Thompson M1 SMG bolt assembly - Help!

[Galil#1]

Help Please... how do you assemble the bolt group, hammer, spring etc. on the Thompson M1 SMG? (not the semi-auto or the fixed pin bolt.) No exact videos found for this!

 

[Strangeranger]

Slide the spring over the firing pin
Drop the firing pin and spring in the hole in the rear of the bolt. The rear of the firing pin should be visible through the hole for the actuator handle
Put the hammer in the slot in the bottom front of the square section of the bolt. The longer leg should be up towards the hammer and the flats facing forward. The face of the hammer should be in contact with the rear of the firing pin.
Align the hole in the hammer with the hole in the bolt
Insert the cross pin

Make certain that you have an M1 hammer. They are slightly different from the M1928 version

 

[Galil#1]

Thank you SR. It's the side cock handle bolt. So when I drop the firing pin w/spring in... no real way to compress it down to add the hammer. So simple it seems, but such a PITA for non-Gunsmith me.

 

[Strangeranger]

You don't have to hold the firing pin down. The hammer will go in with the FP just sitting there

 

[Galil#1]

O? But the firing pin will not be all the way down seated... the hammer contacts the shaft of the pin and spring... I don't get it sorry.

 

[Strangeranger]

Your firing pin may not be seated far enough into the bolt
When properly seated the rear end of it should be just barely visible in the actuator handle hole

The hammer should fit like this



Try cleaning the hole where the firing pin rides. It may be filled with cosmoline or other crud

 

[Galil#1]

Thank you very much - so easy now a caveman can do it = Thanks again Strangeranger, your Awesome Sir! just had to give a light tap on the back of the FP with a cleaning rod- yes had alot of cosmo in it.

 

[Strangeranger]

You need to remove the cosmoline. It can cause the FP to stick which defeats the whole purpose of a floating FP.

 

[Galil#1]

^^^^ O yes for sure, got it. ^^^^