Thompson Model 1928, Korean War Commemorative
Official wording
Auto Ordnance, Korean War Commemorative, Thompson Model 1928, cal. .45.
What this entry requires
- ATF REQUIRESYour firearm is this edition: “Korean War Commemorative”
- INFOATF states no date; production was about 1975–1986.
- INFOStill an NFA firearm; only registered examples transfer, with ATF approval (26 U.S.C. 5812, 5861).
Editorial facts · Our research
- Country
United StatesBasis: no citation - Manufacturer
- Auto-Ordnance Corp., West Hurley, NYBasis: outside reference ²
- Type
- SMGBasis: outside reference ³
- Action
- Select-fire / autoBasis: no citation
- Caliber
- .45 ACPBasis: the ATF wording
- Made
- c. 1975–1986production; ATF states no dateBasis: outside reference ¹
- Service
- Commercial
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section IV · PDF p. 82 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: Medium · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. smallarmsreview.com ↗, years: Numrich Arms (West Hurley, NY) began full-auto and semi-auto 1928 Thompsons under the Auto-Ordnance name in 1975; production ceased in 1986; commemorative 1928 versions were made, some placed on the C&R list
- 2. Wikipedia, “Auto-Ordnance Corporation” ↗, maker: Numrich Arms operated Auto-Ordnance from the 1950s until 1999
- 3. Wikipedia, “Thompson submachine gun” ↗, type: infobox type submachine gun; ATF names the Thompson Model 1928, and every Thompson is an SMG.
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- 2 changes · see below
Correction history
- Data-trust reviewEditorial confidence: Low → Medium. West Hurley select-fire 1928 production ran 1975–1986 (Iannamico, Small Arms Review)
- Data-trust reviewYears: 1970–1986 → 1975–1986. West Hurley select-fire 1928 production ran 1975–1986 (Iannamico, Small Arms Review)
Historical context

Image: Wikimedia Commons, “Thompson submachine gun noBG.png” by National Park Service, CC BY-SA 3.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “Thompson submachine gun”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The Thompson submachine gun is a blowback-operated, selective-fire submachine gun invented and developed by Brigadier General John T. Thompson, a United States Army officer, in 1918. It was designed to break the stalemate of trench warfare of World War I, although early models did not arrive in time for actual combat. The Thompson saw early use by the United States Marine Corps during the Banana Wars, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Irish Republican Army, and the Republic of China; the FBI, previously an unarmed agency, adopted their use following the 1933 Kansas City massacre.