"Creates Of Brand New Thompsons"

[browningautorifle]

a couple of cases of ammo and some fresh mags

Thing I didn't see was for sure were they the 7.62x25 or .45ACP? I think the M1 had no special mag housing attachment like they made so they didn't touch them after lend lease. Honestly, here I don't know where I would even store two CASES of them. Just a couple and mags...one each, 28A1 and M1...and a truck load of ammo. I'd love to see the case lot markings on the ammo.

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[fjruple]

Thing I didn't see was for sure were they the 7.62x25 or .45ACP? I think the M1 had no special mag housing attachment like they made so they didn't touch them after lend lease. Honestly, here I don't know where I would even store two CASES of them. Just a couple and mags...one each, 28A1 and M1...and a truck load of ammo. I'd love to see the case lot markings on the ammo.

Jim-- I believe the 7.62x25 conversion was done by the PRC who also never threw any firearms away. These Thompsons were part of the associated equipment for the Sherman and other tanks that were provided under lease to Russia. I believe some were given to the Russian Navy but most were placed into storage and long forgotten until recently. The Russian military did not want to have to deal with another caliber in their supply chain. The US provided 4,065 Shermans to Russia. It is alleged that the NKVD had M1921 Thompsons shipped to them via Mexico pre-war. Imagine finding them in the cases!

Additional Information: It seems over 137,000 Thompsons were shipped to Russia which represents 8% of the total war production of Thompson shipped to Russia. God only knows how many ended up at the bottom of the North Atlantic due to U-boat activity.

[browningautorifle]

I believe the 7.62x25 conversion was done by the PRC who also never threw any firearms away.

Right, that makes sense. When they surfaced here they had mags accompanying. They also had the housing installed and held by a screw I think.

These Thompsons were part of the associated equipment for the Sherman and other tanks that were provided under lease to Russia

And that EIS was sold some time back as a huge discovery of original equipment.

It is alleged that the NKVD had M1921 Thompsons shipped to them

Love to see some of those too.

[old tanker]

Looking like a scene from the Humphrey Bogart movie, "Sahara" an M3 crew in training on Fort Knox during the summer of 1940. M1917 revolvers and M1928A1 Thompson. The Lee had a seven man crew. Commander, 37mm gunner, 37mm loader, 75mm gunner, 75mm loader, driver, and radio operator.