Living in the Socialist Republic of California as I do AND being a Big Thompson fan are not completely compatible.  I woulld escape the SRC for that reason alone but that is just not an option unless my wife kicks me out.

So instead of the little rear grip "nub" I have been using for my Thompson's rear grip, I have decided to go to a "bullet button" except it is not really a bullet button.  Rather it is a device that I have designed and created that imobilizes the Magazine catch latch by keeping it from moving up. 

The motivation came from my CCW class which brought new information to light for California carbine/rifle owners with guns that have bullet buttons.  It turns out that you must keep the magazine attached to your gun AND you cannot bring extra magazines.  It is then a crime to take off the magazine unless your are doing maintenance (whatever that means) or repair.  Apparently maintenance and reloading are not the same thing, but I plan to call the DOJ to find out.

To avoid the legal issue altogether I thought about what would be needed in order for the Thompson to NOT be considered an assault rifle by California's badly warped and unacceptably liberal anti-gun viewpoint.  The answer is that I have to remove the rear grip.

To this end I built a pain-in-the-Ass static "bullet buttuon" that can only be removed by removing the rear grip. I.E. once you remove the rear grip it cannot be considered an assault rifle.   To be sure this is not really a "bullet button" but I don't yet have a better name for it.  So if you do have a catchy name to call it I am all ears (er..eyes) to read it!

Yeah I know, there are still issues with its use such as repeatedly taking off the rear grip could possible strip the trigger frames rear grip bolt hole.  And, possibly, and legally more serious, if the the rear grip can be loosened enough so that the it doesn't come off, but you can then move the Mag Catch Lever blocker, and then use the lever to let the mag loose, then you would still have a legal problem.  On my present "proof of concept" bullet button, the thickness of the bullet button insert is enough that unscrewing the bolt, except all the way, is NOT enough to allow the blocking tab to stop blocking.  But more such testing is needed. 

Below are my crude drawings for the concept.  I will post pictures of my simple construction process and the result including the ugly stuff later.  So stay tuned if you have a Thompson!

Okay, I had three diagrams to upload about my static "bullet button".  But apparently you can only upload one image or picture per post-so far that I have seen that is.  So here is the 2nd diagram.  Like I said, I also plan to post actual photos once I can find my damn digital camera!

Update:  Found out you CAN upload more than one picture/photo at

a time.

 

And here is the third and final hand drawn diagram.  After this, like I said, I plan to post pictures of how I made it and what the final result looks like.  Be mindful, for all you perfectionists out there, that I am only trying to prove the concept at this point.  It is probable that some of you will not have the patience for this device.  But, if you are in the SRC, or a similar gun law state, it might be the difference between going to jail and going home and with your Thompson still in possession!

 

 

Okay!  Found my camera, and more importantly, an empty SD card!  So now I am posting the pictures of the real thing starting with the 1/16th steel plate I used.  The pattern shown is a variation on the one I drew and actually cut out of the steel plate.  Namely the blocking "tang" in the picture is longer than the one actually being used as shown in the later pictures. I drew it on the plate with the thought that I might need more length to get what I needed.   It can, and probably should, be cut down to the size I gave in the drawing. 

 

Steel plate pattern:

 

Okay so that was the plate I cut it from using a hack saw.

Next up is the actual "Static Bullet Button" from different angles and perspectives.  Some are a tad blurry.  Sorry I will try to update later:

 

My finger is pointing to the BLOCKER "static bullet button" just on the remote chance you didn't notice it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, I am going to end this post here for the sake of readablility.  The other pictures will follow soon inwhich I show the process of placing the BLOCKER on the frame and attaching the Rear Grip.

 

DOVE

 

Simple and effective. I like it. I tend to over think things sometimes and, as aside effect, over complicate them.

Now here is the next series of photo showing how the BLOCKER (my new, uncreative name for it) is placed between the Thompson Trigger Frame and the Rear Grip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Placing the Rear Grip over the blocker:

 

Adjusting the Rear Grip in order to get past the upraised portion of the Trigger Frame:

 

 

Fastening the Rear Grip to the Trigger Frame:

I plan to go shooting and try out the ergonomics of the placement.  Later I will smooth by sanding and coat the piece and then reassert it.  I will also post those photos for completion.

I hope this has been helpful.  I remind anyone that wants to use it that they must check their own state laws to see whether this would be legal.  For California, since your are forced to take off the rear grip in order to release the Magazine Catch Lever then the gun cannot be considered an assault rifle at that point.  The process precludes rapid magazine changes of course and by the law here you can ONLY take one magazine-the one attached to your rifle.

All hail the great evil that is liberalism!

 

Nice idea, I admit that i know nothing about your rules and regs. But if you are restricted to having only one mag in your possession at one time and hopefully not a screwdriver so you cannot reload the mag. Whats the Point. ( Just a Question??? )

Exactly.  However, that said, that is the liberal's politicians point of view and their exact intention on passing such laws.  It is blaringly obvious that the real purpose is NOT to stop crime, but rather to harass the legitimate gun owners by making it all seem pointless.   They really DO HOPE we will give up and just do as their nanny statism says!  And then give up our gun rights. 

Resisting them and their gun grabbing/limiting ways is vital!  THAT brother is why I have such guns.  Plus, you certainly cannot modify a gun back to its original configuration if you don't have it to begin with.  So it is way better to have a gun that is self-limited rather than none at all.

And of course, I love Thompsons, heavy tho they are.  Even if made ugly by limitations.

DOVE

Mech warrior wrote: Simple and effective. I like it. I tend to over think things sometimes and, as aside effect, over complicate them.

Naw...I do that too.  Overthink things that is.  This was in response to my CCW renewal class last weekend.  I found out to my distress that they could get you for intent simply by having extra mags along for your bullet button limited gun!  Like I said, Cali is a beautiful state with an extremely ugly and anti-US Constitution political face.  Only Chicago is worse--I think.  And what I don't get is how people don't see that the progressives (in Cali all Demos are Progs) are ALL about TAKING away freedom---not to mention our money!  And I want to fire all the demo/progs in Cali but the left coast overpowers the Central Valley.

DOVE

Update: 

Well, I installed the Blocker onto one of my 1928 SA Thompsons and took it out into the Sierra wilderness to test.  I was very pleased with the performance although there was a little trouble.  The Thompson performed flawlessly and I reaffirmed what I had figured out more than a year ago.  The rear grip of the Thompson is ABSOLUTELY necessary for the correct balance and correct shooting of the Thompson. 

The little grip nub I had on it simply wasn't enough of a hold to give good balance.  Everytime I shot the rifle before it always felt like my arms were too far out-extended ackwardly.  No doubt something to do with tendons.  It made shooting the Thompson somewhat unpleasant .  Now that has all changed!  Back in the Saddle again brothers!

The only trouble I had with the blocker was that the bolt hole in the blocker did not completely line up with the bolt hole on the gun.  It was off ever so slightly, but enough to make it difficult to screw into the frame.  I will have to take a dremel to it again, but it won't be a drastic modification.  I don't know why there is a difference except that the trigger frame shown in the photos in previous posts is of the M1 and the rifle I shot it in, as stated before, was the 1928 model.  I thought that the two Kahr Tompson trigger frames were identical.  The difference may be within blueprint specs however; so  the difference is really just a matter of tolerances.

 

That is great news! Hopefully you can enjoy shooting it more the way it was meant to be, with a grip to hold on to! Well done.