Banned
I've never used a weapon that fires from the open bolt and just by testing it empty I simply can't imagine one could hit a barn door with it.
It jolts so violently and sights are better suited for aiming a camera than a gun.
But then again, if you're not really supposed to hit your target, why bother aiming.
Ah! ….Well! ……..You’ll come to love “Open Bolt” weapons!
First of all, there’s the safety factor. If the bolt is down, you KNOW the chamber is empty!
Secondly, there is NEVER any chance of a chambered round “cooking off” in a hot barrel. ……And make no mistake! The “cook-off” is a bigger worry on the range than it is in combat!! Civilian amateurs, with all their enthusiasm, seem to specialize in over-heating barrels.
….And finally, there is NEVER any real chance of a misfire due to a “light” primer hit!!
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how controllable the old M1A1 is. With all of it’s nice, heavy, wooden “furniture”, and it’s all-machined receiver, it is something of a heavyweight in the world of SMGs. It’s mass, coupled with it’s nice, conservative 750 RPM rate of fire makes it a “sweet” shooter!
Forget about the sights: …..They’re there to keep the top of the gun from looking naked! Once you have a little bit of practice under your belt, you will find that your natural “hand-eye” coordination will allow you to “properly” engage a standard silhouette target all the way out to 100 meters. On the outdoor range, I never burned a 20 round magazine without putting at least six rounds on a standard police silhouette target at 100 yards. It’s just a matter of a little bit of practice.
One nice thing about the Thompsons is that they are usually pretty willing to burn lead bullet reloads: ……And at the cost of factory ammo these days, you’ll come to appreciate that in a hurry!!
If the Thompson had any drawbacks, they were all related to the .45 ACP round. While this round was an EXCELLENT short range “man-stopper”, it’s “rainbow” trajectory made hits beyond 150 meters somewhat problematic. ….Also, with a muzzle velocity in the 900 FPS range, the .45 ACP didn’t produce the sort of penetration that hot, steel jacketed 9mm rounds or the Russian 7.62mm round produced: ……A significant consideration for certain military applications.
klcarroll
Senior Member
Ahhh.....this is what I was waiting for.
A good spicy first hand experience.
Though I was aware of drawbacks in last paragraph, (that's why Russians never liked Thompsons that came in lend-lease agreement) the "cooking off" part is new to me.
After spending the night searching the Internet for serial numbers, I couldn't find anything usefull.
There was a guy who wrote 1200 page book containing serial numbers.
Jolly good effort I say, but the book costs more than half the price I paid for the gun and besides is sold out.
Interesting is that my particular model doesn't sport "Property of U.S. Government" stamp at the back.
I have to research that aspect a little further, as it might turn out it was a lend-lease weapon, which is fine with me.
Regarding the handling I'm pleasantly surprised by your experience and I'm really looking forward for my first "open bolt" experience.
I have one more question.
The dealer is getting a batch of StGW 44's shortly and I'm determined to get my hands on one of those, but I heard that there is a big problem in getting "7.92 kurtz" ammo for those.
Is there a simmilar problem in U.S.?
Senior Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Celeon has a deactivated K98k.
In Germany, there are two deactivation standards. The older and the new one that replaced it.
Both variants are legal so you can also own a old deactivated weapon.
Old deactivation means
- at least three holes drilled into the barrel (usually in a spot that is covered by the handguard so you dont see them)
- a filed off bolt (in a standardised angle) so that it cannot hold or properly transport a round anymore
New deactivation means (like my K98k)
- The bolt stays unmodified
- Instead a metal rod is inserted (welded) into chamber so that no round can fit in anymore
- Plus the usual three holes in the barrel
Senior Member
Banned
@Messervy;
7.92mm Kurtz is something of a problem. The going rate here in the U.S. is something like $1.00/round. (See http://www.gadcustomcartridges.com)
Some twenty years ago, I loaded a bunch of this for another NFA dealer. It involved cutting down, reforming, and then neck reaming regular 8x57 brass.
If push comes to shove, you can always go that route; …..But that assumes that you’re willing to get into SERIOUS reloading! (……And it virtually guarantees that you will be down on your hands and knees looking for every last piece of “brass”!!)
@Liddabit;
You asked; “What does reactivated and all that mean with war trophies?”
In the U.S., there is an exclusionary category of weapons known as “Deactivated War Trophies”.
This category was created to allow collectors and returning veterans keep “War Trophies” without having to register them as automatic weapons.
In order to qualify, the weapon in question had to be rendered “non-firing” by a licensed gunsmith who was qualified to file the proper Federal paperwork.
In the “Old Days”, all that was required was a plug welded into the barrel. (Easily reversed by fitting a new barrel!)
These days, the required work is much more involved, and usually requires that the receiver be rendered non-functional.
The fact that Messervy’s M1A1 still has a movable bolt tends to indicate that it was “de-activated” under the rules of “The Old Days”; ……And that it can probably be restored to operational status without spending a fortune.
klcarroll
Senior Member
...and whose it is, if I may ask?