Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando 1927A-1 45 ACP — Superb Carbine

Description

The Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando, catalog model 1927A-1, is a semi-automatic carbine built on the Thompson pattern, and it is the plainest version of it. Where the Deluxe wears walnut and a finned barrel, the Commando is all business: black parkerized metal, black synthetic furniture, a 16.5 inch barrel and a 20-round stick magazine, with a nylon sling in the box.

What the Commando Configuration Is

The Thompson went to war twice, and the version that saw most of the second was not the polished 1928 with the drum and the vertical foregrip. It was the stripped M1 and M1A1: plain stock, horizontal forend, stick magazines, and a finish applied for corrosion resistance rather than appearance. The Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando follows that line.

Mechanically it is a modern semi-automatic. It fires from a closed bolt, one round per trigger pull, and it is a Title I firearm in every respect — no NFA paperwork, no tax stamp, nothing beyond the ordinary transfer that any rifle requires. MAG5 Firearms does not sell NFA items, and nothing about this carbine is one.

Specifications

• Model: Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando, T1C
• Caliber: 45 ACP
• Barrel: 16.5 in
• Action: semi-automatic
• Capacity: 20+1, stick magazine
• Finish: black parkerized
• Stock: black fixed
• Forend: black horizontal
• Sights: adjustable
• Included: black nylon sling, one 20-round magazine
• Handedness: right hand

A word on magazines. The 1927A-1 accepts both stick magazines and the 50-round drum, and the drum is the thing most owners eventually want. It is sold separately and it roughly doubles the visual impact of the carbine while adding considerable weight to an already heavy gun. Stick magazines are the sensible choice for actually shooting it; the drum is the one you fit for photographs and for the range days where you do not mind carrying it.

Why it is worth considering

• Semi-automatic Thompson pattern, a Title I firearm requiring no NFA paperwork
• 16.5 inch barrel in 45 ACP, with almost no felt recoil at this weight
• Black parkerized finish and synthetic furniture, the working configuration
• Adjustable sights
• Nylon sling and a 20-round stick magazine supplied
• Accepts the 50-round drum magazine as well as sticks

Who it suits

The Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando suits the buyer who wants the Thompson for what it is rather than as a piece of furniture. The Commando finish costs less than the Deluxe and looks more like the guns that actually crossed Europe. It is also, unexpectedly, one of the pleasantest carbines to introduce a new shooter to, because twelve pounds of steel and 45 ACP add up to almost no recoil at all.

Ammunition, Magazines and Transfer

The Auto-Ordnance Thompson Commando runs standard 45 ACP. Round nose 230 grain full metal jacket is what the pattern was designed around and what it feeds most reliably — the original was built for ball ammunition and the feed geometry reflects that. Hollow points will generally work but are worth testing before you rely on them, and lead round nose is best avoided in a carbine you do not want to scrub often.

Magazines are the Thompson stick pattern, with 50-round drums available separately. Manufacturer information is published by Auto-Ordnance. Browse our full Auto-Ordnance range, including their 1911 pistols, compare against the 1911A1 GI Spec, or look through the rifle catalog and the wider firearms selection.

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 last practical note for anyone who has not handled a Thompson before: the balance is nothing like a modern carbine. The weight sits well forward of the trigger, which is what makes it so steady on a target and what makes it tiring to hold up for long periods. Most shooters find it rewards a supported position or a sling, and punishes trying to run it like a five-pound AR. Shoot it from a bench or seated and the accuracy will surprise you; shoot it offhand for twenty minutes and your arms will remind you what it weighs.