Thompson 100 Round Drum, Pictures Added

albayo

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I received a call from a lady the other day, her husband died years ago and he was into guns. She said she had a Thompsom drum magazine but wasn't sure if it was real or a fake. She got my name from a friend, so she asked if I would look at.

The measurements she gave me are 9" wide and 1 1/2" thick, and quite heavy.
She read the stamping on the mag and this is the info she gave me.

MAGAZINE TYPE C, THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN, 100 CARTRIDGES CAL. 45
WIND TO 15 CLICKS.

She described a bullet shape emblem with "Trademark" on the top and "Thompson" inside.


Did they make fake drums mags for replica Thompsons that were floating around in the 70's and 80's or is this the real deal?

I won't be able to go and see it for a few days so I thought I would ask for opinions from the guys who have hands on experience with Thompsons drums.
I have only had experience with stick mags and very little with drum mags.
 
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That's why they were not very popular with the military.

Put that onto an already-heavy 21, add on a sling and you have something close to 18 pounds.

Best use ever of the Type C drum was in the photograph of Winston. Jerry liked the picture so much he did a poster of it: "Der Gangster!"
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Where can I find info on mag exemptions including the C mags?
http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php?t=137786

Here is a cut and paste of the mag exemptions:
(2) Paragraph (1)(a) does not include any cartridge magazine that

(a) was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm that

(i) is chambered for, or designed to use, rimfire cartridges,

(ii) is a rifle of the type commonly known as the “Lee Enfield” rifle, where the magazine is capable of containing not more than 10 cartridges of the type for which the magazine was originally designed, or

(iii) is commonly known as the U.S. Rifle M1 (Garand) including the Beretta M1 Garand rifle, the Breda M1 Garand rifle and the Springfield Armoury M1 Garand rifle;

(b) is not a reproduction and was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm that

(i) is commonly known as the Charlton Rifle,

(ii) is commonly known as the Farquhar-Hill Rifle, or

(iii) is commonly known as the Huot Automatic Rifle;

(c) is of the “drum” type, is not a reproduction and was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm commonly known as

(i) the .303 in. Lewis Mark 1 machine-gun, or any variant or modified version of it, including the Lewis Mark 1*, Mark 2, Mark 2*, Mark 3, Mark 4, Lewis SS and .30 in. Savage-Lewis,

(ii) the .303 in. Vickers Mark 1 machine-gun, or any variant or modified version of it, including the Mark 1*, Mark 2, Mark 2*, Mark 3, Mark 4, Mark 4B, Mark 5, Mark 6, Mark 6* and Mark 7, or

(iii) the Bren Light machine-gun, or any variant or modified version of it, including the Mark 1, Mark 2, Mark 2/1, Mark 3 and Mark 4;

(d) is of the “metallic-strip” type, is not a reproduction and was originally designed or manufactured for use in conjunction with the firearm known as the Hotchkiss machine-gun, Model 1895 or Model 1897, or any variant or modified version of it, including the Hotchkiss machine-gun, Model 1900, Model 1909, Model 1914 and Model 1917, and the Hotchkiss machine-gun (Enfield), Number 2, Mark 1 and Mark 1*;

(e) is of the “saddle-drum” type (doppeltrommel or satteltrommel), is not a reproduction and was originally designed or manufactured for use in the automatic firearms known as the MG-13, MG-15, MG-17, MG-34, T6-200 or T6-220, or any variant or modified version of it; or

(f) is of the “belt” type consisting of a fabric or metal belt, is not a reproduction and was originally designed or manufactured for the purpose of feeding cartridges into a automatic firearm of a type that was in existence before 1945.

(3) Paragraph (1)(b) does not include any cartridge magazine that

(a) is of the “snail-drum” type (schneckentrommel) that was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm that is a handgun known as the Parabellum-Pistol, System Borchardt-Luger, Model 1900, or “Luger”, or any variant or modified version of it, including the Model 1902, Model 1904 (Marine), Model 1904/06 (Marine), Model 1904/08 (Marine), Model 1906, Model 1908 and Model 1908 (Artillery) pistols;

(b) was originally designed or manufactured for use in a firearm that is a semi-automatic handgun, where the magazine was manufactured before 1910;

(c) was originally designed or manufactured as an integral part of the firearm known as the Mauser Selbstladepistole C/96 (“broomhandle”), or any variant or modified version of it, including the Model 1895, Model 1896, Model 1902, Model 1905, Model 1912, Model 1915, Model 1930, Model 1931, M711 and M712; or

(d) was originally designed or manufactured for use in the semi-automatic firearm that is a handgun known as the Webley and Scott Self-Loading Pistol, Model 1912 or Model 1915.

Note that there is not "Thompson" anywhere in there, nor are there any general exemptions for drum mags; just for belts and pre-1910 handgun mags.
 
Hmmn, now I have to go talk to my "thompson collector" friend....

Thinking the drum mag is exempt is a common mistake and I have seen it before. This is what happens when you have commons committees writing laws and regulations. At least whatever group did make the presentation to the committee got some of the exemptions. Mind you they do little good now with the door closed to shooting 12X guns.

I might be straying a bit off the topic when I say that this kind of shows the difference between being politically involved (proactive) vs being reactive and trying to deal with this stuff in court. Here a group managed to accomplish something with a short presentation. When the 12X shooting ban crap happened, it seems like we were ignoring the political process and instead trying to defeat the existing laws in court. Lots of cost, and usually with little result in our favor.
 
I went over to the ladies home and took pictures of the 100 round Drum Mag.
It weighs close to 5 lbs empty, it must weigh another 10 to 15 lbs loaded. It looks like the real thing. Its a good thing I brought a book on Thompsons along I wasn't sure how to open it up. We didn't assemble it again, she put it away after I left.
How would you alter it to 5 rounds?


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That's a "newly" manufactured West Hurley/Auto Ord drum. Manufactured probably in the late 80s, early 90s. Value at that time, NIB $350ish. They had "issues" fully loaded. At 5 rounds it'll work.
 
West Hurley 100 Round Drum

It's definately the 1980's West Hurley version. I suppose these could be pawned off to the unweary as original (they even put a serial number on them) but I doubt a serious Thompson collector would think it was original. How heavy is it when loaded .... it's damn heavy! When you think of the original concept of clearing an enemy trench it would have been deadly. The L drum is petit in comparison. These "Westie" drums had problems but can be made to run well ... just not here in Canada. I think the "best" Thompson magazine for shooting is (was) the ### stick mag (well when you could shoot 'em). Making it five round legal ..... major surgery.
I can't imagine toting a Thompson around with a C drum for very long. Never fired one with the C drum but that may change next August in Ohio. "In the day" the neatest thing about a L drum dump was realizing that none of the brass had hit the ground before the gun was empty. Sort of "rat-a-tat-tat" then "tinkle", "tinkle", "tinkle".
 
I believe I still have the "Instructions" that your JBST's mailed me so that I could bring all three of my NY "C" drums into compliance.....like to borrow them?
** THe photo of Sir Winston with his 1928 with the finger forend shows an "L" drum; not a "C".
 
On the topic of Thompsons. The dream of every kid like myself who grew up in the sixties and had lots of plastic toy ones. Anyone remember the scene in "The Road to Perdition" when the son peaks through the window as his father unleases the Thompson and the all you can see are is feet and the brass falling everywhere.:wave:
 
Is the Aug a prohibited or what. I see similar items for sale ?
Also some one selling a manufactured 10 rd AR mag- they say its legal, cause u can't alter it to more rds?
 
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