5

 SERIAL NUMBER 41

THE FIRST

 COL

T

 

THOMPSON

BY

TRACIE HILL

What we know and can prove:

Auto-Ordnance and Colt's Patent Firearms entered into a contract to build 15,000 Thompson Submachine Guns,

on August 18, 1920. These arms were

all to be built in the Model of 1921A

configuration. Originally, this design

did not have a buttstock, front or rear

sights included.

By March of 1921, production of the

new guns was nearing completion of

the first finished guns. Last minute

changes to the design had required re-

tooling and handwritten changes to the

original contract. These changes in-

cluded the addition of front and rear

sights and a removable buttstock and

frame attachment. Production was far

enough along that receivers and trig-

LEFT SIDE OF 41

CLOSE UP OF THE SERIAL NUMBER

ger frames were made prior to these contract changes. The trigger frame for s/n 41 was completed without a

buttstock attachment and was scrapped out due to the design changes. This scrapped out trigger frame still exists

today.

On March 30, 1921 the first two Thompsons

were shipped from the Auto-Ordnance of-

fices at Colt's factory, in Hartford, Conn.

These two Thompsons serial numbers 41

and 44 were shipped to Camp Benning, GA,

to the US Army Infantry School, Dept of

Experiment.

Then in 1951, a young paratrooper, assigned

to the 511th Airborne at Fort Benning, does

a favor for the unit Armorer, by putting back

together several Model 1911 pistols for an

inspection. The Armorer returns the favor

by giving the paratrooper choice of Thomp-

son submachine gun receiver. These receiv-

ers were due to be destroyed. The Thompson by this time was being phased out of  Substitute Standard and being

destroyed.