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Sad tale of a 1921 Thompson.

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Feanaro

Feanaro

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Mar 29, 2003
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Leeds, AL.
Today I inventoried a Thompson SMG, model of 1921. Serial number 110. I'm sure you can guess what kind of organization owns it. Didn't get to "play" with it long. The buttstock felt a little loose but otherwise it seemed to be in prime condition. There is a 1921, serial number in the 3000 range, on gunsamerica right now for $50,000. It broke my heart to hold this babe, because the gun isn't going anywhere. It's not transferable. :banghead:
 
That's sad. Those are one of my favorite SMGs, oozing with history.

Why can't we have a humane society for abandoned weapons?

"Fun loving old Thompson needs a caring home for proper care and long term companionship. Likes walks, cuddling, and long full-auto bursts. $200 adoption fee"
 
I remember the guy who found one a couple years ago in the wall of an old house he was renovating. (Chicago I think)
It was in a case, with ALOT of ammo and mags.

DUMB@$$ called the cops when he found it and then was ticked off when they took it.
 
What kind of organization does this Thompson belong to? What will happen to it?

Something needs to be done in the United States to lift the ban on machine guns and all the import crap. I mean, a Thompson would be the holy grail of my collection, but as of now...:fire:
 
What kind of organization does this Thompson belong to?
Click to expand...

Starts with "po" and the rest of the letters form the name of a bug that gets in your hair.

What will happen to it?
Click to expand...

So far as I know, it will sit in a dark room until Judgement Day.
 
I remember the guy who found one a couple years ago in the wall of an old house he was renovating. (Chicago I think)
It was in a case, with ALOT of ammo and mags.

DUMB@$$ called the cops when he found it and then was ticked off when they took it.
Click to expand...

And what would you have him do? Stash it away until the next generation found it? Take it out and play with it until somebody noticed and got him put in the pen?
 
As for that Thompson found in the wall: you bet the guy should have kept it. Fondle it, strip it, clean it, oil it up, and cache it. Better it sit till judgment day on my property than in a police warehouse, or worse. I know I would.
 
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Yep, I would clean one up, and get it packed for preservation. Then again, I live out in the middle of nowhere, so I wouldn't have a problem. I could even fire it some if I wanted, but I would be afraid of breaking parts.
 
SFPD has over 30 of them and one of them was originally purchased by the Federal Prison System (probably Alcatraz). How SFPD acquired it is unknown to them too. None were registered and none are transferrable. Too bad.
 
How SFPD acquired it is unknown to them too.
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A similar situation here. When asked why a PD with fewer than 20 employees has a Thompson SMG sitting in some back room, the answer is a puzzled look.
 
thompson

I remember back in 1993 a police distributor was trying to get rid of some for a minimal price. I begged , pleaded and even promised to the boses car etc.
They were hung up on buying some 9mm austrian sub gun or m-16's.. We even took a collection to buy a lot of them at the low low super steal price Of $ 50.00 each . No not a misprint And they refused !!!!!!!!!!!
So anyways after many years I finally found a semi m1 thats sitting in safe and stuck with a colt frankenstein 16 or the old gm hydromatic division m16 for work.
 
I had a chance to buy a Thompson from a good friend of mine. Don't know if it was registered or not, but he only wanted $1,000. for it. I don't recall the model, but he had several stick mags. The reason I didn't buy it was because our local sheriff would not allow civies to have full auto.

I was young and nieve. If that were to happen today I'd just give him the $ and run.
 
I remember the guy who found one a couple years ago in the wall of an old house he was renovating. (Chicago I think)
It was in a case, with ALOT of ammo and mags.
Click to expand...

He should have called Geraldo, I think that was what he was looking for a few years back.:neener:
 
Lots of small town police forces have surprising stuff in their armories. Back when it was easy for private citizens to by full-auto stuff, it was easy for LE too and the prices weren't insane. Also, some of the stuff they have they confiscated and kept, accountability wasn't always the sacred thing it is now.
Why they have it varies from place to place. Here in PA, lots of podunk departments have/had Thompsons and such because they thought they needed them to deal with unrest amongst the miners and steel workers. Other regions, no doubt, had other groups who the police needed to keep in their place.
 
I could be wrong, but I think that gun can get papers for transfer if it was bought long ago and registered it. If they traded it to a class 3 dealer for some cheap selective fire M-4s or MP5s I've been told the dealer then can sell it as a transferable MG. If a dealer knows otherwise please let me know.
 
Quite a number of years ago now, when I was living in another state, I agreed to help a friend who's father (a WW2 vet) had died clean out his house. In the attic we found an old chest, which when we opened, contained a WW2 army uniform, a belt with mag pouches, a Colt 1911 in a holster, and ... a 1928A1 Thompson, wrapped up in some kind of oil paper.
My friend's jaw would have hit the ground if it was physiologically possible.


And, no; I have NO IDEA what he did with it........
 
SHHHHH!
I know a WW2 vet who went to jail for possessing a genuine STEN gun 'off the books."
 
Man, that stinks. I'd pay a few thousand for a real deal Thompson right now. I might shoot it once or twice, but they're so cool and have so much history the collector value alone is worth a few thousand to me. But there's no way I could afford, or even be willing to pay if I had it, $30-50,000 for one of them.

I don't know if the price would ever drop that low even if the registry was reopened, but at least someone would be more likely to afford one...someone who would really appreciate it, not just someone who has loads of cash just to buy something someone else can't get.
 
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