Thompson in the woodwork!

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DonP

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A guy a town over from me in Lockport, Illinois was on the local news last night.

Good News:
It seems he was remodeling his older home and tore out a plaster wall and found a brand new 1928 Thompson, complete with Cutts compensator, original bill of sale from 1940, a couple of stick magazines and a few boxes of .45 ACP behind the plaster.

Absolutely perfect shape, great bluing and untouched walnut stocks. The TV picture alone made me drool.

Bad News:
He called the Lockport police who "took the gun from him and it will probably not be returned" according to the newsie type on the report.

I'm betting it finds its way into either the Lockport Police Chiefs closet at home or to one of the gun auction sites. My hunch is that the $15,000 plus it probably fetches will not find its way back to the finder.

I told my wife that if that was our home that report would have never been on TV. It's enough to make me want to start tearing out walls if my house wasn't new. Dang!
 
My hunch is that the $15,000 plus it probably fetches will not find its way back to the finder.
Click to expand...

Unless he's got the registration papers, it's worth about $.10

Scrap metal.
 
Wow.
If I were that man I'd be crying.
But then if I were him no one would ever know about it. >_>
 
It's not worth 10 years in jail to me... I would've done the same, except probably kept the reciept, ammo, and mags. Possibly any parts, too. Just turn in the receiver itself, the contraband part.
 
found a brand new 1928 Thompson, complete with Cutts compensator, original bill of sale from 1940, a couple of stick magazines and a few boxes of .45 ACP behind the plaster.
Click to expand...

If it were bought new in 1940, it should be registered. Whats the legality of transfering something like that to you?

Nedless to say, if it were me, it would be packed away back into the wall, waiting for the registration to reopen.
 
There has to be a way for this guy to register his machine gun. If I were him I would have called the ATF instead of the local police. I also would have asked for a receipt when they took the gun away.
 
Wait, was the gun made in 1928 or was it a model 1928?
(Not too familiar with Thompsons)
I figure if it was made in 1928 and sold in 1940 it wouldn't be in all that great of a condition, though.
 
1928 is the model. It has a higher rate of fire than the later models. I'd have put it back and done the ap for a class III.
 
No sympathy at all. If he's dumb enough to call the Illinois PD he's entirely too dumb to own a Tommy. Yeesh, wadda maroon.
 
PMDW, or anyone in the know. Why would this person NOT be able to register the weapon? A good point made-the weapon had, or at least we hope it had been NFA registered once upon a time to someone.

The weapon was made before the 1986 ban. Does the original owner have to be alive in order to make the transfer?

What, besides gun grabbing judges, DA's and the state government would cause this weapon to be consigned to the furnace?

I'm busy lookin for my drywall knife :D
 
Federal law

"What, besides gun grabbing judges, DA's and the state government would cause this weapon to be consigned to the furnace?"

The fact that the NFA/Class III roster is CLOSED and has been for years. In short, if it was not registered by the deadline, it cannot be registered. Period. :eek:
 
Hate to break it to you, but sorry - you've been brainwashed.

Thompson SMGs were manufactured and sold legally throughout America. That's right, the America your dad and grand-dad grew up in - not some war torn third world nation. That's right, Americans used to be allowed to own these weapons, now they're not. Neat trick no?

There is a book about the Thompson in the library,

Title: The gun that made the Twenties roar, / by William J. Helmer
Main Author: Helmer, William J.
Publisher: New York : Macmillan, 1969
Subject(s): Thompson submachine gun

Location: Main Collection
Call Number: UF 620 T56 H4 1969
Number of Items: 1
Status: Item is available


In it you can see actualy advertisements. The marketing guys back then had trouble figuring out their target market, so the advertisements showed farmers (target demographic) fending off bands of bandits.

AND THIS WAS ALL LEGAL. If you were to travel back in time and tell them all the restrictions on firearms ownership in your time they would be appalled.


Just and FYI. You've been brainwashed into thinking certain firearms are equivalent to evil itself. Unless the police use it, then it's a weapon of virtue and truth and goodness.
 
As 2nd Amendment said, too stupid to own it.

But if he was a true gun lover he should have put the wall work on hold until he found out what happens with the 1986 ban.

At the very least he should have stripped everything off of the receiver and given just the receiver to the cops...

Me I never was too particular for the Thompson anyway. Ergonomics are lousy. MP5, yeah baby. Rock and Roll and 3-rd burst. Then again I think I would still rather have a full auto Glock, Steyr TMP, or AR pistol with 3-rd burst and push sling, in 5.45x39 no less.
 
Hey Thompson was almost 100 years early with the forward pistol grip. Today no M4gery is complete without one.
 
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