The Trigger Frame had all GI internals, nicely blued, with GI pistol grip. The serial number on the buttstock tang had clearly been welded over, then crudely ground down below the surface, leaving steps. Then restamped with hand punches, NAC-3. The whole frame was then polished and reblued. This probably had once been a GI trigger frame.

The removal of the barrel from the receiver, and the removal of the grip mount reviled, NO serial number. It had been blued in that area, with a very small "N" stamped near the back. There had never been a serial number there.

Further examination revealed a 1922 Patent date on the right side of the receiver. This date would indicate the end of the production run. Receivers numbered from 14500 to 15040 had 1922 Patent dates. This receiver very possibly was a Colt overrun. The small N would identify, Numrich Arms.

The NAC serial numbered Thompsons are not Colt guns. Colt did not produce them. These are clearly, "parts" guns. They were assembled by Numrich Arms Company from left over Russell McGuire WW-2 parts. These parts were sold by the pound in the early Fifties.

It is my opinion based on my research that all the early NAC stamped receivers are either Colt over run receivers or after market new production. Some of the later NAC receivers were clearly GI receivers.

These hand assembled, NAC stamped, parts Thompsons, are an un-official variation which came long after the official Colt production run in 1921/22, and the official Savage/Auto-Ordnance production run of WW-2.

I feel the value of these unofficial parts Thompsons is now today, 2002, on a par with the current West Hurley Thompson shooter.

If you had assembled something in your garage, and then tried to pass it off as something that it was not, you would be guilty of fraud. It is a mistake, to put it nicely, to try to pass these home made Frankensteins off as original Colts.

Remember, there is no substitute for raw research.

I welcome any comment.

Article by;

Gordon Herigstad

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