Arms, Armor and Militaria

.45 ACP. 12" barrel length with Cutts Compensator. SN: S-371762. Blued metal finish overall with finned barrel mounting walnut furniture consisting of a detachable buttstock, pistol grip, and horizontal forend. Blowback operated open-bolt submachine gun fed by detachable box or drum magazines. The S-prefix serial number indicates this firearm was manufactured by Savage Arms Corporation. An S stamp indicating Savage manufacture can be observed on the rear face of the forend, on the spring guide, and on the rear bolt. The bronze Blish lock displays the standard "UP" with arrows marking, and the A.O.C. initials indicating it was produced by Auto Ordnance. The lower receiver displays the S prefix serial indicating savage manufacture, with a non matching serial number 176359. The left receiver is marked U.S. MODEL OF 1928A1 near the ejection port and THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN/CALIBRE .45 AUTOMATIC CARTRIDGE. An {Ordnance Bomb} marking appears on the left receiver opposite the ejection port followed by the circled GEG initials of George E. Goll, an employee of Auto Ordnance Corporation who served as the civilian inspector at the Savage Arms Corporation. Right receiver shows the standard eight-line patent marking followed by AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION/BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, U.S.A. Item further displays the Thompson trade mark on top of the receiver and mounts the adjustable Lyman rear sight marked MADE BY "LYMAN" MIDDLEFIELD, CONN. U.S.A. The submachine gun mounts a compensator showing the {Cutts logo} surrounded by patent data, in addition to the Thompson trade mark and the marking AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION. Item comes with no magazines, and mounts a replacement hammer of modern manufacture. Buttstock compartment contains a Japanned brass oiler with the stop marked MADE/IN U.S.A.

Originally devised by Colonel John Taliaferro Thompson as the perfect weapon for trench raiders in World War I, the Thompson Submachine Gun failed to attract the interest of the US Army until the mid 1930s. Though the early Model of 1921 had received favorable results in testing by the US Army and Marine Corps, these tests failed to result in the substantial orders that Thompson, and Auto Ordnance Corporation had been hoping for. The United States Navy was the first branch of the American military to purchase the weapon, but requested that the rate of fire be reduced from approximately 800 rounds per minute to 600, along with Cutts compensators and a horizontal handguard. This resulted in the Model of 1928. Little further interest materialized until the United States Cavalry began searching for an appropriate weapon to equip armored vehicle crews. In March of 1932, the US Army adopted the weapon as "non-essential limited procurement," a situation that did not change until September of 1938, with the situation in Europe rapidly deteriorating. Finally, the weapon was adopted as "Standard" and given the designation Submachine Gun, Caliber .45, Model of 1928A1.

Thompson submachine guns of this pattern were provided to the United Kingdom and USSR via the "Lend-Lease" program, and saw service with the United States Marine Corps in particular during the brutal fighting in the Pacific. Though officially withdrawn from service in 1945, Thompson submachine guns would continue to appear in conflict zones throughout the world, including the ongoing War in Ukraine.