Post by Mark (Ref also:- https://mp40modelguns.forumotion.net/modelgun-reviews-f4/new-hudson-m1a1-thompson-8ace-s-review-t730.htm#5624)The Hudson M1A1 (Standard version)
The Hudson M1A1 is a great modelgun that is almost required to have if you like WW 2 Thompson's. Hudson has done an excellent job on the M1A1, in fact, they did a far better job at reproducing the Thompson feel than MGC has in the past or present. I waited some time to obtain one of these Thompsons and it is the "Standard" version that i received from forum member Francky1958.
First off, the Hudson M1A1 being all metal construction, is a fairly heavy modelgun and weighs almost 10 LBS or 3500 g! This of course, posses some problems with the shipping cost as it weighs so much. The Hudson M1A1 has a really solid feel that makes it seem that it will take abuse well and it's very nice looking too.
When i received it, i tore open the package to find a carefully wrapped Hudson M1A1 Thompson along with a separately wrapped magazine, cartridges, a warrantee card and thin somewhat cheap looking instruction sheet..When i un-wrapped the M1A1, it looked great and was exactly what i expected it would look like.
Just what is a standard version? I was wondering that myself, as the only difference that i could see in the other Hudson M1A1's like the "parkerized" versions, was of course, the finish.
As i couldn't stand to not handle my new toy, I quickly became curious about the gas bypass and the "open" barrel that i had read about and i would research the standard specifics later.
So, i tried blowing some air down the barrel to check how well the bypass system worked..Funny, i thought, there was no sign of air escaping out the breach area! Really curious now, i disassembled it and looked closer, i then noticed that the holes for the gas bypass system where not drilled from the factory! Could this be an option, an up-grade or simply a mistake? Looking at the castings and the half drilled holes in the barrel and the chamber/lower receiver gas by pass, i decided to drill out the passages myself. I used a rechargeable drill and some drill bits. The zinc proved to be soft and it was easy to drill.
The wood color and the shape of the hand grip are wrong compared to the real M1/M1A1 Thompson, as they originally used Walnut or stained Beech wood stocks,grips and forearms. Also, the hand grips where shaped and felt a little better than the Hudson version. To look correct, the grips need to be stripped of finish, re-shaped and stained a dark red walnut color. Hudson uses a proper looking (zinc alloy) butt-plate and it actually has a working oilier/cleaning kit etc.compartment lid as well as the recess in the stock. The stock has the re-enforced stock cross bolt as well..
The brushed finish Bluing is awesome and it looks deep too, it also doesn't look off color like allot of various other all zinc modelguns that sometimes look like they have a blue/green/black color to them.. The M1/M1A1 was originally blued from the factory during the second world war so, the bluing is the correct finish.
The markings on the receiver, at the first glance,are very correct looking except for the MFG HUDSON and the "Hudson" in the Thompson bullet trademark. Otherwise, it has AUTO ORDNANCE CORPORATION BRIDGEPORT. CONNECTICUT. U.S.A. on the RH side, the "bullet" with the HUDSON in the center with TRADE MARK REG.U.S. PAT.OFF. on the top and then, THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN CALIBER 45 M1A1 MFG HUDSON on the LH side.
Hudson thankfully, choose to produce the M1A1 version instead of the early/late M1. So, this model of course, has the M1A1 items like the rear sight w/protective wings and the "rod" style selector/safety switches as well as the cross-bolt re-enforced butt stock .
The Hudson M1A1 disassembly closely follows (if not completely) the original M1/M1A1 Thompson and is one of the very few modelguns that you can follow the real firearms field stripping procedures. Not many modelguns can claim this as they usually don't or can't follow the original firearms disassembly due to manufacturing,cost and legal concerns.
To "field strip" the Hudson M1A1:
1. Remove the magazine and set the selector to full auto and place the safety in the fire position.
2. Ease the bolt forward slowly if it is in the charged position.(never let the bolt slam forward on an empty chamber)
3. With the bolt in the fired (fully forward) position, flip the gun over so the pistol grip is pointing up and the upper receiver is on a table or other solid surface.
4. Then, with the Right Hand, wrap your thumb around the pistol grip and place one of your fingers on the trigger and pull it to the rear and hold it.
5. Reach around with your Left Hand, and locate the small disassembly button (just above the stock and just under the back of the receiver) then press this button in.
6. After the disassembly button has been depressed, slide the lower grip frame assembly off while still holding the trigger in the rearward position.
7. With the lower receiver removed and the upper receiver on a solid surface, push in the large "button"(spring guide) at the rear of the upper receiver.
8. Pushing in the recoil spring guide will release the rubber/steel buffer assembly and allow them to be removed while holding the spring guide.
9. Holding the spring guide, slowly release the recoil spring's tension to prevent the guide from escaping out the upper receiver's rear and remove the recoil spring.
10. pull the bolt rearward and slightly upwards until the bolt handle aligns with the notch in the bolt track.
11. Then, pull the bolt handle out as well as the bolt from the receiver. This completes the disassembly procedure.
To reassemble:
1. Replace the bolt into the upper receiver and align the bolt handle hole to the cut in the bolt handles track and replace the bolt handle.
2. With the bolt and the handle in place, and place the recoil spring into it's hole in the bolt but, before attempting to place the recoil spring into place, put the spring guide into it's hole in the receiver.
3. Using both hands, trap the recoil spring with the receiver and the recoil spring guide ( this is the hardest part!) while trying not to bend or kink the recoil spring.
4. With the recoil spring in place and the guide under control, put the rubber and steel buffer assembly back in place (rubber side facing the bolt) and release the pressure on the guide.
5. Holding the trigger to the rear, place the lower receiver on it's rails and slide it forwards until it stops.
6. Reach under the receiver and ensure that the small disassembly button returns to it's locked position.
7. Do a quick function check to ensure correct assembly. That's it!
The Hudson M1A1 has many great details that perhaps only the much more expensive and hard to find CMC or Tanaka M1A1's have. The legendary MGC Thompson actually looks somewhat crude in comparison as the MGC Thompson's have several manufacturing and detail "short cuts" in their construction that detract from the overall realism and they are:
1. The magazine catch assembly is held on with an incorrect "C" clip. (The Hudson's magazine catch is retained by it's spring and the catch itself)
2. The MGC's bolt does not stay open on the last shot like the real Thompson.(The Hudson has all the necessary parts for this feature to work)
3. The MGC's "combination" spring on the side of the lower receiver is cast into the lower and does not function. Instead, MGC has detent balls and coil springs inside the lower receiver for the selector and the safety switches and the internals don't resemble real Thompson parts. (Hudson has a real "combination" spring and realistic parts in their lower receivers)
4. The MGC's bolt assembly doesn't resemble a real Thompson's bolt or assembly. (The Hudson's bolt, even though it has one hollow side, looks correct)
5. Although, the older MGC Thompson had a "open barrel" the newer barrels are plugged.(Hudson provides a gas by-pass that allows smoke to exit the barrel)
To MGC's credit, they do have a very nice 1921 Thompson modelgun even though it has some details that aren't quite right and no manufacturer (other than Marushin's 3/4 scale modelgun attempt) has produced a 1921 Thompson. Also, the real 1921 Thompson's bolt had a separate charging handle that was too complicated to reproduce cheaply. But, as flawed as the MGC Thompson appears to be, everyone's modelgun collection needs at least one MGC Thompson!
Problems,Problems!
The Hudson M1A1 out of the box, really needs a good tune-up to run right as i ( and claymore) quickly discovered!
1. The extractor pin: The extractor is held in place in the bolt by a very long and small steel pin that is staked in place on the bottom due to an oversize hole. This oversize hole and the slight staking strikes sometimes allows the extractor pin to walk out of place and can lock-up the action. CORRECTION: The pin needs to be checked and re-staked in place to make sure it doesn't move.
2. Check the detonator and make sure that it's retaining screw is tight from the factory! My detonator was loose and caused an immediate jamb.. CORRECTION: Remove and tighten the retaining screw
3. The underside of the cylindrical portion of the bolt is too rough and it causes drag on the cartridges in the magazine as it runs over them. CORRECTION: Polish or sand the bottom of the cylindrical section smooth to eliminate the drag.
4. The supplied 20 round magazine would try to feed two rounds at a time! The bolt strangely, would catch the top round and then, for some unexplained problem, it would slightly catch the opposite round and try to push it out of the magazine. Which would then jamb that round into the bottom of the feed ramp. This occurrence baffled me for some time and was very irritating to say the least! After a while, i thought that it might be a defective magazine or a bad magazine catch that was placing the rounds too high in the magazine, causing the bolt to contact both rounds..CORRECTION: Tap the magazine feed lips slightly downward with a brass hammer until the second round clears the bolt as the bolt is eased forward. The magazine lips where bent wrong from the factory causing the rounds to be placed up too high in the magazine and in the way of the bolt face
The afore mentioned problems above resulted in a few hours of time,wasted caps and frustration!! But, that's strangely why i am attracted to this hobby as it adds to my knowledge and i like to tinker..I tried MGC pistons in the Hudson cartridges thinking that the hole in their crown might release gas pressure too fast. They worked but, that was before i had discovered the other problems, so, i am going back to the Hudson pistons for now. I also, ended up polishing the feed ramp as it was very rough..And you can see the ramp in this picture
Also, i tried increasing the bolts weight as i feel that it is much too light as the friction from the dual cartridges and the rough bolt fooled me into believing that the bolt was too light..So, i melted down some lead 9mm bullets and then pouring the molten lead into the open cavity on the side of the (aluminum) M1A1's bolt. This added weight helped the Hudson feel so much heavier and it increases the felt recoil too!
All-in-all, the Hudson M1A1 is an awesome modelgun despite the initial problems! And, if you like the M1/M1A1 Thompson's, the Hudson is really worth having! So, if you can afford one be sure not to miss the Hudson M1A1 which ever version that you get!
Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:45 pm
