Soliciting Parts for Muster Project; The 1895 Colt Potato Digger Machine Gun

[Capt Quirk]

10-22 fun gun Thompson conversion

https://www.tactical-life.com/gear/fun-gun-kit/

https://www.brownells.com/aspx/learn/learndetail.aspx?lid=14457

"See more at 1022fungun.com."
"This site can't be reached
www.1022fungun.com's server IP address could not be found.
DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN"

Brownel's link is just a video talking about how great and easy the kit is. No mention of it being carried or not. And this is sort of how my search has been going, but thank you for taking the time to share the links.

[Major 2]

I seem to recall reading, these were not longer manufactured..
I saw a completed gun at my LGS on consignment it didn't last long , I don't recall the asking price but do remember it was out there beyond my wheelhouse.

I remember it had a couple of 30 round banana mag. s looked kinda goofy with those...looks better with drum in link photos

[Capt Quirk]

You are correct Major, Brownel's said they were discontinued some years ago. The rediculous thing is, the finished conversions are around a grand or more. If I had that kind of "spare change", there is a gun shop about 15 minutes south, and they have a real Thompson for $1,300.

[Major 2]

My LGS had a Kahr Auto-Ordnance 1927 on consignment @ $1100,
it was cool as beans,
but heavy and the length of pull was unwieldly for me. at the end of the day my sock drawer remain un molested.
It was gone in short order anyway...
I recalled the price of that one , when the 10/22 kit gun was offered a month or so later , the consigned price was in the same ballpark  maybe $100 less.

It was nice but not a grand nice, I passed

a Kahr- A/O Thompson for $1,300 or upward is about the going jingle on line...

[Capt Quirk]

Yeah, $1,000 and up, which is why I got overly excitable at the prospect of a $400-$500 .22 imitation. If anybody has a reasonably priced kit, please let me know.

And now, I'll go back to spectator mode. I had never heard of the Potato digger, and I'm downright curious to see the results.

[Major 2]

Yeah !  my apologies  for my part of deviation too....


Back to the Potato Digger

[pony express]

Cpt Quirk, The Potato Digger got it's name from the way it's action worked. Instead of a piston and operating rod, It had a lever that was driven down by gas from a gas port in the bottom of the barrel. You can see it in M-2s picture at the front of the action body. I have read that they tended to raise a dust cloud in dusty conditions, sometimes they would put a tarp under the gun so escaping gas wouldn't do that.

[Major 2]

 The late great R. Lee Ermey demonstrates a Colt Potato Digger here


https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=ymyy-t-MYTST101&p=potato+digger+machine+gun#id=51&vid=53501aba94f20d6ae178ee25b6d61a28&action=click

[Niederlander]

Cool video!  Hopefully the crank system I have in mind will give us about that rate of fire.  By the way, I can pretty much guarantee the one I'm building will NOT have that lever going back and forth, as cool as that would be........

[pony express]

  By the way, I can pretty much guarantee the one I'm building will NOT have that lever going back and forth, as cool as that would be........

Sur, just bore a hole in the bottom of the barrel, add a lever with a weak spring. Real weak, since it's a 22.

I can see why it wouldn't be the best choice of machine guns for trench warfare. Looks like it can't get any lower than at least 8-10 inches from the ground.

[Capt Quirk]

I can see why it wouldn't be the best choice of machine guns for trench warfare. Looks like it can't get any lower than at least 8-10 inches from the ground.

"Better shoot low Sherriff, they're riding Shetlands!"

[Dusty Tagalon]

Coming to Ruckus, let me know if you want me to bring barrel. Looks like Jerry may be there also. Easier to hand off vs ship. I know you are looking for a wood stock, don't have one, I have a polymer stock I can drop off also.
Brian

[Pitspitr]

Yes, I'm planning to be at Ruckus

[Niederlander]

Brian, go ahead and send the barrel with him.  I'm planning to use a .920 barrel, so even if it ends up being too short it will allow me to build until I can get a longer one.  (I won't really know just how long it needs to be for sure until I have the receiver, etc.  I've got a wooden stock coming.)

[Dusty Tagalon]

Dropped barrel off at Post Office this afternoon.
Sent to Jerry.
Brian

[Niederlander]

Sounds great!  Thanks!

[Pitspitr]

Thank you Dusty, I received the barrel. I have not had a chance to get it over to Ord.

[Dusty Tagalon]

Any updates on project?
Brian

[Niederlander]

Not yet.  It's going to be more of a Winter project, but I have sort of laid things out to start getting an idea of how it will all fit.