Maintainence for a Deactivated WW2 Thompson M1A1

Hi people, i am a new member to this forum so sort of still trying to find my way around it!

Anyway i am about to purchase a deactivated ww2 Thompson M1A1 in a couple of days, however i am unsure in how to maintain it in order to keep it in its original condition ( e.g. Prevent rusting!)?
I would appreciate any advice and help and look forward to talking to ya all!

Regards
James

 

Hello Vlad - a warm welcome to these forums from a fellow deact collector !

I have a M1A1 myself - advice is as follows. I'm assuming you're probably going for an 'old-type' ( pre-'85 ) deact with working action, so, as soon as you get it, carefully field-strip the weapon.

A copy of W.H.B. Smith's classic book, 'Small Arms Of The World' is a great help here as it tells you exactly how to field-strip every WWII infantry weapon.

Carefully clean any old, solidified grease and oil plus any dirt with a light detergent solution ( I usually apply a little WD40 judiciously & then wipe thoroughly ). The wooden furniture can often be badly oil-stained ; I use cotton wool or cloth soaked in methylated spirit and plenty of elbow grease to get the wood back to reasonable condition.

Turning to the exterior metal, hopefully there won't be any bad rusting. If there is, it can be removed very carefully with wire wool but keep in mind that you don't want to damage too much of the original 'blueing' or 'parkerizing '.

Then, basically follow the old soldier's advice that the weapon should be kept 'clean, bright and lightly oiled' and for this I use Parker-Hale Express Gunoil available at any gunsmiths shop. Not only is it the right consistency, it smells 'right'. Just wipe the metal parts of the weapon over occasionally with a rag soaked in oil.

Finally, resist the temptation to cock the bolt and pull the trigger too often ! The M1A1 has an enormously heavy bolt : don't forget that on a 'live' weapon the bolt's travel ends in something with a little bit of 'give', ie the cartridge's primer ! On a deact, the bolt smashes into the back of the receiver and can, ultimately, cause damage.

So there you are. Enjoy the thrill of your purchase, and remember that you are the temporary custodian of a true piece of history !

 

Cheers Martin, however it isn't a pre '85 deact so therefore the bolt is frozen!! Can the gun still be stripped down into its pieces or does it prevent this?

Many thanks
James

P.S. I take it there is no way of reactivating the bolt? e.g. dry fires

 

Sorry, Vlad - didn't realize !

I think that only limited stripping will be possible ; the only gun I have to 'new-spec' is an MP40 and it is absolutely welded solid - even the trigger

Despite 'scare' stories in the tabloid press, you have little chance of reconstituting the bolt action as the original bolt will have been totally removed and a 'billet' of metal to the correct size will have ben welded in to the cavity.

But that makes your life easier from the conservation angle...just follow the advice for the external parts of the weapon. There's a lot of wood on a Thompson so restoring and de-oiling that should keep you quiet for a few evenings !

 

Cheers Martin, the exterior of the gun is in real good condition so wont require too much attention!
Anyway do you have any recommendations of where to purchase ww2 deact weapons from? Where do you get yours from? I only ask as i see you are from the UK like me and i have found that it is quite difficult to find dealers in deacts!

 

There are some good dealers about, I can recommend two that I have found to be very reliable and helpful :

Worthing Guns, Sussex ( 01903 237378 )

and especially :

Witham SV Ltd., Lincolnshire ( 01476 861361 )


Douglas Landy at Witham's is a very helpful and knowledgeable guy.

If you can possibly make it, try going to the Beltring Fair in Kent next month where there are usually hundreds of deacts for sale from all the UK's dealers.

Hint : don't take your credit card along - spending can spiral out of control at Beltring !

 

Well i live in East Sussex so maybe it is possible to visit the dealer from Sussex. Anyway thanks for your help and i will post a reply when i have purchased the thompson!

Regards
James

Thanks for your help Martin

 

One last suggestion is to get hold of a copy of the monthly magazine 'Gun Mart'. ( usually obtainable in WH Smith's ).

This has a huge militaria & deact section at the back and you'll find nearly all the UK's dealers advertising there.

 

Bang on about gun msty, its an excellent magazine well worth a look and often hideing some excellent buys. I have only bought two weapons from it but both were well worth it. I recommend militaria fairs as another good source of de-acts, at least you get a good look at them first. However, make sure you know what you are looking at and how much you should be paying for it. Another thing, make sure you ask the dealers for permission to handle their stock, they can get a bit peeved if you walk up and feel their weapons right away, who wouldent.

 

hey mate, do u need a gun license if u get a deactivicated gun. if u dont, were are u getting yours from.

 

No licence needed over here for deacts...yet.

But if Tony & his cronies get their way....

 

Where can you buy WWII equipment anyway? I saw a german WWII helmet at an antique shop but buying fire-arms...? Need some help.

 

Got a "salution" to a problem. You CAN "re-activate"--a deac--depending on what has been done with them.

Sometime ago--I knew a person who had an MP 38/40 and it was deac by having a fake reciever and a bit of metal in the barrel to block it up. Well--he also had an original reciever--and the metal blocking the barrel--fell out. He is fully following the law and it's registered with the BATF.

I know where I can get a .50 cal at a gunshop in the valley (Edwards Plateau) not too far from the border with Mexico. All it needs is a few parts.............. but--for what is there-they are asking more than I could give.

 

Over here the barrel is over-bored for most of its' length, just leaving one small section of rifling near the muzzle. Internally, areas of metal from reciprocating parts of the weapon are also ground away, thus weakening the structure.

Where I live, it's easier to go down the pub and buy a live one from drug dealers....

 

G'day

Have been at the militariafair in La Gleize
(in the Ardennes, Belgium) where you could pick a lot of rifles pistols and machineguns. Most were deact but some were still"open". The law over in Belgium is not that strict. One guy saw another pick up a 98K Mauser deact, went up to the guy and said he had one for sale in working order.

Popski

 

OOOOH, Popski !

La Gleize ..now that's one I'd really have liked to have gone to. I'd even have bought you a glass of Ciney...

 

Yes Martin

The most part was German militaria, uniforms and weapon. Some BOB stuff. But on the weaponsfront there were a great lot of weapons for sale. If one part was deactivated on the next stand you could buy the rest. But Belgian deactivated weapons aren't allowed into Holland because in Holland the rules for deactivation are different.In Belgium much more moving parts are allowed on the weapon, much like your pre 1985 registered weapons I assume from earlier postings. But for the German collectors this is a great fair.
Saw a nice Webley Bull 0.455 but as I have a permit to have "live" weapons I wouldn't like to risk my permit by buying unregistered weapons from a shady dealer.

Plofski

PS The museum in La Gleize is also very nice, small but very good uniforms and diorama's. And of course the King Tiger in front of the museum.
Great place for a nice walkabout.

[ 22. July 2003, 03:44 PM: Message edited by: Popski ]

 

Found a nice pic at a little-known website : -

http://www.battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/la_gleize_king_tiger.htm

 

That's the one Martin

 

Can I suggest another way of keeping your deacs looking good.

There's a product called Renaissance wax that friends in the museum world put me onto a while back. They use it to prevent surface decay on a really surprising array of materials. I've used it on bits and pieces from swords & rusted 'dugups' to a Bren gun and it basically does exactly what it says on the tin without doing any harm to the artifact itself, & lasts for years.
Quite expensive but worth every penny if only for eliminating the need for using grease or oil on things stored in the house.

Cheers,
Adam.