Page 350 - 4090-BOOK2

LOT 1491
Police Documented Colt Thompson Model
1921 Submachine Gun, Class III/NFA C&R Fully
Transferable Machine Gun, with Accessories -
Serial no. 12979, 45 ACP cal., 10 1/2 inch fluted bbl.,
blue finish, walnut stock. One of the most famous
submachine guns in the world, the Thompson SMG
rates as one of the truly signature American weapons.
While advancements in manufacturing techniques and
materials would allow later designs to match or exceed
the Thompson’s performance, none of them have
managed to do the job with the same level of style
and craftsmanship. The Thompson, a product of old-
school hand craftsmanship, is virtually synonymous
with the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression, being
found on both sides of the law during the “gangland”
era of American history, and also serving on all Allied
fronts of World War II, where it stood tall among its
more cost-effective stamped steel substitutes. The
records in Herigstad’s “Colt Thompson Submachine
Gun” (page 1019) show this 1921 as having been
shipped in “1921AC” configuration as part of a 4-piece
shipment to the Springfield Police Department of
Springfield, Ohio, on an unspecified date, and later
released to dealer J. Curtis Earl in 1971. A previous owner reached out to Springfield PD for more info and received copies of the department’s correspondence with Earl about trading a batch of Thompson and Reising SMGs for other police equipment. Blade front sight on the Cutts-marked compensator and folding Lyman rear sights, standard 1921 nomenclature and markings on the receiver, with the matching numbered trigger housing fitted with knurled control surfaces and proper “FULL/AUTO”/”SINGLE” and “FIRE”/”SAFE” switch configuration. Internals are proper 1921 pattern, with Blish Lock mechanism, heavyweight recoil spring, and spring steel oiler. With dual pistol grips and a quick detach buttstock with a small “anchor” stamp on the front. Included with the lot are five extra stick magazines, one five-cell tan canvas magazine pouch, and two canvas cases.
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LISTED BY SERIAL NUMBER IN THE BOOK COLT THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN SERIAL NUMBERS & HISTORIES, VOL. I BY HERIGSTAD