Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe – Superb 45 ACP Drum Carbine

Description

The Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe is the semi-automatic descendant of the most recognizable American firearm ever built. It is chambered in .45 ACP, wears a finned barrel with a pinned Cutts compensator, and comes with the 100-round drum that made the silhouette famous. Auto-Ordnance builds it in the United States as the original manufacturer of the Tommy Gun, and the walnut and blued steel are the real thing rather than a replica finish.

A Faithful Semi-Automatic Tommy Gun

This is not a lookalike built on a modern chassis. The receiver is blued steel, the buttstock and both grips are polished American walnut, and the proportions match the 1927A-1 that collectors know. The Deluxe designation brings the detachable buttstock and the vertical foregrip, so the carbine breaks down for transport and still handles the way a Thompson should when it is assembled.

Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe Barrel and Sights

The finned barrel is capped by a pinned Cutts compensator, which is what keeps the muzzle flat under the heavy reciprocating mass of a .45 ACP blowback. Overall length works out to 41 inches from buttstock to muzzle. Sights are a blade front and an adjustable open rear, exactly as they should be on a gun of this lineage.

Drum and Stick Magazines

The carbine ships with a 100-round drum, and it also accepts the traditional 20-round stick magazine as well as 50-round drums. Loading a drum is a ritual of its own, and the sound of one running dry is a large part of why people buy this gun. At roughly 13 pounds loaded down with a full drum, the Thompson is heavy, and that weight is precisely why .45 ACP feels like nothing at all through it.

Specifications

• Model: Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe
• Manufacturer part number: T1B100D
• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Action: semi-automatic, blowback
• Barrel: 16.5 in. finned with pinned Cutts compensator
• Overall length: 41 in.
• Weight: approximately 13 lbs.
• Receiver: blued steel
• Stock: American walnut detachable buttstock, vertical foregrip
• Sights: blade front, adjustable open rear
• Magazine: 100-round drum included; accepts 20-round stick magazines
• Warranty: 1 year
• UPC: 602686211185

Why Buyers Choose the Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 Deluxe

There are cheaper ways to shoot .45 ACP out of a carbine, and none of them are this one. People buy a Thompson because of what it is: a piece of American manufacturing history you can still take to the range and run. Auto-Ordnance holds the original name and builds these on domestic tooling, so the gun that arrives is the genuine article rather than an import wearing a familiar shape. It also holds its value in a way few modern carbines do.

Who Should Buy It

This is a collector’s gun that happens to shoot beautifully, so it suits the World War II or Prohibition-era enthusiast, the shooter who wants a centerpiece for the safe, and anyone who has wanted one since the first time they saw one on film. Feed it 230-grain ball for the most authentic function, budget for a sling, and be aware that Tommy Guns are prohibited in some states, so check your local law before ordering.

Shooting and Owning One

A Thompson rewards patience. The bolt is heavy, the sights are old-fashioned, and the balance is unlike anything modern, but once you settle behind it the gun is remarkably easy to shoot well. Standard 230-grain ball is the load the design was built around and gives the most reliable cycling; lighter target loads sometimes short-stroke a blowback this heavy. Keep the bolt rails lightly oiled, wipe the walnut down after handling, and store the drum unloaded so the spring stays fresh. Parts, magazines and accessories remain available from the factory, which is not something you can say about most historic designs.

Learn more from Auto-Ordnance, or browse the rest of our firearms selection.

Every firearm we list ships to your chosen FFL and is transferred there after a background check.