They don't make them like they used to.

[xoxoxoBruce]

I doubt Black & Decker is to blame for the wiring, it's obvious somebody has messed with it. I suspect the chuck has been replaced too, keyless chucks were pretty rare in those days.

I have a B&D industrial drill from way back, probably WW I era. The cord had been replaced with a heavy duty 25 ft cord courtesy of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, where my Ex-father-in-law stole it. It's a big two handed drill but only a 3/8 chuck.
The odd thing is the trigger mechanism, pull and release it's on, pull and release it's off. This rolling block trigger is really disconcerting to us used to modern triggers. I replaced it with a newer trigger but saved the original so it could be restored.