Seymour Thompson mags..?
...Does anyone know what years that Seymour Products Co. made
30 round Thompson mags? I'm thinking WW2 era, but not sure.
Thanks......Tap
30 round Thompson mags? I'm thinking WW2 era, but not sure.
Thanks......Tap
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The 30 round box magazine for the TSMG was adopted in December, 1941 so technically all known 30 round magazines, with teh exception of the prototypes used by the Ordnance Department for testing, date from WWII. Seymour was one of many contractors who produced 30 round TSMG magazines, which were adopted in favor of the 40 round magazines, which were simply two 20 round magazines attached to each other. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by mark christian
The 30 round box magazine for the TSMG was adopted in December, 1941 so technically all known 30 round magazines, with teh exception of the prototypes used by the Ordnance Department for testing, date from WWII. Seymour was one of many contractors who produced 30 round TSMG magazines, which were adopted in favor of the 40 round magazines, which were simply two 20 round magazines attached to each other.
...Thank you Mark. Too bad I can't nail down the year more closely. Did Seymour continue production of the mags after WW2?0 -
Seymour also produced 20 round box magazines which were marked identically to their later 30 round magazines and so far as I know there is no way to "date" a 20 or 30 round Seymour magazine. When the M3/M3A1 SMG was adopted the TSMG instantly became substitute standard and in April, 1945 all TSMGs then in service were supposed to have been withdrawn and replaced by the M3A1. A number of problems prevented the M3A1 from being widely issued and this caused the TSMG to remain in service for the remainder of the war as well as into Korea. There are also a number of period photos from early in Vietnam which clearly show TSMGs in use with US "advisers". Uncle Sam stopped procuring spare parts for the TSMGs at the close of WWII and eventually with spare parts no longer available the Thompson's, which were decades old by then, fell into disuse. Many millions of 20 and 30 round magazines were produced before and during WWII and with the TSMG no longer in production there would have been little need to Seymour to have continued to manufacture magazines after the end of WWII.
This is an extremely brief and generalized look into an exceptionally complex subject. There are guys out there who have dedicated their entire lives to the study of the TSMG...And I am not one of them!0 -
...Thank you Mark. I always pick up something new from you...[^] 0 -
Seymour continued to produce magazines, strippers, chargers, etc. for other US military weapons, but I too believe their Thompson magazine manufacture ceased just prior to war's end.
If it helps you any, I'm aware that the markings on Seymour Thompson mags changed during their production. IIRC there are four different variations, with the changes being only in punctuation.
Some of those Thompson collectors Mark Christian refers to could probably nail the production periods of each variation closely.0
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