The Golden Tommy from Auto-Ordance
Major Pandemic 02.14.17
Speaking from experience, when your wife asks for something gold for her anniversary, a violin case with a golden Tommy Gun is probably not what she was expecting, and it will be off to spare bedroom or couch with you. Never fear, just the initial excitement phase of owning this gun lasts for months, and chances are good that you’ll gleefully sleep on the couch as you lovingly embrace this stunning $2900+T150TDG Thompson 1927A-1 “Deluxe Semi-Auto” Titanium Gold Plated Tommy Gun.
Fit, Finish, Feel, Features, and Functions
Auto-Ordnance was the original manufacturer of the Tommy Gun, A.K.A. the Chicago Typewriter. The current version of AO is now owned by the same folks who own Magnum Research and Kahr Arms. The current Auto-Ordnance Thompson Guns are actually of higher quality and tighter tolerance than the 1927A-1 originals, but the new ones fire from a closed bolt and in semi-auto only.
If you want a full-auto Tommy Gun, you have to look into the extremely expensive old pre-ban guns. Auto Ordnance does offer NFA registerable factory-made short barreled rifle models as well as non-functioning display models.
The Tommy Gun represents a timeless style which hearkens back to the roaring 20s, mobsters, and WWII. The Thompson design ran a long hard course through history as one of the most heavily-used machine guns in history by civilians, law enforcement, and military. It was a gun that helped empower the big New York and Chicago mobs, provided police and military with reliable firepower, and was a favorite ranch/truck gun as well. It was pretty accurate, fired the effective 45 ACP cartridge, and produced insignificant recoil even with the heaviest loads. If a shooter could lift and carry the gun, recoil would not be a factor.
Shouldering any Tommy gun makes you want to slip on a fedora and pinstripe suit or WWII military uniform. This titanium gold nitride plated version with violin case makes you want to upgrade to a Borsalino Fedora and Tom Ford couture suit. After all, the mobster carrying this gun would not be wearing anything cheap.
What it Is
Essentially the T150TDG Thompson 1927A-1 “Deluxe Semi-Auto,” Titanium Gold Nitride Plated Tommy Gun is the same version Auto-Ordnance sells in a variety of configurations. The differences are mainly seen in finish quality and the slight production variations over the years.
The 1927A-1 version is the most popular model, so Auto Ordnance decided to offer this special Deluxe edition, which features a mirror-polished finish that is then coated with a Titanium Gold Nitride (chrome also available). Both of these models are fully functional and can be fired, and the beautiful Ti-Nitride-Gold finish is the same coating used on top end drill bits so it can take a beating and still look beautiful.
Once your friends find out you own one, it is hard to keep the Gold Tommy in the safe. With the super-durable Ti-Nitride-Gold finish, I will never be worried about keeping it looking factory fresh even after a lot of use.
The T150TG includes both a titanium gold colored 20-round stick and 50-round drum magazines. And if you are going to drop $2900 on this limited edition gun, you really should go all the way and order the custom $180 “Violin Case” available in either cello or guitar profiles. Believe me, there is a huge difference in presentation between pulling this out of a Pelican case or a violin case.
The case has a luxurious foam interior that can accommodate your Chicago Typewriter, a stick mag, and round drum magazine. With the case, this kit pushes past a retail of $3000.
When Men Were Men
As I hoisted the muzzle-heavy 13-pound 1927A-1 Tommy Gun to my shoulder, I was reminded that in the old days, men were not wimps. If you load and attach the 50-round drum, the Tommy Gun can easily tip the 20-pound mark when it is ready to rumble. This is a beast of a gun that weighs as much as or more than a fully loaded heavy-barreled sniper rifle.
Charging the Thompson is difficult due to the smallish charging knob finished in slick gold titanium nitride and a wicked strong recoil spring. As I was charging (attempting to charge. Holy cow that bolt spring is heavy. Wow this is child safe!), I finally found the appropriate leverage point to get the factory new bolt moving backward.
Some ancient WWII dude at the range suggested a loop of paracord be used to charge the gun “that’s what we used to use.” If your brain is thinking AR15 charging, the Thompson is not going to be an easy slap-to-charge at all, but once it’s charged, the glorious fun begins.
Functional Fun With Good Accuracy
Though this Thompson 1927A-1 is equipped with a rear ladder sight that is theoretically calibrated to 600 yards, it is not a tack-driving gun. The Tommy delivers practical accuracy of around 1.5” at 25 yards, which equates to 5”-7” groups at 100 yards in my testing. At 200 yards I was still able to ring a standard steel silhouette and eight out of ten times at 300 yards.
Defensive accuracy? Absolutely, and a whole bucket of fun in the process, but 500-600 yards would have some luck involved. While firing hundred of rounds I had zero issues with feeding and functioning; reliability is definitely not an issue.
$400 in Ammo Gone in No Time
Well, the T150TDG Thompson 1927A-1 “Deluxe Semi-Auto,” Titanium Gold Plated Tommy Gun may not shoot rounds quite as fast as an AR15, but the case of 45 ACP ammo seemed to evaporate stunningly fast. There were sad faces all around after a little more than 1000 rounds moved through the Thompson. This is a blast to shoot, it delivers zero recoil to the shooter, and it is way more accurate than it should be for a 1927 design that has been polished and plated. Honestly, I want to take it rabbit and squirrel hunting. That would be a blast.
Final Thoughts
With all this discussion about outlawing deadly AR15s, I have not heard anyone say a peep about Tommy Guns, at least that was my justification to my wife. The Tommy Gun was the defensive carbine of the 1920s, 1940s, and all the way to the 1970s when the AR15 started to get into civilian hands.
The T150TDG Thompson 1927A-1 “Deluxe Semi-Auto” Titanium Gold Plated Tommy Gun is a limited edition and will not be around forever. If you want something special and unique that brings a wow factor to any range session, you’d better get one on order. This is not only a unique collector piece, but it also has a huge fun factor. I cannot recommend this wonderful gun enough. Suck it up and whip out the credit card. It is worth it.
Manufacturer Specs
- Auto Ordnance Deluxe Titanium Gold Tommy Gun
- Model: T150DTG
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel: 16.5″, Finned (with compensator 18″)
- Weight: 13 pounds
- Length: 41″ overall
- Sight: Blade front, open rear adjustable
- Finish: Titanium Gold
- Stock: Walnut fixed stock and vertical foregrip
- Magazines: One each 50 Round Drum and 20 Round Stick Magazines
- Warranty: 1 year
- * Specifications subject to change without notice
- MSRP: $2,963.00
