1928 Thompson SMG British Chests

can14

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How many collector's have the British 1928 Thompson SMG Chests with the guns? There was a time when they almost always came with the guns. When they were serviced in the UK for storage, they were put in Chests with the accessories, drums, magazines, spare parts and cleaning equipment
 
How many collector's have the British 1928 Thompson SMG Chests with the guns? There was a time when they almost always came with the guns. When they were serviced in the UK for storage, they were put in Chests with the accessories, drums, magazines, spare parts and cleaning equipment
I missed out on one (with gun, drums, mags etc) locally last year. I still don't sleep nights because of it.
 
Some of the early guns have viewer's marks on, or the W-inside-crown mark that you find on some Colts around the same time.
The individual transit chests were discontinued when Thompsons were deemed to be personal weapons rather than unit weapons.

The total number of chests procured (in various batches) were:-

Nichols & James 24,601 (including 48 contract overruns which the Ministry took anyway)
Harris Lebus 17,000
Educational Supply Association 16,400
made in India (unknown maker) 5000

for a total of 63,051.
 
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Some of the early ones have viewer's marks on, or the W-inside-crown mark that you find on some Colts around the same time.
The individual transit chests were discontinued when Thompsons were deemed to be personal weapons rather than unit weapons.

The totals (in various batches) are:-

Nichols & James 24,601 (including 48 contract overruns which the Ministry took anyway)
Harris Lebus 17,000
Educational Supply Association 16,400
made in India (unknown maker) 5000

for a total of 63,051.

Does this apply to just the chests or the SMGs themselves?
 
The majority of the guns are low number savage S-123456 or AO-123456 guns They usually have a lot of or all Colt contract blue parts on Savage or Auto-Ordnance
receivers. A lot of the commonwealth guns moved the butt sling swivel to the top or had the top and bottom swivel. Canada ordered model 1928's for use in Canada first and then overseas.
Halifax PD had one of these early Savage Contract guns in the box, maybe because they were the overseas shipping and receiving point to Europe.
 
Randy, I have an original that I obtained a couple of years ago and I also bought a copy built by a chap down in Iowa. The original has been painted several times in the last seventy plus years and has no markings left to show where it may have been. It remains in very good condition. The copy is excellent with only a few issues which wouldn't be obvious if you didn't have the original to compare it with.

Kirk1701 - I have seen a picture of a Thompson butt stock with a "C broad arrow" stamped on it but have not seen a gun with that stamped in the metal. Many of the early guns that came up here were from the British contracts and have a British broad arrow on them. I know a collector in Toronto that recently obtained a "Canadian" marked gun but don't know if it was on the wood or the metal. I'll have to give him a call.
 
Canadian and British guns were mostly Savage Commercial Model of 1928's until Lend Lease started after 1941. Then Auto Ordnance joined Savage and produced Thompsons
for the US and US Lend Lease. These were marked US Model of 1928 or US Model of 1928A1. Commonwealth contract guns were still being made at the same time as the US
contract. They were still marked Model of 1928.
Colt Model of 1921 and 1928 were also sent from Colt inventory.
 
Anyone have original Police 1921/1928 carrying cases. When Ira Trast of Numrich Arms began making new Auto-Ordnance Model of 1928's in the early 1970's using new upper
and lower receivers and military surplus 1928 parts. He contracted a supplier to make copies of these 1930's Police and FBI carrying case again for the new 28's. You had to
buy direct from the supplier at the time. Police bought some of these guns, used them and wanted cases. I have some of these also. They made them as required until the
1927A1 rifles were made. Allen Lever sold these rifles with 19/20 inch barrels. Cases were made for these.
 
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