Description
The Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 is the semi-automatic descendant of the most recognizable firearm America ever built, and this Lightweight Deluxe version, model T5, swaps the steel receiver for aluminum. Everything else stays traditional: American walnut buttstock and grips, a finned 16.5-inch barrel with a compensator, and a 20-round stick magazine.
What Makes This One Lightweight
Aluminum receiver rather than the steel receiver used on the standard T1, which takes several pounds off a gun that is otherwise notoriously front-heavy.
16.5-inch finned barrel, the classic Thompson profile, with a compensator at the muzzle.
The Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 keeps the original controls and layout, so it handles the way the originals did, just lighter.
Blued metal finish against American walnut.
Furniture, Magazine and Sights
American walnut buttstock, vertical foregrip and pistol grip, all in the 1927A-1 pattern.
Twenty-round stick magazine supplied, with drum magazines available separately for the same platform.
Fixed front blade and an adjustable rear sight in the traditional arrangement.
Semi-automatic only, firing from a closed bolt, chambered in .45 ACP.
Model number T5.
Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 Specifications
- Caliber: .45 ACP
- Capacity: 20+1 with the supplied stick magazine
- Barrel: 16.5 inch, finned, with compensator
- Receiver: aluminum, Lightweight Deluxe configuration
- Finish: blued
- Stock and furniture: American walnut, vertical foregrip
- Action: semi-automatic, closed bolt
- Model: T5
- Country of origin: United States
- UPC: 602686212038
It is worth being clear about what this rifle is and is not. The original 1928 and M1 Thompsons were select-fire submachine guns. This is a semi-automatic carbine built on the same pattern with a 16.5-inch barrel, which is what makes it an ordinary rifle rather than an NFA item. MAG5 Firearms does not sell NFA items, and no part of this firearm requires ATF registration beyond the usual transfer through a licensed dealer.
Why it is worth considering
- Aluminum receiver, noticeably lighter than the steel version.
- American walnut furniture rather than a synthetic imitation.
- Finned barrel and compensator in the original profile.
- Takes both stick and drum magazines.
- Made in the United States by the company that built the originals.
Who it suits
Collectors, Thompson enthusiasts and anyone who wants a .45 ACP carbine with genuine history behind it will find the Auto-Ordnance Thompson 1927A-1 the most authentic route available. The lightweight receiver makes it far more pleasant to shoot for an afternoon than the steel-receiver version, which is the main reason to choose this variant over the standard T1.
Choosing a 1927A-1 Variant
Auto-Ordnance builds the 1927A-1 in a long list of configurations: steel or aluminum receiver, fixed or detachable buttstock, vertical or horizontal foregrip, and with stick or drum magazines. This T5 is the aluminum-receiver Deluxe with the fixed walnut stock and vertical foregrip. Browse the rest of the Auto-Ordnance range, including the Land of the Free 1911, or the wider firearms catalog. Auto-Ordnance publishes the full variant list at Auto-Ordnance.
A .45 ACP carbine is a genuinely pleasant thing to shoot. The cartridge is subsonic in most loadings, the recoil out of a nine-pound gun is negligible, and the ammunition is common. Standard 230-grain brass-cased ball is what these were designed around and what they run best on. Avoid the lightest target loads, which can be marginal for reliable cycling in a blowback action of this weight. All firearm orders ship to a licensed FFL dealer for transfer, and MAG5 Firearms will coordinate the paperwork with the dealer of your choice.
One practical note: the fixed walnut buttstock on this variant is not detachable, so plan case size accordingly. The detachable-stock variants exist specifically for owners who need a shorter case, though they carry a small premium.
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