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Old October 7, 2017, 09:05 PM   #1
mrcub63
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Auto Ordinance 1927A1

Hi all, I’m new to the forum, thanks for the add and help you can give. I have a AO 1927A1 semi-auto, I need some recommendations for ammo, what’s the best type/brand?....thank you
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Old October 8, 2017, 01:51 AM   #2
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Mrcub63, Welcome aboard! Glad to have you amongst us.

There probably isn't going to be a "best brand", and maybe not even a "Best type". They're all going to be held to some manner of industry standards. For figuring out the ins and outs and getting to know the rifle's habits, you ought to be fine with just about any 230grain FMJ from Remington UMC, Winchester White box, CCI Brass, Aguila, Monarch brass, S&B, etc.

I realize it would be comforting for one of us to give you something specific to sink your teeth into, but the reality is that your 1927 probably just isn't going to be that particular. You might notice different points of impact, or one brand might be a little cleaner than others, but just about any quality ammo from a reputable manufacturer ought to work.

Have fun!
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Old October 8, 2017, 02:02 AM   #3
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Welcome to tfl!!

I have had one of those guns for some time now, one of the last ones made before Kahr took over.

The factory will tell you to only run FMJ ammo. I won't tell you any different, but I will tell you my gun runs on handloads, 230gr FMJ, 230gr LRN, 200gr LSWC, and also 185gr JHP.

If you shoot lead, you need to watch what you shoot, as the higher velocity from the longer barrel can result in leading where the same ammo won't in a pistol. (this would be with "borderline" soft slugs.) Hard cast has never given me any trouble.

Despite a heavy "spongey" trigger, my gun has done 5 shots in 2" off the bench and using the ladder sight, I can ring the 200yd rifle going.

US military surplus or 230gr fmj from any major ammo maker should be fine in your gun. Beyond that, its a matter of individual guns, some seem to eat everything, others are more .. picky.

I find the stick mags utterly reliable (properly converted for the semi auto) but I have not yet gotten my drum mag to run as well as stick mags.

The semi Tommy gun is fun, and darn heavy. Not "practical" so sneered at by some, but some things don't need to be modern state of the art to be fun.
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Old October 8, 2017, 02:52 AM   #4
mrcub63
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Thanks so much for the reply and information, it helps a lot, one last thing....Is brass casing the same as FMJ?... thank you
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Old October 8, 2017, 06:53 AM   #5
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The brass casing is the portion that holds the projectile (the FMJ: Full Metal Jacket). The casing is also what holds the powder and the primer. Some casings (cases) are steel, and some folks may advocate their use, but I just haven't warmed up to the idea yet. The boxes will say whether or not they are "Steel Case" if not, you can safely assume it's a Brass cased ammunition lot.

http://www.sgammo.com/product/45-aut...ase-ammo-sb45a ...This is but one example of brass cased Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) ammo.

http://www.sgammo.com/product/45-aut...rmance-ammo-ba ...And here's an example of Steel Case Full Metal Jacket ammo.

Full Metal Jacket means there is a metal 'jacket' surrounding a lead core. An opposite of a FMJ would be a LSWC or Lead Ball in which there is only a bare lead projectile. There's tons of variations, but for just the basics- this will get you started on the right path.

Please pardon me if I seem rather forward, but you seem a tad new to shooting sports. Would you have someone nearby who has some familiarity with firearms and shooting? A trainer, mentor, guide, or such might make your experience in learning both more fun, educational, and perhaps safer.
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Last edited by 10-96; October 8, 2017 at 06:59 AM.
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Old October 8, 2017, 11:34 AM   #6
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Well I’m new to the WWII vintage type weapons and I want to be correct as possible to what ammo to use, these guns are old and can be finicky with ammo. The terminology is also different depending on what you’re reading so I just want to make sure that one persons FMJ may mean something else. The manual for the AO Thompson describes this for ammo....Brass case 230 grain .45 ACP Ball ammunition. LOL so I apologize for some pretty dumb or obvious questions....thanks for your help, it did clear that up for me.
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Old October 8, 2017, 11:54 AM   #7
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That'd be Auto Ordnance, not Auto Ordinance. An ordinance is a law.
"...the best type/brand..." There is no best anything. You have to try a box of as many brands as you can to find the ammo your Chopper will shoot best and cycle the action. The price of said ammo means nothing. Or reload. Shooting jacketed ammo gets expensive in a hurry.
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Old October 8, 2017, 12:04 PM   #8
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Yikes, I didn’t catch that, thanks for the correction and information.
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Old October 8, 2017, 01:43 PM   #9
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FMJ = Full metal jacket

No exposed lead visible

The Tommy gun was built to run on the same ammo as the USGI 1911A1 pistol, a 230gr round nose full metal jacket bullet at a nominal 850fps from the 5" pistol barrel.

the slang term is "ball ammo".

also known as "Hardball"

Most ammunition is brass cased. Steel cased ammo is out there, but is inferior to brass in many aspects. It is, however, cheaper.

There is also aluminum cased ammo. One brand is CCI BLAZER.

Read the box carefully, as CCI sells BLAZER Brass and Blazer aluminum cased ammo. Blazer aluminum works, but I will not recommend it, as I am a dedicated reloader and both steel and aluminum are essentially non reloadable.

hope this helps
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Old October 8, 2017, 05:07 PM   #10
mrcub63
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Saw it on target sports USA thanks
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Old October 8, 2017, 05:27 PM   #11
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I run a lot of steel cased ammo in my 1911. I like it because you don't have to go chasing brass and it's cheap enough to do that.
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Old October 8, 2017, 05:42 PM   #12
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A little late to the game but can give a first hand answer....Mine shoots 230 grain ball ammo perfectly and also eats my 200 grain plated bullet handloads. It has never hiccuped on a factory 230 grain ball round....Even the cheap factory ball ammo functioned great.

If you don't handload you might want to consider starting! I've only done it once but a 50 round mag dump (even with a semi-auto Tommy) can get expensive if you do it frequently.....
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Old October 9, 2017, 03:32 PM   #13
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Quote:
If you don't handload you might want to consider starting! I've only done it once but a 50 round mag dump (even with a semi-auto Tommy) can get expensive if you do it frequently.....
Try being in my shoes...

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Old October 9, 2017, 07:18 PM   #14
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Just don't shoot any steel cased ammo.
This comes from Eastern Europe with names like Wolf, Brown Bear, etc.
It's usually easy to recognize steel cased ammo by the black or greenish color of the coating on the cases.
Brass cased ammo is either brass colored or nickel and a magnet will not stick to it.

Steel cased ammo is known to cause extractor breakage in the Auto Ordnance and the company strongly recommends not to shoot any steel in the Thompson.
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Old October 10, 2017, 08:21 PM   #15
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Thanks
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