Thompson Model 1928A1

adjustable rear sight, ribbed barrel, Cutts compensator fitted, horizontal foregrip, sling swivel on top of butt, foregrip shows signs of having had extra sling swivel fitted to left side, firing pin cut

The Thompson submachine-gun was developed as a result of efforts by retired US General, John T Thompson to produce a lightweight automatic rifle. Thompson wished to exploit a locking mechanism for firearms patented by John B Blish. This invention employed a sliding wedge in the bolt of the weapon to exploit the 'metallic adhesion' of certain metals under high pressure, retarding the rearward motion of the bolt until pressure in the barrel had dropped to a safe level. Thompson's plans to build rifles never came to fruition, but an adaptation of the system to produce a 'Submachine-gun' (the name was apparently coined by Thompson himself) firing .45 inch pistol cartridges was more successful. The early production (by Colt, under license from Thompson's Auto Ordnance Corporation) and marketing of the Thompson met with many difficulties, although it gained notoriety during the 1920s through its use by law enforcement agencies and gangsters. With a new European war looming, the failing Auto Ordnance Corporation was acquired by Russell Maguire, who arranged for production to be undertaken by the Savage Arms Corporation. Thus, from 1939 the Thompson was available to meet urgent demands by both the British and, later, the US and armed forces for submachine-guns. By 1941 demand was such that Auto Ordnance began production itself, in parallel with Savage. However, the gun was expensive to produce and, after being produced in simplified form, was superseded by more modern designs. This example, built by the Savage Arms Corporation, was supplied to Britain by the US Government under the Lend Lease agreement.

1. US MODEL OF 1928A1 2. THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN CALIBRE .45 AUTOMATIC CARTRIDGE 3. AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION BRIDGEPORT, CONNETCTICUT, U.S.A. 4. Thompson "bullet" trade mark 5. British acceptance mark