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EXPERIMENTAL AUTO ORDNANCE BRIDGEPORT TSMG

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:62,500.00 USD Estimated At:125,000.00 - 175,000.00 USD
EXPERIMENTAL AUTO ORDNANCE BRIDGEPORT TSMG

PROTOTYPE THOMPSON T-2, THE GUN TESTED AT ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND. 1 OF ONLY 2 IN PRIVATE HANDS. Cal. 45acp. S# T2 Bbl. 10.5”. There are very few people who are not familiar w/ the Thompson Submachine Gun. The gun that would become famous, or infamous as “The Gun That Made the 20’s Roar” first hit the civilian market in 1921 and has appeared in several military theatres, numerous civilian law enforcement agencies, prison guard towers & in almost every “Gangster” related film ever shot in Hollywood. The Thompson SMG has become so synonymous w/ the 1920’s that it has graced countless posters, magazine & book covers. But, there’s another gun that was tested for contention in the military SMG trials in 1942 that is a LOT lesser known, & extremely rare. This is the Auto Ordnance Thompson Submachine Gun, model T2. Global current events at the time would escalate the necessity for new offerings in the SMG market, and by 1939, as the German Army was advancing across Europe, both the British and United States realized their oversight in previously ignoring pistol caliber submachine guns, and both countries scrambled to get a one into in service. The only proven design that was immediately available was the .45 caliber Thompson Submachine Gun. At that time there were only a few of the original 1920s era Colt made Thompsons remaining in Auto-Ordnance’s inventory. Most of these Colt made guns were immediately purchased by the British Government. Due to the huge demand for the Thompson, the weapon was placed back into production in 1940. Most of the guns were subcontracted out to the Savage Arms Corporation although some were manufactured at Auto Ordnance’s Bridgeport factory. By WWII, the 1921-1928 model of the Thompson was obsolete. It was generally regarded as cumbersome, heavy and very expensive to produce. Concerned about losing a lucrative government contract to another contractor, the Auto-Ordnance Corporation quickly began to develop their own replacement for the Thompson, the T2, and submitted their new prototype .45 caliber submachine gun to compete in the U.S. Ordnance Department trials. The T-2 weapon was an entirely different concept than the original Thompson had been. The T-2 was made from sheet metal stampings and had a receiver that was constructed from metal tubing. An end cap located on the end of the receiver tube was provided for stripping the weapon. The cylindrical bolt used a cocking handle very similar to that of the Thompson M1-M1A1 model. The .45 caliber T-2 was attached to its wooded stock by two wing-style fasteners & utilized a standard Thompson box magazine. The testing of Auto-Ordnance’s T-2 weapon was initiated on 9 September 1942 at the Proving Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground Maryland. Observers present for the test were Captain Peter White from the Office of the Chief of Ordnance, Mr. John Ferguson and Mr. James Landen, both from the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. It was noted that there were several malfunctions during the testing that were due to a cracked trigger housing. The repair to this part can still be seen in this example. Unlike the traditional Thompson design, the pistol grip of the T2 is very plain, and absent are the familiar finger grooves we’re used to seeing on the 1928 model. The stock itself, made of dark stained hardwood, is over 29” in length, covering the majority of the weapon, only leaving a 13.5” section of the receiver exposed, & under 2” of visible barrel. Matching, 7” barrel shroud covers the remainder. Below the barrel, in the stock, is a slot measuring 3.25” in length & .34” in width. Sling attachment points on the left side, front & rear. Steel butt plate w/ traditional trap door. Parkerized finish on all exposed steel surfaces. The front sight is a fixed blade & the rear sight is a folding, peep sight w/ additional notch. The safety is a cross-slide button below the trigger. The mag release is a simple, bent steel piece w/ a serrated thumb surface. Right-side, knurled, reciprocating charging handle is located to the rear of the ejection port. Above the charging handle, on top of the receiver is marked: “THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN / CALIBER .45 / T2 / AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION / BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTTICUT, USA”. CONDITION: As tested at Aberdeeen Proving Grounds, and later repaired. Some light impressions in wooden furniture. Exposed metal surfaces still retain the vast majority of original finish w/ some thinning on high spots and in areas of mechanical intervention. Bright bore w/ sharp rifling. Fire control mechanism appears to function correctly when cycled by hand. Special thanks to Frank Iannamico for providing historical data from Aberdeen Proving Grounds on the history of this unique firearm. NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT MG REQUIRING BATF TRANSFER BEFORE TAKING POSSESSION. FULLY TRANSFERABLE. (03-1591/JZ). CURIO CLASS III. $125,000-175,000.