| I had another chance to compare the new A/O,
West Hurley "C" drum with an original 1921 Colt "C"
drum. Further observation showed the rotor spring on the Colt drum to be
noticeably stiffer. This Colt drum was almost seventy years old. That says
something for quality. I gauged the metal. It was the same thickness. The
WW2 style slide plates on the Cover and Body, that have the drain slots,
appear to have been left over from the earlier A/O "L" drum
production, as is the center solid hub, with the sharp tit protruding from
one end. It was also my opinion that the main spring in the rotor was a
left over "L" drum spring, hoping to pass.
PART TWO OF THE "C" DRUM STORY. April, 1991 The following letter and information is the most crucial of this new Auto-Ordnance, West Hurley "C" drum story. I had received a letter from A/O requesting my new A/O "C" drum in return for another new one. In April I spoke with Mr. Tom Casey of their engineering department on the phone. He informed me that A/O was in the process of retro fitting all their future A/O "C" drums with a new and better main spring. They were also attempting to recall as many others as possible. They had a new "C" drum specially tested and hand picked just for me. They were waiting for my drum. I informed him I would return my new A/O "C" drum shortly. LETTER: April 21, 1991 to Auto-Ordnance West Hurley, New York Dear Mr. Casey, Engineering Department, I enjoyed talking with you on the phone this past week. I appreciate your concern to fix me up with a "C" drum that works. I also appreciate your time and effort. I will forward my A/O "C" drum shortly. When I returned to Burbank, California last winter, I had a chance to do some additional research on the drum. I will include here my findings. This may be a major breakthrough for you and your Engineers and could be very helpful. Actually if I had my $275.00 back, that could also be very helpful. I have known Mr. Doug Richardson of Malibu, California for a number of years. He was with me when I purchased this A/O "C" drum last October. He suggested I bring the drum to him and he would take some measurements to see if that would shed any light on its working. He was kind enough to break out his original blueprints for both the "C" and "L" drum type magazines. I relayed the problems I had experienced while test firing this drum magazine. Then Doug and I took some very careful measurements. Using micrometers and calipers we carefully measured three different Thompson drum magazines: a WW2 "L" drum; an original Colt "C" drum; and the new A/O, West Hurley "C" drum. I recorded the dimensions of these three drums. Here are the critical measurements that tell the secret story. The following information basically explains why the A/O drum magazine does not and can not work:
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