20 round sticks

Drydock · October 05, 2015, 07:47:55 PM

http://whatacountry.com/thompson20-roundmagazine.aspx

This is the best deal I've found, anyone know a better one? Free shipping if I get the 5 I plan on.

I won a $1000 Cabelas gift card at my Company Picnic. Blew it on a Thompson out of the Gun Library. I want to get some prewar correct 20 rounders. Yes, I know about the modifications needed, not a problem.

Forty Rod · October 06, 2015, 12:33:45 AM

Drydock, I had a 1926A1 and an M1A1 Thompson in 'Nam and both accepted 20 or 30 round mags without any modifications.

The M1A1 wasn't designed to take drums and the two L drums (50 rounds) I had for the '26A1 were useless. They had been allowed to rust and had picked up numerous dings and dents and simple weren't reliable.

I generally carried a 20 rounder in the gun and as many 30 rounders as I could carry for back up.

Bat 2919 · October 06, 2015, 10:01:03 AM

Drydock has it right. The semi auto, Auto Ordnance/Kahr guns require you to elongate the hole so the sticks can be retained by the higher magazine catch on the semi auto guns. Be sure that when you do this you don't make the hole wider. This hole is also the only thing keeping the stick in alignment with the bolt and feed ramp.

Sounds like a very good price for refinished magazines. Historically the 20 round sticks came first and I agree a man should own a few. The 30 rounders' were well established before the second war and would be much better for Zoot. You can see Pitsptr changing a 30 rounder on his video. More rounds are always a better plan for competition or the serious social occasions of which Forty Rod was speaking.

Can you still be the "Bad Check" if your not shooting Soviet Block guns?

Forty Rod · October 06, 2015, 10:31:18 AM

Now see? I learned something about the semi-auto guns I didn't know.

You can teach an old dog new tricks, but you can't make him do them.

Pitspitr · October 06, 2015, 02:38:50 PM

Quote from: Bat 2919 on October 06, 2015, 10:01:03 AMYou can see Pitsptr changing a 30 rounder on his video. More rounds are always a better plan for competition or the serious social occasions of which Forty Rod was speaking.

I never much liked running out of ammunition. I always try to carry extra.

Drydock · October 06, 2015, 04:34:52 PM

Oh, the Bad Czech and his PPS will still be out and about. He's got a new double breasted black leather coat to go with the hat. ($44 surplus at Sportsmans guide) But Jake Holman may make an appearance now and then . . .

Small correction: the XXX 30 round magazine did not come about until 1942.

Drydock · October 06, 2015, 09:27:44 PM

5 ordered, will report upon reception. Also have a 5 magazine pouch coming. Now if someone would just will me enough money for a BAR . . .

Drydock · October 13, 2015, 05:47:50 PM

Received the sticks today. Appear unissued rather than refinished, a good job either way. Probably from the Russian Sherman lend lease guns. 3 SW Co.s, one Crosby, and one Auto Ordnance Bridgeport. 5 stick pouch showed up today as well. Good to go!

Perhaps the Bad Czech drove a Lend Lease Sherman during the G.P.W. . . .

DeaconKC · October 14, 2015, 08:07:08 PM

Congrats! I just posted this over on FB for our fellow Zooters!

Also, on the new made Tommys, you can work [file] the mag catch so that you don't have to file the hole on the mags.

Shenandoah · November 05, 2015, 01:24:17 PM

You can also install a GI mag catch to avoid deforming the mags. I converted some original mags to fit my Kahr Thomsons before I read about the modification. When I purchased my full auto M1, the mags wouldn't fit. I had to sell them with the semi. If you're interested PM me and I'll provide a link to the mods.

Drydock · November 05, 2015, 04:27:34 PM

Oh, I know about that mod as well. But I got 2 new production magazines with the gun. If I alter/change the latch, then those won't work. I'll just alter the mags, knowing they then stay with the gun. That gives me 2 XXXs and 5 XXs. What my son does with it after I'm gone, well I reckon I won't much care . . .

Shenandoah · November 05, 2015, 07:15:58 PM

It your weapon and mags.

I was angry with myself for forever altering magazines from WWII. They were history.

Vernon/IN · November 06, 2015, 07:22:59 AM

Quote from: Shenandoah on November 05, 2015, 01:24:17 PM
You can also install a GI mag catch to avoid deforming the mags. I converted some original mags to fit my Kahr Thomsons before I read about the modification. When I purchased my full auto M1, the mags wouldn't fit. I had to sell them with the semi. If you're interested PM me and I'll provide a link to the mods.

Just an FYI for any of you that may be thinking about installing a GI mag catch, it will need to be altered just like the stock mag catch. The problem is that the reciever deminsions of the SA version were altered so as to prevent installation of FA internals to convert to full auto. This resulted in the mag catch being positioned one tenth of an inch higher than on the original. Installing a GI catch will position the catch in the same spot.

There is, or perhaps was, a vendor selling modified GI mag catches that could be swapped out and would work with un modified mags. But an un modified GI catch will not make any difference.