFA Registry because the importation of live machine guns into the USA for civilian ownership was legal in the 1950’s and 60’s. Numrich Arms, active in all things Thompson, acquired and sold a good number of these early imported Thompsons. For reasons unknown, Numrich Arms stamped the initials “NAC” on many, perhaps all, of the Thompson guns they acquired and sold prior to the creation of the new Auto-Ordnance Corporation, West Hurley, New York. The NAC letters usually appear as a serial number suffix and may or may not be part of the registered serial number that appears on the NFA Registry. The rule of thumb used to tell a production GI Thompson from one of the crate Thompsons is the serial number and overall condition of the gun. If the serial number is a normal production serial number, especially with a matching numbered frame, and the gun does not appear to be a parts guns (but may be arsenal or depot rebuilt) then it is most likely a World War II production gun that Numrich Arms acquired and sold at some point in the past. Savage Arms NO. S – 234572 NAC, pictured in this story, is a perfect example of an original production Thompson guns with the added NAC markings.

The number of World War II production Thompson guns with the letters NAC as a serial number suffix in the marketplace appears to greatly outnumber the crate Thompsons. However, many enthusiasts and dealers continually confuse these two variations. To be sure, any Thompson with the letters NAC must be examined carefully to insure a correct pedigree. Past IRS or ATF documents, coupled with Freedom of Information Act records can be helpful in providing a clear answer. No genuine World War II production Thompson has been examined with the letters NAC as a serial number prefix – to date.

TAKING WHAT IS KNOWN A STEP FURTHER

Why have only Colt and Savage Arms 1928 receivers been identified as Model of 1928 NAC or crate Thompsons? The complete answer may never be known as the people involved in the production of the WWII Thompson guns have long since passed. However, part of the question has been addressed in the M1 section, above. It is very possible the change over in production from the Model of 1928 to the M1 Thompson did not have a clean-up period. Thompson guns were in dire need by all allied forces in 1942. Why would a for-profit company go to the time consuming task of completing the manufacture of unsold 1928 Thompson guns when it could instantly embark on the production of the new replacement Thompson gun – the M1 model. The number of “AC” variation Thompsons found in the marketplace today and documented as sold by George Goll’s Auto-Ordnance Division indicate many Model of 1928 receivers were simply set aside. While fodder for another story, those that study the “AC” variation can identify at least three specific Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport serial number blocks for the “AC” variation. For whatever reason, the employees that assembled and marketed the “AC” variation did not use the excess or left over Savage Arms and Colt era receivers packed away in the Thompson assets by Savage Arms when the contract ended. These receivers were uncovered by Numrich Arms employees in 1951/1952 – and probably for years afterwards.

The late variation Colt receivers used in the manufacture of the earliest NAC Thompsons have often been described as “overruns.” This would indicate Colt’s had unused fully completed receivers on hand when the production ended and gave these receivers to Auto-Ordnance. The most likely scenario is these late variation receivers were manufactured as spare parts and sold to Auto-Ordnance as were other spare parts. Normally, there is not much giving away of product between a contractor and subcontractor. Defective, unused or unsold steel parts at gun factories are routinely routed back to the foundry to be melted down for other uses.

During a production run of any weapon, many of the parts manufactured are turned into tools or jigs for use by the employees. A receiver was just another part, especially in production performed years ago. This may explain the odd numbers and markings found on some of the NAC Thompson receivers listed above. These numbers or markings were stamped on the receivers for a specific purpose or identification. Unfortunately, their meanings will most likely remain lost to time. The explanation could be as simple as a training aide for new employees. This would explain why these receivers or “tools” were packed away with the gages, tools, blueprints and other items used in production – awaiting a new assembly line in the future.

EPILOGUE

To recap, there are numerous World War II Thompson guns in circulation with the letters “NAC” applied as a suffix to an original production serial number. The vast majority of these Thompsons are true World War II guns acquired and sold by Numrich Arms. Colt manufactured receivers with the letters NAC as any part of the serial number should not be confused with original Colt production Thompson submachine guns. These are NOT original Colt Thompsons. They are a unique Thompson variation that has their separate place in the history of the Thompson gun. The same holds true for NAC Thompsons manufactured at Numrich Arms with unused Savage Arms receivers. These NAC Thompsons are NOT World War II production GI Tommy Guns. The NAC or crate Thompsons are a distinctive Thompson submachine gun in their own right – manufactured by one of the product owners during the long succession of General Thompson’s trench broom.

There are many different variations of the Thompson submachine gun. What started life as a “trench broom” in 1921 has morphed into several different models and sub-models from different generations of production. For many, the differences are easy to recognize. There are the guns with round drums and pistol grips like Eliot Ness used in The Untouchables. And guns with the long stick magazine and sling like Sgt. Saunders carried in COMBAT! How those black & white television shows of the 1960’s made everything so easy. However, those of us in the Thompson community understand that nothing is simple with the Thompson gun. Pages of many books have been filled with information about the gangster and World War II Tommy guns. This story is different; it is about a lesser known and greatly misunderstood Thompson variation. One manufactured, some argue assembled, when the Tommy gun was fading fast from the limelight of World War II. These are the “NAC Thompsons,” sometimes referred to as the “crate” Thompsons. The mis-information about this variation began almost immediately after examples became available on the civilian market. The reason for the confusion is simple: the receiver markings. Some of these NAC Thompsons had genuine Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company receivers, and were so marked! The confusion this caused exists to this day. The below information should lessen the many misunderstandings. First, a little history…

Auto-Ordnance Corporation (AOC) went through a change of ownership on July 21, 1939. Wall Street underwriter J. Russell Maguire assumed control of AOC and a new era for the Thompson gun commenced. Maguire sensed a major war was brewing in Europe and contracted with Savage Arms Corporation of Utica, New York, in December 1939 to place the Thompson gun back into production. AOC later opened its own factory in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Production of the Thompson gun ended in February 1944. Savage Arms packed away all the left over Thompson parts, gages, prints and tooling, including all the left over items they obtained from the earlier Colt era production, and shipped these assets to AOC. Soon after production ceased Maguire took the first of many steps to convert AOC into a post war company. The corporate name was changed to Maguire Industries, Inc. The Thompson gun became a product of the new Auto-Ordnance Division of Maguire Industries, overseen by an employee who was hired by General Thompson during AOC’s earliest years, George E. Goll. The Auto-Ordnance Division was but one of several divisions in Maguire Industries. Thompson guns were assembled from left over Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport plant receivers and frames and sold for several years. These Thompson guns form another often misunderstood Thompson variation and are usually referred to by collectors as the “AC” variation or model. Fortunately, these guns are for the most part easily identified because the “U.S.” markings were ground off the receiver and a letter “C” was stamped over the numeral 1 in the receiver marking “A1” to form the new “Model 1928 AC” nomenclature. Please note the qualifiers “for the most part” and “usually” – exceptions are the rule after 1944. Like the NAC Thompsons, documented sales of the “AC” guns appeared to be primarily to law enforcement agencies. For the record, the NAC and “AC” variation guns were not and are not US military issued World War II Thompson guns – regardless of the receiver markings. And as you will see, their history is intertwined with the NAC Thompson guns.

Maguire Industries did not fare well in the post war business environment. By 1949, Maguire Industries was having severe financial problems. George Goll had retired a few years earlier and Thompson sales had ceased. Russell Maguire reached out to former AOC Vice-President Frederic A. Willis to sell the Thompson assets. These assets included all rights and interest in the Thompson gun Maguire acquired when he took control of AOC. Willis found a buyer – the Kilgore Manufacturing Company of Westerville, Ohio. Kilgore was an established toy company that had become heavily involved in the production of pyrotechnic munitions during World War II. Documentation from the then president of Kilgore Manufacturing revealed the original plan was to sell the Thompson assets to a foreign country, but the sale never took place. Kilgore transported some of the Thompson assets to its plant in Ohio and appeared to have an alternate plan to manufacture and market the M1A1 version of the Thompson. No new manufacturing of parts took place but several guns, assembled from parts or found complete in the crates, were sold. A large explosion of Kilgore munitions on May 19, 1950, in South Amboy, New Jersey, exposed the company to numerous lawsuits. Kilgore reached out to Frederic Willis to sell the Thompson assets – again. Willis formed a syndicate of buyers and purchased the Thompson assets from Kilgore on August 7, 1950. There is no indication Willis or his investment syndicate did anything with the Thompson assets during their period of ownership.

The Willis syndicate sold the Thompson assets to Mr. George Numrich, owner of Numrich Arms Company of Mamaroneck, New York (now located in West Hurley, NY) on October 23, 1951.

Some Thompson pundits espouse the AOC formed by General Thompson in 1916 ceased to exist at the end of World War II. Or the Auto-Ordnance Corporation was purchased by Numrich in 1951. Nothing could be further from the truth. The original Auto-Ordnance Corporation exists today and is located in Dallas, Texas. The Auto-Ordnance name was simply abandoned when the corporate name was changed to Maguire Industries in 1944. The corporate name was changed again in 1961 to Components Corporation of America (CCA). As with the Auto-Ordnance name in 1944, the Maguire Industries name was also abandoned. CCA is a privately held company whose majority shareholder is Cary Maguire, the son of Russell Maguire. CCA is not involved in the production of firearms and does not claim any ownership rights in the Thompson gun. That corporate product was sold off (to Kilgore) long ago.

When employees of Numrich Arms Company (NAC) began unpacking the crates of physical assets, they found a number of complete guns, and sufficient parts to assemble others. Included in this catch of parts were model of 1921 and 1928 Thompson receivers manufactured by Colt’s in 1921/1922, and Savage Arms in 1940/1942. Model M1 and M1A1 receivers were also present. Hence, the reason for this brief history lesson.

THE INVENTORY

The number of weapons found by George Numrich requiring registration with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been an ongoing point of debate. The numbers of 86 and 95 guns have been cited with some authority for many years. The difference could be the number of Thompson guns found versus the number of Thompson guns plus other guns found requiring registration. Complete guns found in the crates have also been reported. Many have assumed that Thompson guns straight from the production line were found. Unfortunately, no details exist of exactly what type of complete guns were found but the below information may go a long way toward an explanation of these complete guns.

Recently, an inventory of weapons owned by the Auto-Ordnance Corporation, dated July 26, 1934, was found. The July 26, 1934 date is familiar to most in the Class Three community as that is the day and year the National Firearms Act (NFA) was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This law restricted the private ownership of automatic weapons, short barrel rifles, silencers and weapons classified as “any other weapon” by registration and taxation. It is believed this inventory was conducted to insure AOC was in compliance with this new law.

The beginning inventory lists 9 Birmingham Small Arms (B.S.A.) prototype Thompson submachine guns as being directly possessed by AOC. Included are 5 of the “new” B.S.A. models and 4 of the earlier and now “obsolete” B.S.A. models. Also shown is one “Thompson Submachine Gun, assembled from Colt’s scrapped parts, frame No. 2308, and receiver No. 7308.” Two more Thompson guns are also listed, one “belt fed” and one “for box magazine” without serial numbers.

The earliest prototype Thompson guns were manufactured one at a time at the Warner & Swasey Company in Cleveland, Ohio. These are mostly marked “Model of 1919” and so referred to by those that study the Thompson gun. The inventory of the “Cleveland made” Thompson guns begins at serial number No. 1 and ends at No. 40. However, not all numbers are accounted for. Only 33 “Cleveland made” Thompson guns remained in AOC inventory in 1934. Missing guns include Nos. 6, 9, 11, 17, 36, 37, and 38.

The inventory also contained weapons that were not Thompson guns. Firearms requiring government registration included (one each) Hotchkiss, Lewis and Vickers machine guns and eight (8) Maxim silencers. In addition, the inventory contained a listing of guns that were owned by AOC but consigned to individuals and companies. These are not included in the below total because it is not known if any of these weapons were ever returned to AOC.

How many of these 56 weapons noted on the 1934 inventory that required federal registration were packed away in the crates when sold to George Numrich is unknown. This inventory could have easily grown in number after 1934 with the known Savage M1 and 9mm prototypes, the AOC Bridgeport T2 prototypes and AOC Model of 1929 B.S.A. prototypes. Other known prototypes constructed after 1934 include at least two AOC experimental rifles in .30 caliber and .30 caliber carbine, both requiring federal registration.

The weapons referenced above could easily account for the majority of machine guns found in the crates and registered with the IRS by George Numrich. The existence of many of these weapons is not in doubt as Numrich donated several prototypes to the United States Military Academy at West Point, including the first prototype, named “The Persuader” by Auto-Ordnance engineers Theodore H. Eickhoff and Oscar V. Payne. Numrich also sold many of the surviving Thompson prototypes that grace collections today. Complete weapons found in the crates? There is little doubt.

THE RECEIVERS

After acquiring the Thompson assets, Numrich Arms advertised it was “the exclusive manufacturer” of the Thompson gun. Some self-described Thompson purists take issue with the statement that Numrich Arms manufactured Thompson guns. They claim all that happened was an assembly of already manufactured receivers and parts to create guns to sell in the marketplace. However, it has long been recognized that assembling parts into a complete working unit is by definition manufacturing, including the U.S. legal definition. All evidence found today indicates Numrich Arms sold complete working products, not bare receivers.

The prototype Thompson guns found by Numrich are not the machine guns that cause all the confusion in the Thompson community. The misunderstanding arise from the Thompson guns manufactured or assembled from receivers – and serial numbered for IRS registration requirements with the letters “NAC” as part of the serial number.

It is unknown how many receivers were found by George Numrich in late 1951 and registered with the IRS in 1952. While some limited information about the crate guns has been provided by Numrich Arms over the years, no records detailing the total number including serial numbers stamped by Numrich employees on the receivers have been released. What is known from the study of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) information on various NAC guns is not all the receivers were found and registered at one time. Based on a sampling of dates of initial registration documents, many NAC Thompson guns were registered with the IRS at different times in 1952. However, it appears additional Thompson receivers turned up at Numrich from time to time – probably as more and more crates of Thompson assets were opened and inventoried. Like the AC variation above, it appears many, possibly most, of the NAC Thompsons were sold to law enforcement agencies. This kept the NAC Thompsons out of the public eye for many years. The NAC Thompsons referenced in this story have been identified one by one over the years by the author.

THE COLT NAC’S

NAC Thompsons with the Colt receivers are the culprits that caused most of the confusion in the Thompson community – and garner the most attention. For the uninformed, they appear just like an original Colt production Thompson. To complicate matters further, several Colt receiver variations have been observed. Imagine a so called Thompson guru that does not fully understand all the different Colt production receiver variants trying to explain the NAC variation to the uninformed. The most common Colt receiver variation for a NAC Thompson appears to be the last variation with the 1922 patent dates on the right side of the receiver.

Examination of FOIA documents from NAC Thompson guns indicate Numrich Arms sold a number of Thompson guns with Colt receivers to the Virginia State Police in 1953. These guns remained in police service for 21 years before being sold or traded to Class Three dealer J. Curtis Earl of Phoenix, Arizona.

The Class Three or machine gun community was very small during this time period. However, J. Curtis Earl soon became somewhat of a national celebrity. What brought Earl into such prominence with the American public were his advertisements and catalogs. He certainly understood the value of advertising and puffery; his prices for machine guns were at the top of the market. But Earl had something most of his competitors did not have – a very large inventory. And he showcased this very impressive inventory in a series of catalogs he sold throughout his career.

A review of a partial copy of Earl’s Firearm Dealer Bound Book revealed Thompson submachine guns with the serial numbers NAC – 2 through NAC – 15 were transferred to him on September 3, 1974 from the State Police in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The manufacturer for each one is listed as “COLT U.S.A.” with the model listed as “1921 THOMP” with the exception of NAC – 7, which is listed as a “1928-A1(1921).”

Unless otherwise noted, all the Thompson guns described in this story are in private collections. The following information is known about these 14 NAC Thompsons:

• NAC 2: NAC 2 was on display at the J. Curtis Earl Automatic Weapons Collection at The Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona for many years. Its disposition after the museum closed is unknown. Information released by Numrich Arms in 1996 revealed NAC 2, a Model 1921, was transferred to Numrich Arms in Mamaroneck, New York on December 1, 1951from Fred A. Willis, 25 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, New York. NAC 2 was subsequently transferred to the Department of State Police, Richmond, Virginia on June 5, 1953.
• NAC 3: It is currently on display at the Idaho State Historical Museum, donated to the museum by the late J. Curtis Earl. It has a late Colt receiver with 1922 patent dates. FOIA information revealed NAC 3 was listed on an IRS Form 2, Return of Firearms Manufactured, Imported, Or Received By Manufacturer, Importer, Dealer (Other Than Pawnbroker), and Pawnbroker, Under Chapter 26, Subchapter B, Internal Revenue Code, as “manufactured, imported , or received” on December 1, 1951. Registration of NAC 3 was sent to the IRS by Numrich Arms on or about June 20, 1952.
• NAC 5: It has a late Colt receiver with 1922 patent dates. FOIA information revealed NAC 5 was listed as “manufactured, imported, or received” on December 1, 1951. Registration of NAC 5 was sent to the IRS by Numrich Arms on or about June 20, 1952.
• NAC 6: It has a late Colt receiver with 1922 patent dates.
• NAC 9: It has a late Colt receiver with 1922 patent dates.
• NAC 11: It has a late Colt receiver with 1922 patent dates. It has been professionally refinished to appear like a Colt production Thompson.
• NAC 15: The receiver is devoid of the normal markings but is believed to be of Colt manufacture. The receiver is hand-stamped on the left side toward the front: “M 1928” and “N.A.C. 15.” The top of the receiver is marked in three lines on the right side of the cocking slot: AUTO-ORDNANCE CORP. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. USA 45 CAL.

The frame is also unmarked except for the serial number, “NAC 15” and the letter “G” at the bottom of the trigger guard. FOIA information begins with the June 5, 1953 transfer to the Department of State Police in Richmond, Virginia. Apparently, the clerk in the ATF Disclosure Division could not locate the original IRS Form 2 as identified for NAC 3 and NAC 5, above. Information from Numrich Arms in 1996 shows the same past transfer history for NAC 15 as NAC 2, above, with the following additional information: NAC 15 is a Model 1928 and was originally transferred to Numrich Arms as a “Sample” marked “A.O.C.” and Numrich Arms “numbered it NAC 15.”

A continuous study of the NAC marked Thompson guns has revealed other Thompson guns with Colt receivers.

0049000 408 NAC: One can only imagine what IRS officials thought when Numrich Arms filed a Form 2 for this Model 1928 NAC Thompson gun with this serial number on June 21, 1968. The Colt era receiver is devoid of all markings except the serial number and the Auto-Ordnance early trademark logo, AUT-ORD-CO-, found at the top of the early square actuator slot receiver. This NAC Thompson has been professional refinished in the Model of 1928A1 format and is mated with a Savage Arms frame. There is no reason to believe this Thompson gun is not one of the original crate guns even though it was not registered with the IRS until much later.

533 NAC: This Colt era receiver also features the Auto-Ordnance early trademark logo, AUT-ORD-CO-. It has the commonly found patent dates ending at December 28, 1920. The standard model and serial number nomenclature markings are missing and the remaining factory markings are very weak. The serial number is hand stamped on the upper left side of the receiver toward the front. The frame has a Savage Arms serial number.

When other NAC guns within the serial number range of 1 through 15 are examined more information on these early numbered NAC guns may be obtained. All the NAC Thompson guns with Colt era receivers appeared to have been assembled with left over Colt and WWII parts to make complete submachine guns. No one is alive today that can describe exactly what parts were used and why. Suffice to say, there was no standardization of parts from one gun to the next. It appears whatever parts first found and available were used. The goal of Numrich Arms was to make a marketable product.

The NAC story is far from complete. Part Two of The NAC Thompson Guns will be presented in an upcoming issue of Small Arms Review!

True or False: All Model of 1928 style Thompson submachine guns manufactured by Savage Arms during World War II were equipped with compensators? All that answered true are sided with the great majority of Thompson enthusiasts that seriously study this weapon and devour any and all published information. Those of you who answered false are likely playing the guessing game – unless you can cite or show some evidence to support your answer. And pointing to the picture of Savage Thompson S-17359 is not by itself conclusive evidence. The answer to this question is the subject of this story.

The Compensator

Before we begin, a brief recap of the history of the compensator is needed. The first 15,000 Thompson Submachine Guns manufactured by Colt’s Patent Fire Arms Manufacturing Company in 1921 and 1922 were not equipped with compensators. Auto-Ordnance Corporation had no manufacturing capability at this time and hired Colt’s to manufacture the first production guns. These 15,000 Model of 1921 Thompson guns would be the sole source of Auto-Ordnance inventory for the next 19 years. From these original 15,000 guns, Auto-Ordnance created several different models and many variations.

In 1926, Richard W. Cutts approached Auto-Ordnance with a device that when attached to the end of a Thompson gun would reduce the climb of the muzzle when the gun was fired. This device, a compensator, vented some of the escaping gases in an upward direction thereby forcing the muzzle of the gun downward. Or so Mr. Cutts claimed. General Thompson was very much impressed with this compensator and entered into a royalty agreement with Mr. Cutts in 1927.

Auto-Ordnance immediately began attaching the compensator to the Model of 1921 submachine gun and the newly introduced Model of 1927 Semi-Automatic Carbine. Auto-Ordnance literature soon listed the “A” model – without compensator – and the “AC” model – with compensator. The Model of 1928 was announced shortly thereafter and the compensator became standard equipment on the U.S. Navy Model. Sales of the Thompson gun languished for several years. The reasons were many but the high cost of the Thompson gun (retail price for the base “A” model was $175) was certainly a prime cause. Now with the option of a $25 accessory, sales of the Thompson gun were once again on the rise.

The effectiveness of the compensator for reducing muzzle climb during automatic fire has been debated for many years. Suffice to say, it worked well enough in the minds of Auto-Ordnance customers in the 1920s and 1930s.

The Takeover

The Auto-Ordnance Corporation spent nearly twenty years trying to market the first production run of 15,000 Thompson submachine guns. Unfortunately, no one customer wanted enough of this new type of weapon in any variation to deplete the inventory. In 1939, two very important events transpired: the rumblings of another world war began in Europe and a new management team took over an almost failed Auto-Ordnance Corporation. The new president, J. Russell Maguire, had a fresh vision for Auto-Ordnance and the foresight to place the Thompson back in production – even before the old inventory of Thompson guns manufactured years ago by Colt’s were sold. A deal was struck in December 1939 wherein the Savage Arms Company, Utica, New York, became the second subcontractor to manufacture the Thompson gun. The first 201 Savage manufactured Thompsons rolled roll off the assembly line between April 15 and April 30, 1940.

The First Customers…

The sale of Thompson guns under Maguire’s management of Auto-Ordnance was a great success. Of course, the start of World War II created some ready-made customers and validated Maguire’s decision to place the Thompson gun back into production. The first order of business was to sell off the remaining inventory of Colt manufactured guns, estimated to be approximately 4,700 at the end of 1938 and 4,500 in January 1939. A sale of 951 guns to the U.S. Government around the same time as Maguire’s takeover was a great start. A later sale and delivery of 3,000 guns to the French government in November 1939 resulted in the largest sale ever of Colt manufactured Thompson guns. In January 1940 only 600 Thompson guns remained in inventory – all without compensators. The lack of compensators is not surprising given all original 15,000 Thompson guns were manufactured without compensators. Every Colt manufactured Thompson sold with a compensator had to be hand-fitted (with a compensator). The British Supply Board in Canada was in serious negotiation with Auto-Ordnance for the remaining 600 guns. However, before a deal could be struck, the Government of Sweden on January 25, 1940, purchased 500 of these Thompson guns.

The First British Order

One of the first documented discussions concerning a British order of Thompsons occurred on January 19, 1940. Discussions of the purchase in the War Office and later in the Treasury delayed the official decision until February 2, 1940, when approval to order 750 Model 21 A.C. Thompson guns, 3,000 drum magazines, 5,000 twenty round box magazines and 1,000 handbooks was given. Irrespective of specifying the A.C. model, it appeared the compensator was not included for this initial order. According to Cipher Telegram Canada, 2 February 1940, from Sir Arthur Robinson, Ministry of Supply, to Col. J.H.M. Greenly, Controller-General, British Supply Board: “Compensator could follow reasonable period provided guns suitably finished to take them.” For reasons not entirely clear according to the Ministry of Supply, SUPP 4-310 – Contract Record Books, it appears the order was initially divided into two orders: one order for 450 guns to be delivered on or before March 15, 1940, and one order for 300 guns that was to be delivered before April 1, 1940 (for a total of 750 guns). However, the Swedish government acted first and depleted the existing inventory of Auto-Ordnance by the time the British confirmed the order. Now the British were forced to wait for the factory of Savage Arms at Utica, New York to begin delivery of the second production run of the Thompson gun. In the interim, the British were informed manufacture of the Model of 1921 AC was discontinued and the Model of 1928 AC “with compensator” was ordered instead. A handwritten notation at the end of the Cypher Telegram Canada, 15 February, 1940, from Col. J.H.M. Greenly, Controller-General, British Supply Board in Canada to Engineer Vice-Admiral Sir Harold Brown, Director General of Munitions Production. stated, “25 dollars more.”

The Cost of a Compensator

It has been well documented the British government purchased many thousands of Thompson guns in 1940/1941 prior to the enactment of the Lend-Lease Act in March of 1941. As with all equipment purchased for the British government during the war, cost was an important factor. Auto-Ordnance had always viewed the compensator as an option or accessory and normally added $25 in cost (retail) for the addition of a compensator. Hand written notations on some of the cited documentation clearly shows “compensator $25” or as stated above, “25 dollars more.” This extra cost did not escape the attention of the British bureaucrats at the Ministry of Supply who recorded and reviewed all “cash-and-carry” purchases made on behalf of the war effort.

Where Are All the Savage Model of 1928 A Thompsons?

A very nice example of an early Savage Model of 1928 A is on display as part of the Donnington Collection at the Combined Services Military Collection at Maldon in England. This is an excellent example of a very early Savage Thompson complete with British “Broad Arrow” markings. Close-up pictures of the front sight clearly show the front sight ring is not of the same dimensions as the earlier Colt manufactured front sight. A front sight (without compensator) on a Colt Thompson is much more pointed at the top. The front sight on S-17359 is much flatter or rounded on top and appears more like the later adopted front sight ring used on the M1 Thompson. It is unknown if the barrel is threaded on the boss and the front sight is threaded and screwed on. Careful examination reveal what appear to be serrations from some type of wrench indicating the front sight may have been screwed on the barrel boss and then pinned. It is also possible the front sight was pressed on the barrel boss and a wrench used to position it correctly for the pinning operation. The front sight has no visible manufacturer markings.

A second example is an often published photograph of a British commando with a Thompson. That Thompson has been incorrectly described as a M1A1 Thompson in other publications. It is not an M1A1 Thompson and the date of the photograph precludes the barrel or front sight from being from a M1 Thompson. Some experts may argue it could be a Colt Thompson but that would be incorrect. Another picture removes all doubt this commando is holding a Model of 1928 A Savage Thompson.

The first Savage Thompsons manufactured were almost identical to the Colt manufactured Thompsons, including the New York address and patent dates on the right side of the receiver. However, there is a distinguishable difference. The New York address on a Savage Thompson is roll stamped as follows: “New York, N.Y. U.S.A.” The New York address on a Colt manufactured Thompson is roll stamped as follows: “New York USA.” The Thompson pictured with the British commando is definitely a Savage Thompson – without a compensator.

Another picture that is often seen is actually not a photograph but a frame taken from a 16mm reel of film titled, Lofoten. This short Ministry of Information film is about the British raid on the German fish oil plants in the Lofoten Islands on March 3, 1941. The picture is a professional print of a British commando Corporal taken from one of the frames of this 16mm film. Unfortunately, the film negative was not good enough to see the details on the right side of the Thompson receiver. However, it can now be shown with certainty the barrel has cooling fins. Actual pictures taken during the Lofoten raid show other British commandoes carrying Thompson guns with compensators indicating both variations were used simultaneously.

One of the most interesting pictures of 1928 style Thompsons without compensators was found at the British Hulton Archive of pictures. It is titled: Two members of the Home Guard, armed with American Thompson sub-machine or ‘Tommy’ guns, during training at a rifle range in Western Command. The date of the picture, 1/1/1939, is incorrect as the Local Defence Volunteers or LDV was not established until May 17, 1940 and later renamed the Home Guard on July 22, 1940. The two Thompson guns without compensators are clearly visible. Review of this picture by several sources familiar with the British armed forces during World War II confirm the two men in the picture appear to be from a British Home Guard unit. The different style arm bands, one “HG” and one “Home Guard,” indicate the picture was taken early in the war. The soldiers are wearing Denims as Battledress was in short supply and not issued to Home Guard units until late 1940 – mid 1941. It is quite likely this is one of the British propaganda photographs where a few guns were shunted all over England early in the war for photographs to give the impression thousands of Thompsons were available for use.

Model of 1928 Thompsons without compensators do exist but one must have a keen eye to spot this variation. One such picture is taken from the March 1941 issue of Neptune, an undersized British magazine geared toward merchant seaman containing numerous pictures and stories about the Allied war effort. It was published during World War II by Continental Publishers Distributors Ltd., London, and can be found in several languages. Careful examination of the complete picture of a motorcycle unit reveals several Thompson guns without compensators. The soldiers second and third from the left are clearly holding TSMG’s without compensators.

Documentation

The existence of production Savage Model of 1928 A Thompsons (without compensators) would have been documented many years ago but for a typographical error. Australian author Ian Skennerton’s book, British Small Arms of WWII – 1988, Guide to Contracts and Contractors, clearly references the procurement of 27,000 Thompson submachine guns without compensators by the British government. Unfortunately, the reported date in Skennerton’s book is 8.10.42, meaning October 8, 1942. The late 1942 date associated with Thompson guns without compensators would indicate the M1 variation (that was not equipped with a compensator). The date is incorrect. The Ministry of Supply, SUPP 4-310 – Contract Record Books at the British National Archives reviewed by Skennerton to report this information are clearly dated 8.10.40. Unfortunately, this error was repeated again in Skennerton’s Small Arms Identification Series book titled, .45 Thompson Sub-Machine Gun, (page 6).

Further research at the National Archives reveal this order of 27,000 Thompson guns without compensators on October 8, 1940 caused a flurry of correspondence between the British and Auto-Ordnance. A Cypher Telegram to the Consul General in New York sent on October 3, 1940 was both good and bad news for Auto-Ordnance. The telegram stated, in part, “Please order for further Thompson Machine Guns as follows: 27,000 guns without repeat without compensator…” This telegram was followed up with another Cypher Telegram on October 9, 1940 that reads, in part, “Compensators not required for 17,000 ordered. Reference all Thompson guns under current contracts. Please arrange so far as commitments and progress of manufacture allow to omit compensators from future deliveries and arrange appropriate reduction in cost on account of this modification.” The reference to the 17,000 Thompson guns was for a previous order placed on September 17, 1940 that had not been completed by Auto-Ordnance.

All of the sudden interest in the compensator was answered in a telegram dated November 5, 1940, to wit: “Price of Thompson sub machine gun with compensator on previous orders was 146 dollars and 67 cents and without compensator 130 dollars. Price now quote of 120 dollars therefore represents reduction of 26 dollars and 67 cents if we place order for guns with compensators and reduction of 10 dollars per gun if we accept proposed price of 120 dollars without compensators.” Previous orders? The British had ordered the Thompson gun with and without compensators, taken delivery of both variations and were now price shopping. A telegram dated October 30, 1940 referenced an early price quote from Auto-Ordnance of $130 dollars for a Thompson gun with compensator. The allowance for a compensator was shown to be $16.67. Now with the new quote of $120 for a Thompson gun with compensator the British believed a Thompson without a compensator “ought not to exceed dollars 110 at the most.”

Resolution

It appears Auto-Ordnance decided to draw a line in the sand; so to speak. The November 5th telegram also included the following declaration: “Manufacturer is firm that he will make no price reductions below 120 dollars with or without compensators.” The British were quick to do the math: “Proposition as submitted to us means we can obtain 79,000 compensators for approximately $400,000 dollars i.e. 25,000 compensators on existing orders and 54,000 compensators orders about to be placed.” This equates to approximately $5.06 a compensator.

What followed were a series of telegrams about canceling the previous orders to delete the compensator from present and future orders. The issue was finally resolved on November 13, 1940 with a simple telegram stating that “compensators to be supplied on all guns ordered.”

A series of handwritten documents related directly to the Thompson gun were included in the files of documentation cited from the National Archives. One of these handwritten documents revealed the need for the compensator was being discussed during this time period at The War Office. The Director of Staff Duties (weapons) or D.S.D. (w) stated the compensator provided “a satisfactory degree of flash elimination” on Thompson guns fitted with the Cutts Compensator. Their opinion went so far as to state “flash eliminators” will have to be manufactured for Thompson guns without Cutts Compensators. The Assistant Chief of the Imperial Staff or A.C.I.G.S. agreed and Colonel L.F.S. Dawes of the Northern American Bureau of The War Office compensators will be obtained on all Thompson guns. This notation put the matter to rest on November 12, 1940 by confirming on the handwritten document was signed off by R. Cullen from the Ministry of Supply that same day.

The option for a Cutts Compensator, which had been a fantastic money maker for Auto-Ordnance for many years, was coming to an end. It was standard equipment on the Model of 1928A1 Thompson adopted by the U.S. government and now included at no extra cost on the Model of 1928 Thompson guns purchased by Great Britain. This standardization of the compensator on the 1928 model appears to have been in effect to the very end of the production run at both the Savage and Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport factories. There have been no 1928 A models observed that appear to have been manufactured after November 1940.

The Numbers

It is unknown how many 1928 A models were actually manufactured by Savage Arms. The percentage is probably very small seeing how the compensator became standard equipment with all British orders in November 1940. Production records reveal Savage had only manufactured 33,874 Thompson guns by the end of November 1940. All known surviving examples are early Savage guns. Thompson 1928 A models found in photographs without serial number information also appear to be early Savage guns based on the date of the photograph or publication. It is possible many of the original British “A” model Thompson guns were upgraded to the “AC” configuration during arsenal overhauls but no evidence of this happening has been found to date.

While researching this story one early Savage manufactured 1928 A was discovered that was sold by Auto-Ordnance to a police department in the United States during World War II. Collectors refer to this type of Savage Thompson as a Commercial model or Savage Commercial Thompson. This highly sought after variation is a regular production Savage Thompson without government proof markings, usually containing Colt era bright internal parts, flat ejector & no-hole magazine release, nice wood, a New York address and, most importantly, was purchased by a law enforcement agency during World War II. The former owner, a long time advanced collector of Thompson guns and accessories, told how he had “corrected” this Savage Commercial Thompson many years ago with the addition of a compensator. A review of an early ATF form for this Savage Thompson in the 16,000 serial number range revealed the length of the barrel to be 10 inches. The unanswered question is how many other Savage “A” models have been “corrected” by enthusiasts over the years.

The French Contract

One question that has never been answered is what happened to the remaining 100 Colt manufactured Thompson guns in Auto-Ordnance inventory after the Swedish government made the 500 Thompson gun purchase. Why not ship these remaining 100 Colt guns to the British as part of their initial order? A partial answer to this question may be found in a letter from the British Purchasing Commission, the organization responsible for purchasing arms and war supplies from North American manufacturers, to the Ministry of Supply, dated November 6, 1940. The letter tells about the British assumption of the (second) French contract (assumed to be 3,000 guns) and the shipment from Auto-Ordnance of “149 new guns and about 40 second-hand guns, the latter being thoroughly reconditioned in every way.” When France fell, the British assumed the French contract with Auto-Ordnance for Thompson guns. Auto-Ordnance agreed that it did not meet the delivery schedules in the contract negotiated by the French and about one-half (1,500) of the guns remained undelivered. The 149 new guns and 40 reconditioned second hand guns were to be provided to the British government free of charge by Auto-Ordnance as a penalty for not meeting the delivery schedule. After the British negotiated the penalty, they cancelled the contract because the price negotiated by the French was higher than the current British price. Of course, this begs for more information on the pedigree of the second hand or used Thompson guns referenced in this letter. It is very possible these used Thompson guns were the last Colt guns in Auto-Ordnance inventory. While not definitive, it is easy to believe Auto-Ordnance amassed a number of used guns from testing, demonstrations, salesman samples, returns, etc., during the nearly 20 years it spent marketing the Thompson.

Epilogue

There is no documentation that tells the first serial number used by Savage Arms when they began production of the Thompson gun in 1940. Most experts believe the serial numbering began at No. 15041 or where Colt’s stopped. Documented Savage Thompson guns in the 15,000 serial number range support this position. The discovery of any Savage Thompson with a serial number below 25,000 is an important find as these are the 10,000 guns from the first Savage contract with Auto-Ordnance. Savage Thompson S-17359 is very likely the earliest Savage Thompson on public display in Great Britain. While the history is unknown, the markings and early serial number indicate it is one of the first Thompson guns purchased by the British in World War II. The fact it is a 1928 A model makes it ever the more special. However, there is at least one more Savage 1928 A model in Great Britain, S-16739. It is located at the Royal Armouries in Leeds in what is known as the Pattern Room Collection. Did these two Savage Thompsons, only 620 numbers apart, travel on the same ship to Great Britain in 1940? How many other Thompson guns without compensators were also in this shipment (or shipments)? There is no answer to these questions… today.

(Author’s Note: This story would not have been possible without the great assistance of Mr. James West and Mr. Clive McPherson. Mr. West’s outstanding detective work at the National Archives provided most of the authoritative documentation for this story. Mr. McPherson’s pictures and assistance with S-17359 were instrumental early on in keeping the research for this story active. The information from The Pattern Room provided by Dan Shea and Robert Segel proved to be very valuable.)

J. Curtis Earl

The passage of the 1934 National Firearms Act created a new class of firearm owners in the United States. It is commonly referred to as the “Class Three” community by those of us that belong. This community started out very small but has since grown to a very respectable size. To those on the outside, it is known by two simple words: machine guns.

When this new community was still in its infancy and the number of Class Three dealers very small, one machine gun dealer soon became somewhat of a national celebrity. That dealer was J. Curtis Earl of Phoenix, Arizona.

Readers of Small Arms Review know the story of J. Curtis Earl because of the excellent three-part story by Richard MacLean featured in the May, July and August 2010 issues. Those new to SAR with an interest in Earl would be smart to order the back issues of this authoritative story or look them up on line at www.smallarmsoftheworld.com.

What brought Earl into such prominence with the American public were his advertisements and catalogs. He certainly understood the value of advertising; his prices for machine guns were at the top of the market. But Earl had something most of his competitors did not have – a very large inventory. Earl showcased this very impressive inventory in a series of catalogs he sold thoughout his career. This story is about the world famous J. Curtis Earl catalogs.

The David Weisz Company and the M.G.M. Weapon Collection

One of the most sought after Earl catalogs is the Metro Golden Mayer (M.G.M.) collection catalog. What is not widely known is that three variations of this catalog exist. It is very possible Earl’s early decision to publish and sell catalogs was influenced by the auction company that sold all the assets of the M.G.M. Studio beginning May 3, 1970 – the David Weisz Company. The David Weisz Company used five catalogs and assorted supplements to advertise and sell the assets of the M.G.M. Studio, including the weaponry. Each catalog was a different color (yellow, blue, green, red and silver) and advertised the many different types of studio assets. The Weisz auction catalogs are now collectibles in their own right. Earl’s first M.G.M. catalog actually copied the cover of the Weisz silver catalog titled, “MINIATURES, WEAPONRY, VINTAGE CARS.” Earl changed the color to yellow and priced this catalog at $1.00 on the first inside white page (page 2). It is 16 pages in length.

This catalog recounts Earl’s purchase of 20 machine guns from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) studios. His style of advertising to prospective customers is never more evident as in the opening page of this catalog (spelling and grammar mistakes included):

In pricing these guns to you, as the propective buyer and collector, I have given much thought to arriving at a fair and equitable figure on each weapon. Some of these are the rarest of the rare, and as such, discounting any history, are very valuable guns. Other, tho not so rare, rate a certain percentage of value over their counterparts due to their background. The amount of collectors value attributed to this background is best determined by your own eye. Each gun, in its own right, is “one of a kind”. All descriptions are given in full honesty, with these factors, I feel confident that I am giving you full value for your investment dollar, as with the quality and history offered, with all fact considered, you will be getting the most for your money in this type of gun purchase.

The rest of the catalog follows the same style. Included in this lot of machine guns from the M.G.M. studios were five Lewis machine guns, five Vickers machine guns, two Hotchkiss machine guns, two German MG 08/15 machine guns, four Thompson submachine guns and two Reising submachine guns encased in sheet metal to resemble German Schmeisser submachine guns. It is not known why Earl modified the cover on his first M.G.M. catalog by removing the David Weisz Company name. Perhaps, David Weisz objected to how Earl copied his catalog cover or Earl decided to promote his own name and business. It is all speculation now as both Earl (2000) and Weisz (1981) are deceased.

But change the cover he did. The new cover featured a rectangular block angled over the Weisz name titled, “Machine Guns for the M.G.M. Collection…and many others.” It still retained the yellow cover, M.G.M. logo, auction title and the price increased to $1.50. Two variations of this second cover Earl M.G.M. catalog are known to exist. The first variation is 18 pages in length and held together by three staples on the left side. The second variation of the Earl M.G.M. catalog is 20 pages in length. The last page is titled “BROCHURE SUPPLEMENT” and is dated Sept. 10, 1971. This last page is unnumbered and states, “…about one-half of the M.G.M. guns listed have been sold…”

Research for this story revealed the existence of extra pages for the Earl M.G.M. catalogs that have never been stapled into a catalog. It appears likely Earl had extra catalog pages printed and distributed same as customer requests dictated and/or as enclosures with some of his later catalog sales.

Except for the change in the top half of the cover page of the first catalog, all three Earl M.G.M. catalogs are very similar in content. Most changes involve prices or sold notations. Some additional content is added in the later editions.

A New Format: $1.50

Earl must have had a very good response in sales from the M.G.M. catalogs because he soon published another catalog. The catalog featured a new format, one Earl would continually refine over the years. This catalog is undated, but does reference a citation to Title 18, U.S. Code, Chapter 44, “Publication #603 dated 6/71” under the caption: STATES LAWS REGARDING MACHINE GUNS. Given that the last page “Brochure Supplement” in the last variation of the Earl M.G.M. catalog is dated September 10, 1971, this most likely makes the publication date in 1972.

The cover featured a picture of a Vickers machine gun and Thompson Submachine Gun with drum but sans butt stock. The title and writings on the cover page will be used on all of Earl’s future catalogs: J. Curtis Earl PRESENTS A BROCHURE OF MACHINE GUNS AND SUBMACHINE GUNS – FOR SHOOTER OR COLLECTOR – Specializing in Thompson Submachine Guns – … with facts, figures and notes of interest on purchasing, shooting and collecting the most interesting and most fascinating of all guns…machine guns.

This catalog is filled with information about the M.G.M. guns and Thompson submachine guns. Six pages are devoted to the acquisition and current sale of the M.G.M. collection. Several pages are copied directly from the Earl M.G.M. catalog. Anyone remotely interested in machine guns, especially the Thompson, would gladly pay $1.50 for what was then a wealth of information. Of course, this wealth of information showcased some misinformation too. Earl’s famous listing of Cutts Compensators showing a “straight, no taper, slip-over fit on front sight” is prominently featured. This compensator type was later debunked by Roger Cox in his now classic 1982 book, The Thompson Submachine Gun. And there is “the bird-teeth rare 25 rd. ball mag.,” another Thompson accessory that existed only in the pages of Earl’s catalogs.

This catalog featured what Earl named the “Midas Thompson,” a fully engraved Colt Thompson with very high grade American walnut stocks. The price was a paltry $5,750. Also featured was the Auto-Ordnance Corporation experimental 9mm Thompson with the distinctive curved magazine, serial number S-1. No price was listed for this fantastic collector’s piece.

Price increase: $2.00

The next catalog, believed to be the 1973 edition, saw a slight price increase. It is almost identical to the $1.50 catalog, above. Most differences involve the layout and use of additional pictures throughout the catalog.

At least two variations of this catalog exist. The catalogs are nearly identical except the first or earliest catalog has a blank back cover page. The later catalog variation has short “Note to Purchasers” and “Note of Interest” statements from Earl on the back cover page. There are also some minor differences on pages 16 and 25.

1974 Edition: $2.00

Earl’s next catalog retained the same cover and price as the earlier edition, above, but was dated – a trend he would continue in some manner with the rest of his catalog editions. This catalog is marked the “1974 Edition” with a copyright of September 1972.

A careful review of this 1974 Edition catalog shows it is almost identical to the earlier undated $2.00 catalogs, above. The copyright September 1972 date is a further indication the first undated catalogs, above, were published in 1972 and 1973. There is a change of some prices as the Midas Thompson apparently had not sold and the price increased to $6,500. What is new is the addition of a yellow four page brochure insert that begins with the word, “Howdy!” Earl then goes on to tell the readers about how the collecting of machine guns is beginning to become more acceptable in America and quotes a July 1973 article from The American Rifleman magazine. Of particular interest in this add-on brochure is information on the Browning and Lewis machine guns obtained from the Savage Arms Company museum. There is also a pair of “NAVY COLT THOMPSONS” with consecutive serial numbers, Nos. 4666 & 4667, for sale as a pair for $5,700.

1975 Edition – $2.50

When opening this catalog it first appears it will be a repeat of the 1974 edition. However, Earl removed three pages of information about the M.G.M. guns and substituted a two page excerpt from the July 1973 article from Guns and Ammo magazine about the Midas Thompson – something that would be used in all of Earl’s future catalogs. Earl further has a caution to prospective buyers that many of the new dealers in the machine gun field are engaging in false advertising, i.e., the dealers do not have in stock many of the guns currently being advertised. One new picture of approximately 35 Thompson guns in a row from the New York State Penal System is very impressive.

The 1975 edition replaced the yellow brochure insert of the 1974 edition with a blue insert brochure. Except for color, the inserts are almost identical. One of the Browning water cooled machine guns is marked sold, consecutive serial numbers, Nos. 4666 & 4667 are now priced at $6,950 and the Midas Thompson price increased to a whooping $15,000. Earl certainly had the philosophy of increasing the price of a gun until it sold.

Copyright September 1972, 1976 Catalog: $3.50 – Blue Cover

A new cover is featured on the 1976 catalog. Earl is pictured kneeling behind a Browning water cooled machine gun. The cover also shows a Thompson with attached butt stock, German MP 40 and a MAC 10. The cover is blue in color, priced at $3.50, not dated, but notated with the same September 1972 copyright date.

Page 2 features a note from Earl that begins, “Adios, 75! Howdy, ’76” making this the 1976 catalog. He goes on to explain the virtues of collecting machine guns and how the number of machine gun dealers has increased exponentially. Earl’s prediction that the price of the few registered machine guns in America will continue to increase in value and that his “…present stock will not last forever…” was correct.

The major revision in this catalog is the removal of the remainder of the M.G.M. pages and the insertion of a two page story on the E.H. de la Garrigue half-scale Thompson submachine guns. This is a must have Earl catalog for the miniature firearm collector. It features excellent pictures; including the famous father and son pose with full size and half size Thompson guns. All models and accessories are discussed and priced for sale.

Much of the content of the yellow and blue brochure inserts are now part of the catalog. The consecutive serial numbered 28 Navy Thompsons, Nos. 4666 & 4667, are listed as P.O.R. or price on request. The Midas Thompson is still priced at $15,000.

Copyright September 1972, 1977 Catalog: $3.50 – Green Cover

In 1977 or 1978, Earl changed the color of the cover of his catalog to green. The copyright September 1972 markings are on the lower left corner of the cover page but there is no date anywhere on or in the catalog. Notwithstanding the fact the catalog is priced at $3.50 on the cover, it is believed this is the $3.00 1977 revision catalog referenced in the Earl advertisement at the beginning of the story. No catalog published by Earl with a $3.00 cover price or date within the 1977 time frame could be located.

As with the blue cover $3.50 catalog, page 2 of the green cover $3.50 catalog features a note from Earl that begins only with, “Howdy.” The message is identical. The blue and green catalogs are basically identical until page 8. The green cover reduces the coverage of the E.H. de la Garrigue half-scale Thompson submachine guns to just a half a page. Added is the cover of the February 1975 GUNS magazine with “THE ROARING TWENTIES” engraved Thompson submachine gun. Also included is a picture of a STEYER-DIAMLER 9mm submachine gun and five pictures of an extensive firearms collection acquired by Earl. The Midas Thompson price has been changed to “$P.O.R.” or price on request. There is also a change to higher prices on many of the firearms listed, i.e., Ingrem (sic) “Police Ordnance” M-6 S.M.G. – “from $600” to “from $800.”

The order of the later catalog pages are also changed between the blue and green cover catalogs but aside from the price increases, the content is the same. As stated above, this catalog is undated, but it does reference a citation to Title 18, U.S. Code, Chapter 44, “Publication #603 dated 6/76” under the caption: STATES LAWS REGARDING MACHINE GUNS. Earl regularly updated this section (the blue cover $3.50 catalog cites Publication #603 dated 6/74) as newer catalogs were published. The June 1976 publication date of Publication #603 lends substantial support to the green cover catalog being the 1977 catalog revision.

Copyright September 1972, 1979 Revision: $4.00

The 1979 Revision catalog brought yet another price increase from Earl. Customers with earlier catalogs could certainly see the similarities in the catalogs as there were no major changes. One interesting note was the two M.G.M. “Schmeissers” made from Reising Model 50 submachine guns, were still in inventory and priced at $650 each. One added headline was Earl had “OVER 150 THOMPSONS NOW IN STOCK.” There are some minor changes on pages 19 and 20 along with price increases throughout this newer catalog. Model of 1927 Colt Thompson Semi-Automatic Carbine, serial number 5252 was priced at $8,750 in the 1977 green cover catalog. The price had now risen to $10,950. MAC-10’s had jumped in price from $450 to $550.

1981 Revision: $5.00

This catalog is identical in most parts to the one above but Earl added two new sections. The first, “News off the top of my head…” is one page of Earl comments concerning the current Class Three market. Comments include the rising number of new machine dealers and the limited availability of inventory, the pitfalls of unregistered guns and a warning about the dewats, re-wats and copies currently on the market. He talks specifically on the MACs and the new Thompsons being manufactured by the “Auto-Ordnance Corp.” Of course, this is the new (at the time) Auto-Ordnance Corporation in West Hurley, New York. Earl states, “It is a new gun, made by cut-corner methods (castings instead of machined steel blocks, with a pot-metal part thrown in too) by people who just use the old name… but come by it honestly, and use it loosely.”

The second new section is a half page titled, “Facts ‘n Figures…..on buying and dealing…..and some general B.S.” This includes information about local laws and the transfer process of a class three weapon. Shipping and Earl’s payment plans are also referenced.

At the end of the catalog Earl includes several new pages with pictures of items for sales of inert explosive devices, smoke grenades, large caliber ammunition rounds and assorted bayonets, pistols, rifles and shotguns.

1981 Revision, 1983 Reprint: $5.00

Earl states in an insert on page 1 that this catalog is a reprint of his 1981 edition catalog with only some minor changes. He says he is down to 950 pieces of inventory and prices have risen considerably. Contained in the catalog is a letter from Earl telling about his new service, the “VIDEO TAPE SHOW-AND-TELL” program. The cost of a video is $75, but Earl will refund $55 of the cost if you return the video to him. The video time is 30 to 90 minutes depending on the customer request, i.e., single gun or all guns within a certain price range.

1986 Revision: $5.00

The 1986 Revision catalog follows the same format as all the previous catalogs but has some changes and updates. It starts off with a new picture of an older Earl on page 1 standing with some of his vast collection. There is a half page devoted to cannons with pictures that will appeal to some collectors. The “News off the top of my head…” section has been updated with a total of 9,100 machine gun dealers in the USA – up from 4,450 in the last catalog. There is a full page of pictures devoted to Earl’s inventory on January 1, 1986. The pictures are very impressive – definitely worth the price of the catalog to a Thompson collector. Earl is down to only 130 Thompson guns in stock – only 130!!! MAC 10s in .45 ACP have risen in price to $1,295; 9mm MAC 10s are $1,595.

Earl devoted a third of a page to “BUYERS REMORSE.” Apparently, some of his buyers were attempting to back out of sales. Earl repeats: ALL SALES ARE FINAL! The video tape show and tell product information has been incorporated into the catalog. There are other minor changes and a few different pictures. It is quite evident this is a true revision catalog, not a reprint.

1986 Revision, Reprinted 6/88 – $5.00

The June 1988 reprint of the 1986 Revision catalog is the last of the Earl catalogs. It is identical to the 1986 Revision catalog, above. No later edition or dated Earl catalogs have been located. Letters have been found that indicate Earl was still selling catalogs in the late 1990s, but it is believed these were the June 1988 reprinted 1986 Revision catalog. A 1997 letter from Earl to a prospective customer lists a 44 page brochure for $6.50. The June 1988 reprint catalog is 44 pages in length counting the cover and back page (40 numbered pages inside the catalog). As the Earl catalogs become more and more collectible, additional documentation or catalogs may be discovered.

Other flyers and Advertisements

Earl also used gun magazine reprints to advertise certain guns in his inventory. A prime example is the reprint of the July 1973 Guns and Ammo story about the Midas Thompson purportedly written by Earl using the pen name Hank Drake. Earl also used a four page brochure on the E.H. de la Garrigue miniatures Thompson guns that referenced and featured pictures from the February 1976 issue of Gun World magazine.

For Sale – J. Curtis Earl

The business acumen of J. Curtis Earl speaks for itself. And the personality and life style has been well documented. One of Earl’s good friends in his later days was Thompson enthusiast Chuck Olsen. Fortunately, Olsen was able to preserve a lot of documentation related to Earl. One of the documents saved by Olsen was a 1983 spiral bound investment portfolio of Earl’s automatic weaponry business complied by Smira, Olivier and Associates, Phoenix, Arizona. Earl had decided to sell everything and engaged the Smira team to market his complete business. The price for the entire inventory and residence was $1,940,000. This included approximately 800 Title II firearms, approximately 200 Title I firearms, an extensive collection of spare parts, one half million rounds of ammunition and seven cannons.

The portfolio explains Earl’s method of direct advertising by way of a $5 brochure that offers his many guns for sale, to wit, “Depending on the volume of advertising that he orders, he controls the response; thus the amount of sales; and his profits and work involved in acquiring them, Nice, Clean, Efficient, and Lucrative. Over the past fifteen years, he has sent out over 65,000 brochures. At $5.00 per brochure, the brochure alone provides him with a nice profit.” Later, the Financial Section of the portfolio directly references, “Brochure Sales amount to about 3,000 (three thousand) copies being sold a year amounting to an additional $15,000.00 income.” All questions as to why Earl started selling catalogs – answered!

Epilogue

Reading each Earl catalog referenced in this story provided a great deal of information and insight on the Class Three community over an eighteen year period. There is no doubt Earl was a power dealer in this arena. Does this story represent every catalog? No one can say for sure. There is no known master index of every Earl catalog or catalog variation. To that end, if any reader has an Earl catalog that is different from the ones listed in this story, please contact the author via SAR so any new information can be included in any future story.

Author’s Note: The author gratefully acknowledges all the assistance for this story by members of the Thompson Submachine Gun forum at MachineGunBoards.com.

The slogan displayed on the front of the 1929 Commercial Price List and Catalog, Superior means for the protection of Lives and Property, is indicative of another marketing attempt by Auto-Ordnance Corporation (AOC) to sell the Thompson gun. One of their first catchphrases, The Most Effective Portable Fire Arm In Existence, had run its course. The old stand-by maxim, On The Side Of Law And Order, was still in use but AOC must have felt the need for something new in 1929 – eight years after the introduction of the Thompson submachine gun.

The 1929 catalog, as it has come to be known by collectors, was double the size of previous catalogs. It was filled with a lot of pictures and interesting information on the Thompson gun – all in all a very nice product. Most 1929 catalogs measure 12” x 9” but there is some slight variation in size with different printings, i.e., the E.E. Richardson (a well known AOC salesman) marked 1929 catalog.

This is a very desirable item for Thompson paper collectors, one that is hard to find and usually expensive when found. It is not uncommon for original 1929 catalogs in excellent condition to sell for over $500. The survival rate for the 1929 catalog does not appear to be anywhere near that of the 1936 Nassau Street catalog.

As with most things Thompson if there are not enough originals to satisfy demand, reproduction items will soon enter the market place. This is exactly what happened with the 1929 catalog. Reproductions sold years ago from Ray Riling Arms and Frontier Press are well known by Thompson enthusiasts. While both of these catalogs are professionally marked as reproductions by the printer, it is very easy for a paper collector to determine by the quality of print and pictures that these two reproduction catalogs are not original. However, these reproductions do fill a void in most collections and allow for reading without the possibility of damaging an original.

Such was the universe for the 1929 catalog – until recently. Last year, what appeared to be original 1929 AOC catalogs unexpectedly hit the market. The picture quality was excellent and it was obvious the catalog had some age. Touted as original catalogs by sellers, many of whom had probably never seen an original 1929 catalog, the price began to rise.

This author made a purchase and was very pleased when the package first arrived. However, upon careful inspection there was something about this catalog that seemed amiss. There were definite signs of aging around the corners and the staples had started to rust – but the color was just not right. The cover on an original 1929 catalog is more of a brownish color; the cover on these “new” 1929 catalogs is more of an off-white color. Fortunately, Small Arms Review writer David Albert lives only a short distance away. David is the co-author of the book, Thompson Manuals, Catalogs and Other Paper Items. He has a very extensive Thompson paper collection, including an original 1929 catalog.

A side by side comparison soon illustrated that this “new” 1929 catalog was not quite the quality of an original. To be certain, it was a piece of excellent work though the color difference of the cover was quite pronounced when the documents were laid side by side. In addition, the background color or shading (on the cover) is much more pronounced on the original catalog. Unfortunately, many Thompson paper collectors do not have ready access to a known original. And pictures from the best reference books allow only a preliminary comparison of the cover.

An investigation into where these “new” 1929 catalogs originated from proved interesting but was not definitive. Several sellers were contacted and a central theme in all stories soon developed: Atlanta, Georgia. Every story included reference to an estate sale and how the catalogs were stored in a “wooden crate” or “wooden box” and never released for sale. There were similarities to all the stories and the sellers were definitely not experts in the Thompson world. They were in the business of buying and re-selling items for a profit. All spoke freely and did not appear to be withholding information. The estate sale in one story involved a decedent in Florida who previously lived in upstate New York. Aside from the catalogs and a lot of sawdust, the wooden box purportedly contained several Thompson bolts, barrels and two receivers. The receivers were dispatched to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and all the other parts sold. The wooden box featured a Thompson bullet logo and was later sold to a collector in the Atlanta area. A guesstimate from all the sellers as to the number of catalogs found was somewhere around 200.

The time had come to involve some professionals in the investigation who work with paper everyday; one a book binder specializing in the repair of older books and one a printer.

The book binder said the catalog was definitely older. It was not printed last week. He pointed out the rusty staples and places on the paper around the edges that were indicative of the natural aging process. He did not think it was printed in the 1920’s. However, he believed the catalog was at least 20 years old.

As any good investigator will tell you it is better to be lucky than good. I got very lucky with the printer because he is a letterpress printer that still prints with letterpress – not something commonly found today. After examining the 1929 catalog in question for 10 to 15 minutes, he stated without reservation it was a reproduction. He went on to say the original 1929 catalog was most likely printed with letterpress. He pointed out the way in which the catalog is laid out with all the inside borders is very indicative of using print blocks with the old style letterpress; a very common method of printing in the twenties.

Looking closely at the pictures in the catalog, the printer believed most if not all the pictures were second generation. He pointed out how the printing in the title, “Thompson Guns,” was a little light in places. He said the amount of ink it took to make the title completely black and deep in the original catalog would have had a negative effect on the Thompson gun on the cover picture (in the reprint), turning it very dark. When the cover was copied for reprinting, the title lost some of its definition and this is plainly visible in the reprinted cover. (The difference in the depth of the color in the title on the cover page was evident during the examination David and I performed, but we did not know how to quantify our suspicions; now we know.) The printer was positive this “new” 1929 catalog was printed using the more modern offset printing. He agreed the pictures in this newly found 1929 catalog were very clear and said whoever printed it most likely copied it from an original 1929 catalog. The reason a lot of modern reproduction documents are so bad is a 3rd generation (or more) document is used in the reproduction process. The catalog does show signs of natural aging. He said it could have been white paper when new and faded to the current off-white color but this is really just speculation on his part. He believes it to be an older catalog, most likely printed in the 1950s. He had no reservation saying it was 50 to 60 years old.

During the ensuing investigation several more catalogs were examined and procured. One catalog had an obvious printing defect on the cover; others had defects on the inside pages. If contemplating the purchase of one of these newer 1929 catalogs, be sure and examine all pages.

The original 1929 catalog as released by AOC does not reference the Model of 1928 Thompson, the U.S. Navy Model. This was soon corrected with a one page document titled, “(Insert for 1929 Catalog),” which showcased this very popular Thompson variation. Original 1929 catalogs on the market today can be found with or without this insert. There is no evidence whoever reprinted this newer 1929 catalog also reprinted this insert page, and they may not have known it existed.

The quest for all things Thompson sometimes will yield a new discovery and that is what makes every search worthwhile. An original 1929 Commercial Price List and Catalog is a great addition to any paper collection. Unfortunately, the number of surviving copies appears to be low and the prices high. This high quality 1929 catalog reprint will make a great addition to a collection and may actually become a collectable in its own right someday. But don’t be fooled into paying a high price right now. Or believing it to be an original!

Thompson submachine gun enthusiasts simply use the phrase, “West Hurley’s.” By most accounts they are the scourge of the Thompson community – sometimes with good reason. They are nothing like the Colt’s in beauty or manufactured like the World War II guns to exacting government specifications. But they are a brother none the less to their earlier siblings, though some would argue a step-brother.

The first West Hurley Thompson’s rolled off the assembly line in 1975 as a product of the second Auto-Ordnance Corporation in West Hurley, New York. This was a company started by Numrich Arms Corporation (NAC) founder George Numrich and then President of NAC, Ira Trast. The new Auto-Ordnance Corporation (AOC) was formed to begin production of a new semiautomatic .45 caliber Thompson rifle, one that resembled the famous American Tommy Gun. In conjunction with the Thompson semiautomatic rifle, AOC also put back in production the full auto 1928 model with a newly manufactured receiver and frame. Full auto West Hurley (WH) Thompson’s immediately found a niche market as an inexpensive substitute for a Colt, Savage or Auto-Ordnance at Bridgeport. The initial retail price as shown in the 1975 NAC catalog was $425.

All references to the Auto-Ordnance Corporation or AOC in this story relate solely to the new Auto-Ordnance Corporation at West Hurley, New York unless followed by the words “at Bridgeport” (Connecticut).

The full auto WHs were mostly Model of 1928s, but a small quantity of M1A1 models were produced right before what has come to be called the May 1986 machine gun ban. WHs have continued to enjoy a niche market in the post 1986 period because, again, they are the cheapest Thompsons in the market place. While many purists howled and degraded the efforts of Numrich and Trast in the 1970s, everyone will agree AOC did place over 3,800 more transferable Thompson’s in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR) for all to use and enjoy. Absent a few post sample guns built from various other manufacturers from time to time, the WH full auto Thompson’s are the end of an era.

The purpose of this story is not to degrade the manufacturing process of a very small American company that produced a $425 machine gun. It is to inform owners and potential owners of full auto WH Thompsons about some of the parts used during the production – and problems associated with those parts.

AOC certainly could have used the United States Postal Service motto for flat rate shipping – “If it fits, it ships.” Standardization is not a word normally used by WH owners. Each WH Thompson is truly unique when it comes to fit, function AND parts. There is no WH specific production year or serial number range that is the best to buy – or any to be avoided. A NIB (New in the Box) WH is not a guarantee a WH Thompson will run; it only means no one has tried it out.

The majority of WH parts examined for this story are of low quality investment casting and do not conform to original ordnance specifications. Even when manufactured correctly, the resulting part is much rougher and softer than an original Colt or GI part. Many WH parts are easy to identify because of the purplish hue. Some cast parts are challenging to properly blue because of silicone that is added to the steel alloy to improve the flow when the molten steel is poured into the mold.

The saving grace is all the WH parts will interchange with GI manufactured parts. Replacement for most is always the best option.

Danger!!!

One part in particular is dangerous. The 1928 buffer pilot, commonly referred to as only the pilot or the buffer, was originally designed as a one piece machined part. Sometime during production of the WH Thompson, AOC designed and manufactured two-piece pilots. The reason the pilot was originally designed as a one piece part can be seen in the accompanying pictures; WH pilot’s can and will come apart. All owners, including dealers stocking used Model of 1928 WH Thompsons for sale, need to check the pilot (right now) to insure it is of one piece construction or a GI part. Any two-piece WH pilot should be destroyed. Why risk the potential for injury over what is now a readily available and inexpensive part.

West Hurley Parts

Most WH parts do not pose a threat of bodily injury but can and do affect the function of a Thompson. Stated below is a listing of known parts manufactured by or for AOC:

• Actuator (Model of 1928 only)
• Barrel
• Bolt (M1A1 model only)
• Breech Oiler (Model of 1928 only)
• Buffer Pilot – (Model of 1928 only)
• Butt Stock Slide Group (Model of 1928 only)
• Compensator (Model of 1928 only)
• Drum magazines (Model of 1928 only)
• Frame
• Grip Mount
• Magazine Catch
• Rear Sight, adjustable (Model of 1928 only)
• Rocker pivot (fire control lever)
• Safety
• Sear
• Sear lever
• Trip
• Vertical Fore Grip & Pistol Grip Many WH parts can be easily identified because of the lack of manufacturer markings. All U.S. government subcontractors during World War II were required to apply a marking to their production; while “S” and “AOC” (at Bridgeport) are the most common subcontractor markings, many others exist. A great reference for manufacturer markings on Thompson parts can be found in Frank Iannamico’s excellent Thompson book, American Thunder II. Careful examination and comparison of WH parts to known GI originals make distinguishing these parts an easy matter. CAVEAT: Original parts manufactured by Colt are also unmarked; Colt parts have been found on WH Thompsons.

Mr. Trast

Mr. Ira Trast, retired president of Auto-Ordnance Corporation, West Hurley, New York, graciously agreed to be interviewed. He stated at the beginning that due to the passage of time, he has probably forgotten many of the day to day production details that would be of interest to collectors nowadays. But he agreed to provide whatever information he could remember. Mr. Trast pointed out the new AOC was manufacturing both Thompson rifles and submachine guns so he was not focused solely on the production of the full auto guns during his tenure as President.

Mr. Trast stated the production of the receivers and frames were subcontracted to a local company in Saugerties, New York named Quality Manufacturing Company. AOC supplied Quality Manufacturing with the tooling for production of these parts. The tooling was quite old and had to be modified to fit Quality’s machines.

AOC had a large inventory of Thompson parts when production of the first Thompson guns began in 1975. The first full auto Thompsons were made using all GI parts but as sales increased, inventories of GI parts began to dry up. Mr. Trast spent many hours scouring the country looking for many of the Thompson parts mentioned during this interview. Mr. Trast stated it is important to point out GI parts were not only used in the beginning, but as available during the 11 years the full auto Thompson was in production. AOC only used their own subcontracted parts until new supplies of GI parts could be found. Toward the end of the production run, there was really no need to look for GI parts because none were available in any quantity.

The early Thompson guns featured original Lyman rear sights but soon supplies began to run low. Mr. Trast believes it possible AOC may have used some sight bases purchased from the Model Gun Corporation (MGC) of Japan on the full auto WH Thompson but he is not 100% sure. Sometimes parts used on the Thompson Model 1927 rifle were used on the full auto guns – and vise versa. He is certain that AOC soon subcontracted the manufacture of the sight base and these bases were fitted with an Enfield sight leaf assembly. Later, AOC had a sight leaf assembly specifically manufactured for the base. Mr. Trast remembered the cast sight bases would sometimes come loose from the receiver so AOC began using large rivets to correct this problem.

The horizontal fore-grips and sling swivels were very plentiful as were the butt stocks. Rear grips were plentiful at first, but later had to be manufactured. All the vertical fore-grips were made by a subcontractor, the identity of which now escapes Mr. Trast. As the stock slide inventory was depleted, aluminum stock slides from MGC were used. The MGC slides were not without problems so AOC began subcontracting the manufacture of the stock slide in the GI pattern but of aluminum alloy.

Many of the smaller parts like sears, trips, rocker pivots and safeties were manufactured by IONA Industries, Newburgh, New York. While AOC used other subcontractors at times, Quality Manufacturing Company and IONA Industries were the two subcontractors that manufactured the majority of parts for AOC. Both were located close to West Hurley, New York (and both are now out of business). Generally, Quality Manufacturing manufactured the bigger parts and IONA Industries manufactured the smaller parts. Mr. Trast stated there may be variations or changes of the same AOC part as production continued over the years.

Mr. Trast did not recall a problem or any issues with separation involving the two piece buffer pilot. AOC used GI buffer discs.

Compensators were another item that was soon in short supply and the manufacture of this part was subcontracted to IONA Industries. AOC roll marked the Thompson bullet logo on the top of the newly manufactured compensators in-house. Mr. Trast stated AOC had all the original Thompson roll dies starting at the Colt era. However, the older machinery necessary to use these early roll dies was not readily available and therefore many of the original dies could not be used. AOC had to remanufacture some tooling and dies when production began in 1975.

The supply of breech oilers also became a problem. Mr. Trast said AOC manufactured a few oilers, but “could not get it right.” The oilers manufactured were discarded. He does not remember purchasing any aftermarket oilers for use in the full auto guns but added this was a long time ago so anything is certainly possible. With no oilers available, a decision was made to delete this part altogether.

AOC refinished and sold GI drums at first. Supplies soon ran low and it became difficult to locate GI drums that were not too pitted and/or rusted and could be refinished into an acceptable product. AOC purchased and converted MGC drums to work in real guns. These first drums were named the XL drums, but the modifications only allowed for the loading of 39 rounds. AOC also used MGC drums for their .22 caliber Thompson by welding a .22 stick magazine inside the drum body.

A decision was made to manufacture new drums but it was almost two years before the new L (50 round) drums were on the market. This was a major effort for AOC that ran into many problems, especially with the rotor spring. AOC formed a new company for this venture, Valentine International. A decision to manufacture the C (100 round) drum came later. It was believed only 1,000 Colt era C drums were manufactured with each one being individually numbered. Mr. Trast believed AOC limited production to only 1,000 numbered C drums. As with the AOC L drum, the rotor spring became a big issue on the AOC C drum.

AOC manufactured the barrels for the Thompson guns in-house. Completed barrels were sent to a subcontractor to cut the fins and thread the ends of the barrels for the receiver and compensator. Mr. Trast remembered the early barrels with the large fins and sharp edges. AOC developed a tool to radius the sharp edges of the fins; this procedure was done in-house. As production continued, the later barrels were much nicer than AOC’s first efforts in this area. Mr. Trast does not remember if the front sight was manufactured in-house or by a subcontractor.

Mr. Trast recalled the purplish parts and how the bluing process was a problem for AOC. He believed the problem may have had something to do with impurities in the steel used to manufacture the parts. AOC always purchased high quality 4140 gun barrel steel but sometimes it came from outside the USA. He said it was a continual effort to properly color the parts.

The supply of bolts became an issue when the AOC M1 Thompson was introduced in 1985. As supplies of M1A1 GI bolts were exhausted, AOC subcontracted out the production of the M1A1 bolt.

As the interview came to an end Mr. Trast made a comment that will be of great interest to all WH owners. The “A” at the end of the serial number on the full auto Thompsons stood for “automatic.” Mr. Trast believes the ATF asked AOC to use this designation to easily differentiate the serial numbers of the full auto guns from the Thompson rifles.

Parts, Parts and More Parts

Actuator: This is a commonly found WH part with several known variations. Careful examination will reveal a casting line down the middle in many of them. Most WH actuators have what appear to be milled cavities in the side; however, later variations were machined from bar and are without these cavities. The cocking ball on the unrelieved WH actuators is actually a separate part and staked to the body of the actuator. This can be another dangerous part. One WH owner reported the cocking ball came off during firing and hit him in the head nearly requiring stitches (another excellent reason for everyone anywhere near a firing line to always wear shooting glasses). There are also differences noted in the knurling on the cocking balls; some are plain or without knurling. The WH actuator can cause functioning problems and bend or break during firing; it should be replaced with an original GI part.

Barrel: This is a commonly found WH part with several known variations. The fins on many of the early WH barrels are very sharp. Sharp edges and corners are characteristics of many WH parts. However, later production WH barrels can be found with radius fins. Most WH barrels are known to have head spacing or chamber issues. If all WH internal parts have been replaced with GI parts and functioning problems continue, a WH barrel may be the cause of the problem. Cosmetic issues aside, this part may be used if brought back into proper specification.

Bolt: As supplies of GI M1A1 bolts became exhausted, AOC subcontracted the manufacture of M1A1 bolts. WH bolts do not have a manufacturer code as found on the WWII GI bolts. The quality of the WH bolts has been reported as both good and bad. Given the large number of inexpensive GI M1 and M1A1 bolts now available on the market, this part is a good candidate for replacement. AOC did not manufacture bolts for the 1928 WH Thompson.

Breech Oiler: AOC used GI oilers until the supply was exhausted and then simply omitted this part with new production guns. AOC included a notification to this effect on many of the later WH Thompsons. Research has uncovered an inexpensive oiler that has been found is several WH Thompsons, including a new in the box WH Thompson purchased in 1981. It is very possible AOC purchased and used some aftermarket oilers at some point during the production run. Irrespective of how these oilers ended up in WH Thompson’s, this oiler type is a good candidate for replacement.

Buffer Pilot (Model of 1928 only): This is a commonly found WH part with three known variations. The two-piece WH buffer pilots must be replaced – see above. It is dangerous to use this part in a Thompson submachine gun. One of the two-piece WH pilots has the flange press fit on the rod; the other has a cut out in the flange that locks on to the rod. AOC did manufacture a one piece pilot; however, like most WH parts it is not manufactured to GI specifications and should be replaced.

If there is any doubt as to the buffer pilot being a one or two piece unit, replace the pilot with a GI part (that will be marked with “S” or “AOC” (at Bridgeport) on the flat part of the flange). Don’t take a chance with this part!

Butt Stock Slide Group (Model of 1928 only): When the inventory of steel GI stock slides ran out, AOC purchased from MGC an aluminum butt stock slide group. There are two variations of the MGC slide. MGC assemblies are not manufactured to the exterior dimensions of the GI or Colt assembly and are easy to identify because the top of the rear mounting screw is visible. MGC slides also have a separate catch button. AOC soon learned the MGC slide was not meeting expectations and began production of a GI style stock slide cast off aluminum (or a light weight alloy). As with the MGC slide, the fit of the WH stock slide to the lower frame is generally very loose and the painted finish is quickly worn off. While serviceable, aluminum stock slides are good candidates for replacement.

Compensator (Model of 1928 only): This is a commonly found WH part with two known variations. It is easily distinguished from the Colt and WWII counterparts. The only marking is the trademark Thompson Bullet Logo displayed on the top of the compensator in front of the slots. The slots are usually sharp. WH compensators were not pinned from the factory and usually installed with a good dose of adhesive (as were the barrels). This WH part is quite functional and generally only replaced because the owner prefers the look of an original GI part.

Drum magazines: Most WH L and C drum magazines need work to run properly. WH drums were bringing a premium price during the 10 year assault rifle and high capacity magazine ban; this has passed. Avoid these drums unless you factor in the cost of an overhaul. Lower cost alternatives now exist. WH drums are easy to identify because the center hub is solid. In addition to the L and C drums, AOC also marketed an XL and X drum.

Frame: These have sharp edges and are often found to be not manufactured to exact GI specifications. However, this part is normally serviceable and can often be brought into GI specifications. Frames were not serial numbered by AOC.

Grip Mount: Grip mounts used on WH guns include the following variations:

• GI milled (solid stock), 1/2 inch
• GI riveted, early (retaining stud is a separate part), 1/2 inch
• GI riveted, late (retaining and barrel rest studs are separate parts), 1/2 inch
• WH riveted, steel, 3/4 inch
• WH riveted, aluminum, 3/4 inch The 3/4 inch grip mount is the most commonly found. While most are serviceable for sporting use, the WH 3/4 inch aluminum parts are particularly prone to breakage. The milled steel (solid stock) grip mount is the best for every purpose.

Magazine Catch: This is a commonly found WH part with several known variations. Some have holes and a cast diamond pattern on the end; some have a dimple instead of a hole. Many are purple in color or have a purplish hue. This part can be a source of trouble and should be replaced with an original GI part.

Rear Sight (adjustable) (Model of 1928 only): The serviceability of the WH rear sight is not as good as the original Lyman. Various parts were used to make up sights, including the following combinations:

• Original Lyman sight assemblies
• Lyman bases with Enfield Leaf assemblies
• WH steel bases with Lyman leaf assemblies
• WH steel or light alloy bases with Enfield leaf assemblies
• WH steel or light alloy bases with WH leaf assemblies

Rocker Pivot (fire control lever) and Safety: These are commonly found WH parts. Careful examination will show a casting line down the middle. Most have a purplish hue. Functioning problems can occur if the pivot and safety move up and down while the Thompson is being fired. These parts should be replaced with original GI parts.

Sear, Sear lever and Trip: These are commonly found WH parts and can be a source of many functioning problems. Most have a purplish hue. These WH parts should be replaced with original GI parts.

Vertical fore grip & pistol grip: While WH wood is not known for its beauty, it is very serviceable and only replaced for cosmetic reasons – or if a change in the grip mount dictates a different size fore grip. Butt stocks and horizontal fore grips are normally new or refinished GI production. Vertical fore grips are AOC production and known for their flat or slab sides. The pistol grips can either be new or refinished GI or AOC slab side production. When the 3/4 inch grip mount was introduced, the GI horizontal fore grips were re-inletted for the wider part. There is a great deal of variation in the wood found on WH Thompson’s during the 11 year production run.

Epilogue

When compared to a Thompson manufactured to original ordnance or GI specifications, most everything about the WH Thompson can be problematic. However, they do run with some work and replacement of most of the WH parts. When WH Thompsons were in production, the vast quantities of original Thompson parts kits as found on the market today were not available.

Mr. Trast said if complete Thompson parts kits had been readily available from 1975 to 1986, it is quite likely AOC would have only manufactured the receiver and vertical fore grip. West Hurley’s are generally an entry level Thompson because of the lower price. Is it possible to take a WH Thompson and have it completely overhauled, refurbished and brought into proper specifications? Yes. And the end product will run perfectly and look just about as good as anything that came out of Hartford, Connecticut in the early 1920s.

(Author’s note: The story of West Hurley Thompson parts is a work in progress. This is the first attempt at trying to catalog all the different Thompson submachine gun parts manufactured and used by AOC in West Hurley, New York. The author encourages anyone who has seen, owns or knows about any different parts or part variations to contact him via Small Arms Review. Additional information may be compiled into an updated story in the future in an effort to make all of us more knowledgeable with the West Hurley Thompsons. This story would not have been possible without the support of all the great members of www.MachineGunBoards.com, many of whom are WH owners that replaced most of the parts you see pictured in this story.)

The Thompson submachine gun has been the subject of many stories since its introduction to the international military and police communities in 1921. There are many collectors of this fine weapon worldwide, some owning many of the different variations, most fortunate to own only one. There are also a lot of enthusiasts who do not own a Thompson, but still collect many of the accessories and paper items. As an accessory or paper collection grows in size, it is usually displayed or defined by a specific era of Thompson history. Of course, the Warner & Swasey era was first, followed by the Colt era and then the Maguire/World War II era. The Kilgore/Willis and Numrich Arms Company era are next, followed by the rebirth of the second Auto-Ordnance Corporation at West Hurley, New York. The current Thompson era is now Kahr Arms, located in Worchester, Massachusetts.

Paper items from the Colt era are very popular collectables and can be quite expensive. There are many items to collect given the Colt era lasted for nearly twenty years. Including advertisements, there is probably no one collection that has an example of every paper item produced during this time period. And the list is ever increasing; newly discovered items and what they represent make all collecting exciting. The subject of this story is a set of military manuals that can belong at the end of the Colt era or the beginning of the World War II era.

It all started on January 25, 1940 when the Royal Swedish army ordered 500 Thompson submachine guns for the Svenska Frivilligkåren SFK or the Swedish Voluntary Corps. The plan was to use the Thompson guns in Finland against the Russian army in what has become known as The Winter War. Delivery was made but the war ended before the guns could be issued. These 500 Thompson were then adopted by the Royal Army of Sweden in 1940 and designated Kulsprutepistol m/40 (submachine gun m/40). All 500 Thompson’s were of Colt manufacture and are the only Thompson submachine guns known to have been used by Sweden. (The full story of the Swedish Thompsons can be found in the May, 2009 issue of Small Arms Review.)

Auto-Ordnance 1940 Handbook

Collectors have known for many years that Auto-Ordnance Corporation (AOC) produced a 1940 Edition Handbook written in Swedish. These handbooks are quite rare and not often encountered. Most enthusiasts have never viewed the inside pages, only a picture of the cover. This handbook is almost non-existent in Sweden; enough so as to raise doubts the handbook was ever provided to the Royal Army of Sweden. Recently, a 1940 Swedish Handbook was found in Sweden bearing the name Erik Ahlberg, a former Swedish Army Officer. Military records reveal Erik Gunnar Ahlberg was born on November 18, 1908, was a book printer by trade, and served with a Swedish Landstormen infantry regiment during World War II. The Landstormen was a second line unit, much like the National Guard in the U.S. Ahlberg later received a reserve officer commission on January 1, 1956 and was promoted to the rank of captain with the Kungl. Södra Skånska Infanteriregementet (Royal Southern Scanian Infantry Regiment) I7. Captain Ahlberg recently passed away and the handbook was found while the family was disposing of his estate. It was actually discarded at first, but luckily someone thought to see if there may be any collector interest with this type of item.

Review of the handbook shows it is only 21 pages in length, less than half the size of the commonly found English 1940 AOC handbook. The literal English translation for the language on the cover is as follows:

UPPLAGA 1940
EDITION 1940
UPPGIFTER
DATA
om
on
THOMPSON
THOMPSON
KULSPRUTEPISTOL
SUBMACHINE GUN
MODELL 1928
MODEL 1928

Please take note of the 270 Broadway (New York) address; there are only a few AOC paper items with this address. The next address for AOC would be in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The Swedish AOC handbook appears to have been designed and printed very quickly. It is definitely not an exact Swedish translation of the commonly found English 1940 AOC handbook. The Swedish order was placed with AOC on January 25, 1940; the ship carrying the Thompson guns and accessories set sail on February 19, 1940. If the handbooks accompanied the guns and accessories, this left only a short time to design, write, proof, print and deliver the handbooks for shipment. The first indication the handbook was written quickly can be found on the front cover. The phase in the lower right hand corner, “Tryck i U.S.A.”, translates in English to: Print in U.S.A. The correct word or phrase should be Tryckt i U.S.A. – meaning Printed in U.S.A. The use of stock pictures from AOC handbooks and catalogs used prior to 1940 indicate it was most likely printed and distributed before the commonly found English Edition of 1940 Auto-Ordnance handbook was compiled. The schematic of the Thompson gun pictured at the front of the handbook is actually a Model of 1921 A Thompson with a vertical fore grip. This same schematic had been used by AOC since the first handbook was published in 1921. All known Swedish Thompson guns were Models of 1928 A (no compensator) with horizontal fore grips. There is no picture in the Swedish AOC handbook of this Thompson variation.

Pictures used in the English Edition of the 1940 AOC handbook would have been much better suited for the Swedish guns. For example, the schematic used in the 1940 English Handbook was changed to a 1928 model Thompson gun with a horizontal fore grip. It also included several pictures of Thompson guns with horizontal fore grips and no compensators – just like the version purchased by the Swedish government.

More evidence of a rush to complete the Swedish handbook involves the use of stock AOC pictures showcasing the 100-round or “C” drum. One picture is of a Thompson gun described as a Model of 1928 shown with a vertical fore grip and a 100-round drum; the other a display of a Thompson 100-round drum, 50 round drum and 20 round magazines. Again, these were older stock pictures used in prior AOC handbooks. Sweden did not purchase any 100-round drums with their order of 500 Model of 1928 A Thompson submachine guns. And Auto-Ordnance had long before officially discouraged the use of 100-round drums with the Model of 1928 Thompson gun.

The First Swedish Manual

After the Thompson gun was adopted by the Royal Army of Sweden, steps were taken in Sweden to prepare a manual for this American weapon. A stand alone 11 page Swedish manual was initially compiled, printed and distributed in 1941. Documentation at the KRIGSARKIVET or War Archives in Stockholm, Sweden, dated December 3, 1940 revealed the initial production run for this first manual was 2,000 copies. Only a few copies of this manual are known to survive today.

The literal English translation for the language on the cover is as follows:

BESKRIVNING
DESCRIPTION
över
over
11 mm Kulsprutepistol m/40
11 mm submachine gun m/40
[THOMPSON]
THOMPSON
[Beskr Ksppistol m/40]
Description of submachine gun m/40
1941 ÅRS UPPLAGA
1941 EDITION

This Swedish manual did update the AOC schematic to show the horizontal fore grip but interestingly, still used the Model of 1921 Thompson actuator and buffer assembly. It appears the schematic was taken directly from the Swedish AOC handbook referenced above, and slightly modified to feature the horizontal fore grip.

It is not unusual to find where past owners have personalized a military firearm handbook or manual with their name. Such is the case with this Swedish Army manual. A quick review shows the name “Ljtn Thisell” (Ljtn is short for Lieutenant) on the cover. Research revealed there was only one soldier named Thisell in the Swedish military, a Nils Erik Gregor Thisell. He was born on May 8, 1908 and served in the same Swedish Landstormen infantry regiment during World War II as Captain Ahlberg, above. Thisell and Ahlberg are not only connected in history by two very rare Thompson instruction manuals; military records reveal they were both appointed as Landstorm Second Lieutenants during World War II. And both received their reserve commissions with the Royal Southern Scanian Infantry Regiment I7 on the same day – January 1, 1956.

It is not surprising the featured AOC Handbook and Swedish Army manual are connected to two officers who served with a Swedish Landstormen infantry regiment. As Swedish production of the m/37-39 Suomi 9mm submachine gun increased during World War II, the 500 Thompson guns or m/40’s became surplus for the needs of the Swedish military and were re-issued to the Landstormen units.

Written on the front cover of Lieutenant Thisell’s manual is the statement “gäller 1/3 1960” – translation: “valid 1st. March 1960.” This passage indicates the instructions inside the manual, though issued in 1941, were still valid on that day. This begs the (unanswered) question about the Thompson gun or m/40 still being used by the Swedish military in some capacity in 1960. If the Thompson gun was not in use or at least in inventory for available use, why write this statement on the cover of an old army manual?

SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET

In 1941, information on the new submachine gun, Kulsprutepistol m/40, was included in the Swedish Army manual, SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET (Instructions to Soldier – Infantry). Much of the information on the m/40 or Thompson submachine gun, including two of the pictures, came directly from the initial 11 page Swedish Army manual, BESKRIVNING över 11 mm Kulsprutepistol m/40, referenced above. While not common, Swedish SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET manuals can be found in the U.S. and make a great addition to a Thompson paper collection. Just remember that detailed information on the m/40 or Thompson gun is only found in the 1941, 1942 and 1943 Infantry manuals.

The 1941 SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET manual was the first to include information on the Kulsprutepistol m/40. As the pictures of the manual covers show, there are three different variations of the 1941 manual: the initial or first edition, a second edition and a later third edition. The information on the Thompson or m/40 in all three 1941 editions is identical.

A new SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET was issued in 1942 that contained information on the Kpist m/40. There were two editions in 1942. Interestingly, the cover marking on the 1942 second edition is different than the 1941 second edition. Instead of using the word ANDRA (Swedish for second), a Roman Numeral II is used. The information on the Thompson or Kpist m/40 in both 1942 editions is identical.

A new SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET was issued in 1943. Only one edition is known to exist. The information on the Thompson or Kpist m/40 in the 1943 manual is identical to the 1942 manuals.

The information in the 1941 and 1942/1943 manuals is not exactly the same, but the minor variations are mostly linguistic. For example, in the 1941 manuals accessories are referenced as follows: “Tillbehör äro: reservdelsask med innehåll rem, gördel med väskor för reservdelsask, 4 stavmagasin och 1 trummagasin.” This translates to: Accessories are: spare parts box with contents, sling, belt with pouches for spare parts box, 4 stick mags and 1 drum mag.

In 1942 the wording was changed to: “Tillbehör äro: ask för reservdelar med innehåll, kulsprutepistolrem m/40, livrem med väska för 20-skottsmagasin och väska för 50-skottsmagasin, 4 st 20-skottsmagasin och 1 st 50-skottsmagasin.” This translates to: Accessories are: box for spare parts with contents, submachine gun sling m/40, belt with pouch for 20-rd mags and pouch for 50-rd mag, 4 pcs 20-rd mags and 1 pc 50-rd mag. While the language is not identical, there is really no substantive difference between any of the manuals – but collectors want every version.

The last SOLDATINSTRUKTION FÖR INFANTERIET manual was issued in 1944. It references the Kpist m/40 as one of three submachine guns in the Swedish Army, but states: “Not described here.” The same notation is used in this manual on many other weapons in Swedish army inventory that were procured in small numbers during World War II.

The picture of the Kpist m/40 in Thompson Model of 1928 A configuration from the infantry manuals is representative of all known Swedish Thompson submachine guns. While an original Model of 1928 Thompson without a compensator is not frequently seen in the United States, the 500 Colt Thompson’s shipped to Sweden indicate that this was indeed a variation that could be easily purchased from the Auto-Ordnance Corporation.

Epilogue

There is one more Swedish publication that contains a reference to the Kulsprutepistol m/40. The reference is only a picture, but the description showcases the international reputation of the Thompson gun, even during the middle of World War II. The publication is the MILITÄRKALENDERN 1943 or Military Calendar. One word in the caption on page 35 tells the world exactly what the Swedish military thought of this American submachine gun: “s. k. gangsterpistol” – translation: so called gangster gun. And who in this country would dispute that!

(The author wishes to acknowledge the great assistance provided to this story by Mr. Peter Soneson, an advanced collector and dealer of Swedish military armaments, Tingsryd, Sweden and Ms. Ann Gillberg, Librarian, Krigsarkivet, Stockholm, Sweden)

The Auto-Ordnance Corporation spent nearly twenty years trying to market the first production run of 15,000 Thompson submachine guns. Unfortunately, no one customer wanted enough of this new type of weapon at any one time to deplete the inventory. In 1939, two very important events transpired: the rumblings of another world war began in Europe and a new management team took over an almost failed Auto-Ordnance Corporation. The new president, J. Russell Maguire, had a fresh vision for Auto-Ordnance and the foresight to place the Thompson back in production – even before the old inventory of Thompson guns manufactured years ago by Colt’s Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company were sold. A deal was struck in December 1939 wherein the Savage Arms Company, Utica, New York, became the second subcontractor to manufacture the Thompson. The first Savage manufactured Thompsons rolled off the assembly line four months later for delivery to many new Auto-Ordnance customers.

When long time Thompson enthusiast Mike Wank first examined Savage Thompson submachine gun S-15043, he knew immediately the serial number was almost too good to be true. Serial number S-15043 was recorded on the ATF registration Form 4 and the numbers on the upper receiver and lower frame matched. Mike recognized something was probably amiss with this serial number; however, he purchased S-15043 because he found exactly what he wanted – a Tommy Gun at a good price.

No documentation has been uncovered that tells exactly what serial number Savage Arms used when Thompson production began. It is believed by many Thompson experts the serial numbering started exactly where the Colt manufactured Thompson’s stopped: No. 15041. To support this belief are documented Savage Model of 1928 Thompsons in the 15,000, 16,000 and 17,000 serial number ranges. The earliest production Savage Thompson known to exist is S-15651. Actually, it is the only Savage Thompson found by this author to exist in the 15,000 serial number range. As were many of the early Savage Thompsons, S-15651 was apparently sold to the British Purchasing Commission as evidenced by the British Broad Arrow markings on the left side of the receiver by the magazine well. The extreme need for guns by the British in early World War II may well explain why there are so few surviving examples of early Savage Thompsons. It is very likely many of these early guns were probably used until they could be used no more and discarded or simply just lost in battle.

If Savage started production at serial number S-15041, then S-15043 would be the third Savage Thompson manufactured. Could Mike have purchased the third Savage Thompson? And as a shooter!

Early production Savage Thompsons have a few characteristics that are quite different from the later production Savage Thompsons. The most common known difference is the New York, N.Y. U.S.A. address on the right side of the receiver. The great majority of Savage Thompsons have a Bridgeport, Connecticut U.S.A. address. Many Thompson enthusiasts have never seen a Savage Thompson with a New York address. The exact point where the address markings changed is unknown. Frank Iannamico’s excellent Thompson reference book, American Thunder II, places the address change somewhere between the 75,000 and 84,000 serial number ranges.

The second characteristic of early Savage production Thompsons is not so well known; it involves the patent markings on the right side of the receiver. Early Savage Thompsons have patent date markings that are identical to the markings on the late serial numbered Colt Thompsons. These are the patent date markings with the 1922 dates (identical to Colt Thompsons from serial No. 14500 to the end of the Colt production at No. 15040). The patent markings commonly found on the great majority of all Thompsons, including Savage Thompsons with a New York address, are patent numbers. As with the different addresses, above, it is also unknown at what point the patent date markings changed to the patent number markings. Research by the author has documented Savage Thompsons in the 25,000 and lower serial number ranges with the patent date markings; and documented Savage Thompsons in the 26,000 and higher serial number ranges with the patent number markings. Somewhere in between this range of serial numbers appears to be the change-over point – approximately 10,000 guns into production. However, this research was somewhat limited in scope because there are not a lot of very early Savage Thompsons to examine. As with all war time manufactured firearms, exceptions undoubtedly exist and will surface as research continues.

It is important to re-emphasize Savage receivers were still being marked with a New York address when the patent date markings changed to patent number markings. There are three known variations of address and patent markings on the Savage Thompson receiver:

• The very early first type Savage receiver marked with a New York address and patent date markings (seldom encountered).
• The second type Savage receiver marked with a New York address and patent number markings is the most commonly found Savage receiver with a New York address. The patent numbers were positioned in the same location as the patent dates.
• The third type (and most commonly encored) Savage receiver is marked with a Bridgeport address and patent number markings.

A quick inspection of Mike’s Thompson revealed a Bridgeport, Connecticut address and patent number markings and is definitely a late production Savage receiver. Careful examination of the serial number area revealed some handy work by an enterprising person or company.

The matching serial number on the lower frame of S-15043 looks to be original. There is a very slight misalignment of the numbers, but this is common on Savage lower frames. Most important, all the numbers on the lower frame are machine stamped and appear unchanged and unaltered.

Mike filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request on S-15043 to learn more about the history of this Savage Thompson with the unusual serial number. From the redacted documents provided by ATF, it can be determined S-15043 began life on the National Firearms Act (NFA) Registry via an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 2 (Return of Firearms Manufactured, Imported, or Received by Manufacturer, Importer, Dealer (Other Than Pawnbroker), and Pawnbroker, under Chapter 25, Subchapter B, Internal Revenue Code), dated December 1, 1951. This registration date explained the reason for the handy work on the receiver and also told the exact origin of this Thompson. December 1, 1951, is believed to be the date George Numrich of The Numrich Arms Company (NAC) registered approximately 95 class three weapons that were included in the Thompson assets purchased from Frederic A. Willis and three of his associates on October 23, 1951. The class three weapons involved in this sale included Thompson submachine guns, prototype Thompson guns, Birmingham Small Arms (BSA) submachine guns, a .30-06 machine gun and a sufficient quantity of parts to assemble complete Thompsons. The small number of Thompsons registered by Numrich Arms Company in 1951 has come to be known by many in the Thompson community as the “NAC” or the “crate” Thompsons – because the complete Thompson business was packed away in crates when purchased by George Numrich. Continuing research has revealed several other NAC Thompsons also began life on the NFA Registry on December 1, 1951, with a documented transfer from former Thompson owner Frederic A. Willis to Numrich Arms Company.

Fortunately, the buttstock of S-15043 retained a property tag of one of the previous owners, The Village of Liberty. Internet research revealed such a city in the State of New York, very close to Mamaroneck, New York, the location of the Numrich Arms Company in 1951. Review of the FOIA redacted IRS/ATF forms indicated S-15043 had not been owned by a governmental agency for many years. A call to the police department located a retired officer who was for many years in charge of the Village of Liberty Police Department Firearm Training Division: Lt. Doug Lindsley.

Doug Lindsley began his career at the Village of Liberty Police Department in early 1971; he retired with the rank of Lieutenant in June 1995. Three times a year he attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) firearms training at Camp Smith, New York, and also assisted as a firearms instructor for the FBI special agents. In 1979, he was invited to attend the FBI’s annual qualification, barbecue, and competition shoot at Camp Smith. The shoot lasted three days and when the smoke cleared, Doug had finished first, ahead of the 186 FBI agents and 44 different state agency officers. Unfortunately, he could not accept the first place award because the competition was only for the agents… but he did manage a big smile for a long time afterward. The Thompson was used in many different phases of training at Camp Smith, but this only lasted for a couple of years. Doug recalled the Bureau began phasing out submachine gun training and started emphasizing the use of shotguns for the many small towns and rural areas in the State of New York. There are no known photographs of S-15043 while it was at the police department or any record of it ever being fired in the line of duty.

S-15043 was at the department when Doug became a police officer. A 50-round drum and two 20-round magazines accompanied the gun. Some excellent detective work by Doug produced a copy of the original IRS Form 5 (Firearms) tax exempt transfer document. This form shows August 15, 1952, as the date of transfer for S-15043 between the Village of Liberty Police Department and Numrich Arms Company. It is signed by “George R. Numrich, Jr., Individual Owner, 505 Halstead Avenue, Mamaroneck, New York.”

Doug believed S-15043 was sold back to Numrich Arms in the early 1980s and the money used to purchase shotguns. He was half-right; obtaining shotguns for the Liberty Police Department was the reason S-15043 was sold. But the purchasing dealer was Selective Fire Limited, a well known Class Three dealer now located in Marietta, Georgia.

The police patch shown in this story was the official department patch when S-15043 was in service with the Village of Liberty Police Department. Doug believed this patch should always be with S-15043 and proudly provided it to Mike.

Is Mike’s Thompson the third production Thompson submachine gun manufactured by Savage Arms Company in 1940? Yes and no. The receiver was definitely not produced in the early months of 1940. It is a late production Savage receiver that was probably surplus or rejected for some unknown reason and then never needed because production changed in 1942 from the Model of 1928 Thompson to the Model M1 Thompson. However, the lower frame appears to be original and at one time part of the original Savage S-15043 Thompson. Interviews of several former owners indicated S-15043 may have been parkerized after it was sold by the Village of Liberty Police Department. It is not hard to imagine how the original third Thompson manufactured by Savage could have been used in early quality control type testing that ultimately may have led to the receiver being destroyed or discarded. There is no doubt the lower frame of S-15043 was retained by Savage Arms (and later by Auto-Ordnance Bridgeport) and ultimately made its way to the Numrich Arms Company when George Numrich purchased the Thompson in 1951.

Review of other known “NAC” Thompsons with Savage receivers show the same serial numbering handy work as S-15043. The reversed numeral three in the serial number is just another example of the rudimentary Numrich Arms Company early markings. Careful examination of the receiver revealed what may have been a “NAC” or “NU” (for Numrich?) marking below the Numrich Arms Company stamped serial number; this marking was probably removed when this Thompson was refinished. Numrich Arms Company had to mark the serial numbers on the Thompson receivers in 1951 before registration with the Internal Revenue Service or the government would assign a serial number. The lower frame of S-15043 was obviously found in among the many Thompson parts and mated with a Savage receiver. A decision to mark this Thompson with the serial number of the lower frame was made and a new “NAC Thompson” was born. What happened to the “first” Savage S-15043 will probably never be known; however, the lower frame of this third Savage Thompson continues to live on as part of this “NAC” or “crate” Thompson.

“The Gun That Made the Twenties Roar”

Many stories involving the Thompson have been written over the years. The first near complete historical publication was The Gun That Made The Twenties Roar by William J. Helmer, first published in 1969. Prior to this publication, most stories on the Thompson were only a rehash of old news and magazine articles – some accurate, some not. Mr. Helmer’s attention to detail from the beginnings of General Thompson’s dream in the early 1900s until the end of World War II is exceptional. However, instead of continuing his scholarly efforts, he chose to end the story with a brief summation about what happened after Maguire Industries, Inc. sold off the Thompson submachine gun.

In a few short paragraphs, Mr. Helmer told of a corporate re-organization where the once famous Auto-Ordnance Corporation was renamed as a division of Maguire Industries, Inc. and how later, the Thompson was transferred from Maguire Industries to Kilgore Manufacturing Company, then to Frederic A. Willis and finally to Numrich Arms Comapny.

According to Mr. Helmer’s footnotes, much of this information was provided by George Numrich, the last party in this series of transactions. Of course, it was all new information at the time so everyone was pleased just to learn how the Thompson actually made the move from Maguire to Numrich.

Until now, this is all that has been recorded about the Thompson during the last years at Maguire Industries. In 1945, the Thompson submachine gun at Maguire Industries was packed away in crates and lay dormant in a warehouse taking up space until an unexpected offer to purchase the Thompson in 1949 came from the Kilgore Manufacturing Company of Westerville, Ohio. Kilgore reportedly had no interest in the Thompson, but apparently thought a market existed for the Thompson in Egypt. Kilgore reportedly paid Maguire $385,000. The Kilgore deal with the Egyptians never materialized and Kilgore later sold off the Thompson without ever opening the crates.

Maguire Industries

Why Maguire Industries sold the Thompson can be resolved in one word: money. Russell Maguire was a very capable businessman who saw a great opportunity with the nearly defunct and broke Auto-Ordnance Corporation; a business entity that had been going nowhere for many years. With Maguire’s money, talent and hand picked management team, he turned this soon to be liquidated business into a great and profitable manufacturing empire. Maguire also had the foresight to look past the end of World War II and realize the Tommy Gun business was going to end. After all, under his watch, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation was responsible for the manufacture of over 1,750,000 Thompsons – all the world would need for many years to come. Actual production of the Thompson ended in February 1944. Maguire wisely packed away the Tommy Gun at the end of the war and diversified his business enterprise for the years ahead.

Unfortunately, the years after World War II were not very kind to Maguire Industries. Part of the reason may have been the loss of his Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer, Eugene Powers, who left Maguire Industries in June 1945. Powers had been with Maguire since the beginning of the Thompson venture; he was actively involved in the negotiations to purchase the Auto-Ordnance Corporation and the creation of the Thompson Automatic Arms Company. By 1949, Maguire Industries was having serious monetary losses. Powers came back to Maguire Industries in 1950, shortly after the sale of the Thompson, and returned the corporation to profitability.

Frederic A. Willis

The president of Kilgore in 1949 was Henry Watkins. In a short letter to Mr. Helmer in 1964, Mr. Watkins disclosed how Kilgore Manufacturing was introduced to the deal that led to the purchase of the Thompson from Maguire Industries by a man named Frederic Willis, a former Vice-President of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. Specific details of the actual deal brokered by Willis involving the sale of the Thompson between Maguire Industries and Kilgore Manufacturing are unknown.

The revelation that Frederic Willis actually brought the Thompson deal to Kilgore is very revealing. Willis was hired as a Vice-President of the Thompson Automatic Arms Corporation (TAAC) and its subsidiary, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation (AOC), by Russell Maguire in June 1940. Willis was a former Army officer and a veteran of the Mexican border service and the First World War. His first assignment was the arms expansion program at TAAC/AOC. Willis was quoted in a 1940 New York Times article as saying, “With current methods of warfare, the submachine gun is to modern military units what the blitzkrieg is to modern military tactics. It steps up tremendously the firepower of the individual soldier or unit.”

It appears Russell Maguire sought out one or more of his former executives in an attempt to sell the Thompson business. The bond between Maguire and Willis must have been very strong. During his tenure with Maguire Industries, Willis authored a book on the Thompson submachine gun, privately printed at least one copy, and presented it to Russell Maguire.

With Kilgore looking to expand its business line and Willis looking for a buyer of a product no longer needed by Maguire Industries, a deal was struck. Eugene Powers was not involved in the 1949 deal between Maguire and Kilgore, but he related to Mr. Helmer in a letter dated May 1, 1964, that, “The drawings, blueprints, dies and other assets strictly related to the submachine gun were sold, I believe, to Kilgore.”

George Numrich reported to Mr. Helmer that he had heard the deal between Maguire Industries and Kilgore “was transacted from start to finish in less than 48 hours.” Obviously, this could have only happened if Russell Maguire was directly involved in the sale.

The Kilgore Manufacturing Company

The Kilgore Manufacturing Company was started in 1912 by Joseph D. Kilgore in Homestead, Pennsylvania to manufacture small cast iron cap pistols and mechanical toys. In 1918, Kilgore moved its operation to Westerville, Ohio. At one time, Kilgore was the largest toy cap pistol maker in the United States. Kilgore expanded its product line in 1929 with the establishment of the International Flare-Signal Division in Tippecanoe City, Ohio. During World War II, Kilgore became very active in the manufacturing of munitions and pyrotechnic devices. The Westerville plant had a north and south side that was separated by a main highway. The north plant was engaged in the manufacture of toy guns and caps. The south plant was used to manufacture items for government sales, mainly pyrotechnic devices. Interviews of several former Kilgore employees disclosed that after World War II, Kilgore was searching for ways to supplement the toy line and expand its business operation.

The 1964 letter by Kilgore President Henry Watkins also told how Kilgore Manufacturing Company purchased “the tools for the Thompson submachine gun” from Maguire Industries. Watkins stated Kilgore made the purchase intending to sell the tools to manufacture the Thompson to a foreign country. Watkins did not reveal the foreign country or the reason the deal did not occur, but did state Kilgore “never actually manufactured any (new) submachine guns.” However, Kilgore did acquire in the sale, or assembled from parts after the sale, some complete Thompsons. Watkins told how Kilgore had “a license issued by a Federal agency” and actually sold “about a half dozen guns” before getting out of the machine gun business.

According to George Numrich, who later purchased the Thompson from Frederic Wallis, Kilgore reportedly paid Maguire Industries $385,000 for all rights and interest to the Thompson submachine gun. As this story unfolds, it will become quite apparent that Willis would have been a very informed party regarding each sale of the Thompson since it left Maguire Industries.

The Thompson at Kilgore Manufacturing was described by retired Kilgore VP Robert Long as a “hush hush venture” that was run out of the front office. According to Long, the rank and file employees at Kilgore knew nothing or very little about this project. Mr. Long had very little contact with the “machine gun outfit” at Kilgore; however, he does recall seeing a machine gun at the plant one day that had a drum attached underneath it in a building on the south side of the plant. The building was broken up into various rooms and the machine gun stuff was located in one of the rooms. Mr. Long remembered the building was not in use before the Thompson parts were moved into it; he also recalled the building was last used to make chemical igniters for flamethrowers.

Was Kilgore only purchasing the tools to manufacture the Thompson with the plan to sell these assets off to a foreign government? The search for answers involved many interviews with every former and retired Kilgore employee that could be located. Unfortunately, due to the passage of time, many have passed away. However, one employee knew exactly what the author was taking about when the interview topic referenced the Thompson. Interestingly, this employee, Bob Tillman, was never at the Kilgore plant in Westerville, but was hired by Kilgore after the Kilgore operation left Westerville, Ohio in 1961 and moved to Tennessee. While searching for something in an old file cabinet that had been moved down to Tennessee from the Westerville plant, Bob noticed an unusual sales brochure with a picture of a gun and the Kilgore logo. It was definitely not a cap gun, and not something Bob had ever seen associated with Kilgore. This brochure was rescued and set aside; shortly thereafter, the file cabinet and all remaining contents were discarded. The brochure tells a story by itself and also reveals another business venture contemplated by Kilgore management officials who purchased the Thompson. The brochure’s striking resemblance to older Thompson catalogs is uncanny. Without doubt, someone at Kilgore used an original Auto-Ordnance catalog as a guide for the design of the Kilgore Thompson sales brochure.

In 30 short years the Thompson motto had gone from General Thompson’s, “On the Side of Law and Order” to Kilgore’s, “Fire Power Is Peace Power” – an uncanny similarity in message. Kilgore apparently liked the use of slogans or motto’s for the products it produced. The motto for the well known Kilgore safety flare was, “Light your way for safety.”

Page 4 of the brochure referenced how Kilgore is a manufacturer of the Thompson submachine gun. It also advertises that spare parts “are available for immediate delivery” for all models of the Thompson. This is the only Kilgore brochure on the Thompson that has been located to date – and the only Thompson brochure found in the aforementioned file cabinet.

The H.P. White Laboratory

Careful reading of Mr. Helmer’s treatise on the Thompson did reveal a small clue about the happenings at Kilgore involving the Thompson. Hidden away in the footnote section is reference to an event that indicates the officials at Kilgore did not just purchase the Thompson to store or sell parts.

It appears someone at Kilgore opened some of the crated parts and found at least two Model 1923 Autorifles that were submitted to H.P. White Laboratory, Bel Air, Maryland, for testing purposes in 1949. Inquires at H.P. White revealed that Kilgore was a customer of H.P. White Laboratory in 1949. Not only did Kilgore submit the Model 1923 rifles for testing, Kilgore also hired H.P. White to design a firearms range. Additional reports were made by H.P. White for Kilgore on a “comparative evaluation of a 7.92×57 prototype military rifle to the 7.62 Russian Tokarev rifle” along with reports on the Garand rifle, the Johnson rifle, and the MP43. The reports were dated July 13, August 5, August 10, and August 30 – all in 1949. The reports were addressed to: Dan Robinson, Ordnance Engineer, Kilgore Manufacturing Company, Westerville, Ohio

Interestingly, no report was located involving the Thompson Autorifles dated June 18, 1949. All efforts to obtain copies or review the remaining reports at H.P. White have been unsuccessful.

The Thompson at Kilgore

Numerous interviews of former Kilgore employees resulted in very little information concerning the Thompson at Kilgore. However, this all changed with the interview of former Kilgore employee John Ruyan. John started working for Kilgore in 1947 or 1948 as a chemist. He was later placed in charge of the south side of the Kilgore plant in Westerville. John recalled that Kilgore bought out a corporation that owned the Thompson and had the parts shipped to the Westerville plant. He does not know the exact reasoning behind why Kilgore decided to purchase the Thompson, but he believes the company was trying to expand its product line and thought the Thompson would fit right in with the other ordnance work it was doing. At the time, Kilgore made explosives and flares for the US Army – but John never did see the connection between the explosives, flares and machine guns.

John recounted the following story about the Thompson at Kilgore: “The crates containing the Thompson parts were locked in a building on the south side of the Kilgore plant. The north side of the plant, separated by East Broadway in Westerville, manufactured the cap guns, caps, toys and later, plastic items. The south side of the plant manufactured flares and munitions and was where the government business was conducted. The building that stored the Thompson parts had bars on the windows and doors installed before the Thompson parts arrived, and only one person, the project manager, had the key. While at Westerville, Kilgore Manufacturing was a very secure plant with fences and guards. The officials at Kilgore would not have taken a risk of losing any guns or parts. I was only in the building that contained the Thompson parts two or three times. I do not recall the exact year or years all of this occurred, but I believe the 1949 to 1951 time frame would be about right. I was in the building one time to take measurements to build a manufacturing or production line for the manufacture of flamethrower igniters. I am pretty sure the Thompson Project Manager was a man named Dan Robinson. Dan would have been in his 40s or 50s during that time. Whenever anyone at the plant needed access to that building, they had to go get Dan and he would accompany them to the building, open the door and stay with them until they left. I always assumed the government was somehow involved with this project the way the Project Manager guarded the parts. The crates were about 4 or 5 foot long, about 1 foot wide and 2 foot deep. The crates were full of gun parts and the parts were labeled. I would guess the number of crates I saw containing Thompson parts was somewhere around twenty, maybe less. The crates were stacked around the floor beside tables in what appeared to be the set-up for a production line to assemble the guns. I do remember a crate or two actually on the tables but most crates were on the floor beside the tables. I am fairly certain no individual parts were actually on the tables when I was in the building. I have set up many production lines over the years and it was obvious to me the intent of the layout I saw was to assemble guns. The set-up and parts I observed was in this building for approximately a year, maybe less, before being moved to make space for other government projects. I do not know what happened to the crates of Thompson parts.”

When asked to tell what story he remembers most vividly about the Thompson at Kilgore, John replied, the Thompson parts “grew dust” – he does not know of any activity involving the Thompson parts at Kilgore. The building that housed the Thompson parts is still standing, as are many of the buildings from the old Kilgore Manufacturing plant. In the ensuing years, the building has been partitioned inside for several different small business endeavors. Two new additions have been added on to the building over the years – but the original building is still intact.

John was in the US Army during WWII and handled a Thompson with a side cocking knob. John thought the parts he saw were for a Thompson with a side cocking knob. He never saw a completed or assembled Thompson at the Kilgore plant.

All efforts to date to locate Dan Robinson or his family have been unsuccessful. Only a few of the former or retired Kilgore employees interviewed actually remember Robinson by name. Retired Vice-President Long believes Robinson was the employee that landed the munitions deal with Pakistan for Kilgore. These are the same munitions that exploded at a port in South Amboy, New Jersey on May 19, 1950, killing 31 people and injuring approximately 400 others. Dan Robinson is cited by name in a June 30, 1950, United States Coast Guard “Report of Investigation of the explosion at South Amboy, New Jersey 19 May 1950.” Robinson is introduced as the “Works Manager of the Kilgore Company” where he describes to government officials the specifications of the anti-tank and anti-personnel mines manufactured at the Kilgore plant.

The explosion at South Amboy Harbor had a profound effect on Kilgore Manufacturing and certainly could have changed any future plans Kilgore had involving the Thompson submachine gun. The explosion resulted in many years of protracted litigation for Kilgore, Hercules Powder and several other companies. The explosion had a major impact on the operation of the plant. At the time of the explosion, Kilgore was owned by the Commercial Credit Company. The potential losses faced by Kilgore as a result of the explosion caused a complete reorganization of Kilgore. In order to stay in business and preserve future assets from potential legal judgments, the Commercial Credit Company sold all the assets of the Kilgore Manufacturing Company to a new company, named Kilgore, Incorporated. Commercial Credit retained the liquid assets of Kilgore Inc. in escrow account to protect against the lawsuits then pending. When the lawsuits were later settled, the Kilgore Manufacturing Company was dissolved into the parent corporation, Kilgore Incorporated.

The Egyptian Thompson: Do They Exist?

In 1963, Mr. Thomas B. Nelson reported in his reference book, The World’s Submachine Guns, the existence of a submachine gun referred to as an Experimental Egyptian Thompson. This .45 ACP submachine gun was reported to have the following markings stamped on top of the receiver: Auto-Ordnance Corp., Bridgeport, Connecticut, Reg. in U.S. Patent Office. The Egyptian Thompson was reportedly made in Egypt in the early 1950s and is “very crudely manufactured.” Mr. Helmer also noted the existence of this Egyptian Thompson in his footnotes and understood the possible significance or link between this Thompson, Egypt and the Kilgore Manufacturing Company. Mr. Helmer believed this Egyptian Thompson could have possibly come from parts of one of the prototype guns designed by Auto-Ordnance Engineer William Hammond in 1942. Hammond was the designer of the Auto-Ordnance Model T2, a submachine gun with a tubular receiver that was designed to one day replace the Thompson. In a letter to Mr. Helmer dated August 10, 1967, retired Auto-Ordnance employee George Goll stated that he did not know anything about an Egypt submachine gun and added that “these guns could not have (been) made from any parts left over from Hammond Gun since there were only two Hammond Guns made.” George Goll was not involved with the Thompson at Kilgore.

The reported Auto-Ordnance receiver markings have led to much speculation over the years that this Egyptian Thompson was somehow involved in the reported deal between Kilgore and Egypt. The Egyptian Thompson is currently on display at the National Firearms Centre in England, previously known as the Ministry of Defense Pattern Room. Noted British firearms enthusiast and researcher John Cross agreed to examine this Egyptian Thompson and reported the following information: “This submachine gun is very crudely made. There are no markings or numbers of any sort on any part of the gun. The gun pictured in Mr. Nelson’s book is indeed the same gun as on display at the National Firearms Centre. There is no background information on this gun at the Centre. However, a careful study of the Register of Firearms at the Centre indicates the acquisition would have been in the 1956 timeframe, around the exact time of the Suez Campaign of 1956. (A joint British and French armed expeditionary campaign that returned the Suez Canal back to British and French control after it was Nationalized by the Egyptian government.) The buttstock appears to be sawed off from an Italian Carcano rifle and has a poorly fitted alloy No. 4 buttplate. The foresight is similar to the Thompson Model M1A1 but homemade, and the rear sight is taken from some old military rifle, possibly a Martini. There is no provision for semi-automatic fire. It contains only two Thompson parts, the magazine and barrel – which is screwed only hand tight into the receiver. The extractor and the front part of the reduced diameter of the bolt have been brazed on the rear section of the bolt and then badly case hardened in an open furnace. The firing pin is machined into the breech face of what could possibly be the front section of a M1A1 Thompson bolt. Interestingly, the main spring cap is the sawed off base of an EC 43 steel .45 caliber ACP casing. The main spring was either originally not long enough or had broken and had been brazed together. The bolt body consists of a rear section of several sections welded together. The pistol grip is a machined block with the grips made of several sections of 1.5mm steel welded together in the same style as a Lewis gun. Despite appearances, the magazine catch is not from a Thompson gun.”

John made the following comment in regard to test firing this weapon: “As I had not remembered to bring my suit of armour or safety glasses with 1 inch thick glass, no attempt was made to fire this weapon!”

The mystery of the so called Egyptian Thompson was finally solved. With none of the reported Auto-Ordnance Corporation markings and obvious small workshop-like manufacturing techniques and parts, it can be positively stated this weapon is not related to the possible deal that Kilgore Manufacturing may have been negotiating with the Egyptian government in 1949 and/or 1950.

The Willis Syndicate

Approximately 3 months after the South Amboy explosion, Frederic Willis and three associates purchased back from Kilgore the “tools” for manufacturing the Thompson. Approximately fourteen months later, Numrich purchased the Thompson assets from Willis and a group of investors Numrich referred to as the “syndicate.”

Currently, the identity of only one of Willis’ associates involved in the Thompson deal with Kilgore is known. This associate is Theodore Hayes, most often referred to as “Teddy” Hayes. What is not generally known is Teddy Hayes was hired by Russell Maguire in the spring of 1942 as a Vice President of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation in charge of sales to the War Department and U.S. allies. While with Auto-Ordnance and later Maguire Industries, Hayes was described in the Washington DC Times Herald as “a natural for the post he holds, and important portals throughout the nation’s capitol open to him without a knock.” Hayes’ office was not at the Bridgeport plant, but in the nation’s capitol. His address as Vice-President of Maguire Industries was 726 Jackson Place, diagonally located across the street from the White House.

All efforts to locate members of Frederic Willis’ immediate family and identify the other two associates involved with Willis and Hayes have been unsuccessful. Very little information involving Mr. Willis has surfaced since he left Auto-Ordnance. Unfortunately, the man that brought the Thompson deal to Kilgore and later purchased and then sold the Thompson passed away in 1967.

It is interesting to note Frederic Willis is listed as the seller on several (maybe all) of the Thompson submachine guns and receivers acquired by George Numrich in 1951. The Thompson Collectors News lists Thompson submachine gun, serial number NAC 5, as being acquired by Numrich Arms Company from Fred Willis on December 1, 1951. In Gordon Herigstad’s excellent reference book, Colt Thompson Serial Numbers, Thompsons with serial numbers NAC 2 and NAC 15 are also listed as being transferred to Numrich from Fred Willis.

The Numrich Arms Company

It was very puzzling how the great majority of former and retired Kilgore employees knew absolutely nothing about the Kilgore Thompson. One would have thought the delivery of a huge quantity of machine gun parts to a small town in Ohio would have been a noteworthy event. Could the twenty crates of parts remembered by Kilgore manager John Ruyan be all the Thompson assets – and for $385,000?

The answer to the location of the Thompson assets packed away in crates and stored in a warehouse by Maguire Industries may have been answered in a Numrich Arms Company undated brochure published in what appears to be the mid 1950s. The introductory paragraph tells the reader that the brochure is a “little booklet showing a few scenes of our West Hurley, N.Y. plant.” It then states, “No pictures of our Bridgeport, Conn. or Long Beach, Calif. warehouses are included since mostly cased goods are kept there.”

In a 1964 letter to Mr. Helmer, George Numrich stated the Willis syndicate held the Thompson assets in a warehouse that they “never went near” prior to the sale of the Thompson to his company. While not completely definitive, it is certainly noteworthy that Numrich also stored cased goods at a Bridgeport, Connecticut warehouse; the home of the former Auto-Ordnance Corporation and location where the Thompson was packed away and stored in crates by Maguire Industries in 1945.

An Internal Revenue Service Investigation

An Internal Revenue Service investigation was started as a result of Numrich Arms Company registering with the IRS Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division (ATTD) approximately 95 guns. A 1967 letter from the Director of the ATTD to Mr. Helmer revealed this investigation documented the Kilgore Manufacturing Company purchased from Maguire Industries in early 1949, “the equipment and inventory to manufacture the Thompson Submachine Gun.” Included in these assets from Maguire were “a number of assembled submachine guns and sufficient parts to assemble others.” Kilgore later sold these assets to Frederic Willis and three of his associates on August 7, 1950. According to George Numrich, Kilgore “had not renewed their license” when they sold the Thompson “package” to Willis. The transfer of these submachine guns and parts from Kilgore to Willis resulted in a taxable event according to US laws and regulations relating to the transfer of machine guns – and the IRS wanted the tax that was due and owing. Representatives of Kilgore held several conferences with ATTD and the tax liability was “settled on a fair and equitable basis.”

The ATTD investigation also included the sale of the Thompson assets by Willis to the Numrich Arms Company on October 23, 1951. Willis was found not to be a qualified dealer or manufacturer under the National Firearms Act, hence the resulting assessment of transfer taxes against “Willis and his three associates” in what the ATTD termed a “business venture.” The investigation goes on to say that after a complete review of all the facts, the tax liability against Willis and his three associates was “compromised in an appropriate manner.” George Numrich later informed Mr. Helmer that he believed Kilgore paid $15,000 in taxes. Numrich also heard the Willis “syndicate” was trying to settle with the IRS for $300.

It is now very clear why Kilgore was assessed the transfer tax. Kilgore had definitely opened at least some of the crates, understood the need for federal licensing to manufacture and sell National Firearms Act weapons and sold at least a half dozen submachine guns. In addition, a quick review of the Kilgore brochure explains why the officials at Kilgore could not claim they did not contemplate a plan to manufacture and market the Thompson in the United States. Additional information on the Thompson guns sold by Kilgore or what happened to the Thompson parts at the Kilgore plant is still a mystery.

Kilgore Today

Kilgore, Inc. relocated from Westerville, Ohio to Tennessee in 1961. Around the time of the move, Kilgore merged with another company owned by the Commercial Credit Company – the Harvell Corporation. At the time, Harvell was well known for its houseware products. Two plants were initially opened, one in Bolivar, TN and one in Toone, TN. The plant in Bolivar manufactured toy cap pistols and houseware products, the plant in Toone manufactured caps and military pyrotechnics. The name Kilgore, Inc. was changed to Harvell-Kilgore Corporation. In 1963, Commercial Credit sold the Harvell-Kilgore Corporation to the American Snuff Company of Memphis, TN. American Snuff later became the Conwood Corporation. Because of declining sales, Conwood later ceased production of houseware products and dropped the name Harvell from the corporate name. In 1981, Allegany International purchased the Kilgore Corporation. Around 1985, Kilgore stopped the production of cap guns. In 1991, the production of caps ended when the cap making machines were sold to a company in New York. The Kilgore Corporation was acquired in 2001 by a British company and is now known as Kilgore Flares LLC, a member of the Chemring Group. Kilgore has been involved in many ventures throughout its history, but two areas, toy cap pistols and pyrotechnics have always been the mainstay of the business. Today, the toys and caps are no more, but Kilgore Flares is a known leader throughout the world in the development and production of airborne expendable countermeasure decoy flares.

The Kilgore Tommy Guns

Kilgore did produce a toy Thompson while located in Tennessee. It was part of a toy set known as the “Special Agent Playset.” This toy first appeared in the 1973 Kilgore Toy Catalog.

The Special Agent Playset was featured in Kilgore Catalogs until 1977 or 1978. In 1979, a new Playset, “Tactical Assault Command Squad,” was featured with a similar Tommy Gun. This Playset was also included in the 1980 Kilgore toy catalog.

Tim Goss, a prominent Kilgore collector from Westerville, Ohio, reported all the Tommy Gun Playsets, along with the individual toy guns and accessories contained in the Playsets, are quite scarce today.

The End of the Kilgore Story

Unfortunately, the end of the Kilgore story is far from complete. Given the passage of time it is going to be very difficult to obtain additional first hand information from the parties involved at Kilgore. Many parties interviewed for this story were in their 80s and 90s. Additional documentary evidence will certainly surface in the future, much like the information in this article that came to light. However, one issue that can now be laid to rest is what Kilgore planned to do with the Thompson business. Kilgore was (and always has been) a manufacturing company. The Kilgore brochure clearly shows Kilgore planned to be a manufacturer of the Thompson submachine gun. Of course, the manufacturing of the M1A1 Thompson by Kilgore did not take place – other than the possible assembly from parts of a few guns. The IRS investigation and other sources cited above, established that Kilgore purchased the Thompson from Maguire Industries and firmly established ownership of the Thompson for Kilgore Manufacturing, the Willis group and the Numrich Arms Company.