Reducing Thor to Mortal Proportions

Manufactured by Tanfoglio in Italy and imported by European American Armory Corp., Thor is designed to accompany skilled big-gamers who have little fear of going after lion, rhino, grizzly or Alaskan brown bear with a single-shot pistol. A genuine hand-cannon, the gun is available in at least 11 calibers, the smallest being .223. From there, Thor just becomes more formidable all the way up to .45-70 and .50 SW.

Regardless of chambering, the barrel is 14 inches long with polygonal rifling, overall length is 16 inches, and the empty weight is five pounds. Though it may look somewhat odd at first, look again and I think you’ll notice something very familiar about the Thor. That’s right, it’s built on a M1911 frame.

Except for the magazine release, which serves as a barrel-latch release on the Thor, the receiver can be taken apart, serviced, and reassembled like any other M1911. (The barrel latch assembly [#20] is removed/ reinstalled in the same manner as a M1911 magazine latch.) Right top: European American Armory’s Thor is sharply focused on hunters having the skill and experience to go after large game with a single-shot pistol, but it could easily find other targets. Right bottom: The Thor is constructed tightly.

The first few times the gun is field stripped, it may be necessary to use an 8-ounce hammer and a nylon drift to separate the carriage from the frame. The other new addition to the frame is located at the back end, and is identified as the hammer-safety cross pin (#8). It prevents the barrel from being closed unless the hammer is in the half-cock position—a position to be remembered at all times.

No attempt to open the action with the hammer fully forward should ever be made; damage to the firing pin could be the result. I’ll make you a bet. I’m betting that someday soon the new owner of a Thor will walk into your shop wondering why he can’t get the action open. "It’s too tight," he’ll say. You’ll get a firm hold on the frame to depress the grip safety, half-cock

the hammer, press in on the barrel latch with your thumb, and give the top of the barrel a solid rap or two out near the muzzle with a rubber or rawhide mallet. The owner will wince and cast a hostile glare in your direction, but the rear of the action will pivot up on the forward carriage and barrel cross pin (#15). The ejector assembly (#2, 3, 4, and 5) will rise with it. (There’s no ejector in the frame.) To remove the barrel, push the forward cross pin left to right.

The pin need not be pushed out completely; allow it to come to Reinstalling it is easier and less hazardous to the pin if it is not totally drifted out. Just move it sufficiently to allow removal of the latch. Ba stop by not forcing it. You now have a complete barrel assembly, a frame with carriage (#16) attached, and the wrap-around grips are off. You can’t get into the frame without separating it from the carriage. You’re about to find out the carriage is on as tight or tighter than was the barrel.

After pushing out the rearmost cross pin (#15), you have to drive A

1 Barrel Latch 2 Ejector Pin 3 Ejector Pin Stop 4 Plate Pin and Ejector Pin Stop 5 Ejector Spring Guide and Plate Guide 6 Firing Pin 7 Bolt Stop Pin 8 Hammer Safety Cross Pin 9 Firing Pin Spring 10 Bolt Block 11 Bolt Block Plunger Spring (2) 13 Bolt Block Plunger 14 Firing pin Stop Plate 15 Carriage & Barrel Cross Pin (2) 16 Carriage 17 Bolt Block Pins 18 Safety Guide Rod 19 Grip Screw Washer EAA Thor Single-Shot Pistol 20 Latch Button 21 Sear Lever Pin 22 Hammer Pin 23 Safety 24 Grip 25 Grip Screws (2) 27 Main Housing Pin 28 Bottom Plate Guide Stop 29 Plate Guide Stop Spring 30 Bottom Plate Guide 33 Bottom Plate 34 Bottom Plate Screw 35 Mainspring Housing 36 Mainspring Cap Pin 37 Mainspring Housing Pin Retainer 38 Mainspring 39 Mainspring Guide 40 Sear Spring 41 Assembled Trigger 42 Grip Safety 43 Safety Plunger 44 Safety Plunger Spring 45 Front Plunger 46 Frame 49 Latch Stop Pin 50 Latch Spring Plunger 51 Latch Stop 52 Hammer Rod 53 Hammer 54 Hammer Rod Pin 55 Interrupter (Disconnector) 56 Sear Lever 57 Extractor 58 Extractor Plate 59 Extractor Spring 61 Receiver 62 Latch Pin 63 Barrel Pin 64 Barrel 65 Carriage Pin Stop 66 Extractor Edge Pin 67 Extractor Edge 68 Extractor Edge Stop 69 Elastic Ring Pin Stop