Very Rare Original Item: Very early in its history, the Thompson submachine gun came to be known as the “Tommy Gun” in the press and the popular mind. This was an informal nickname, although it was the best-known name for the gun. When production recommenced shortly before WW 2, the Auto Ordnance Corporation decided to register the phrase “Tommy Gun” as a trademark of the company. To meet legal requirements for a registered trade mark, the mark must appear on the product, so a few Thompson M1928 and M1928A1 receivers were marked TOMMY GUN, on top of the receiver not far from the Thompson bullet logo.
IMA has found a very few M1928A1 receivers marked TOMMY GUN manufactured by Savage Arms. (So far, we have no M1928 models with the marking.) These receivers have been cut according to BATF regulations. The set includes the long center section with all marking intact, the receiver rear, and a section that includes part of the ejection port. The front end, or “nose” of the receiver that the barrel screws into is not included. Most of these TOMMY GUN receivers are in unissued condition.