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LOT 1388
Excellent Colt Model 1921 Thompson Submachine
Gun, Class III/NFA C&R Fully Transferable Machine Gun - Serial no. 7271, 45 ACP cal., 10 1/2
inch fluted round bbl., blue finish, walnut stock. This is an excellent example of an early fully automatic Colt Model 1921 Thompson submachine gun. One of the most famous submachine
guns in the world, the Thompson SMG rates as one of the truly signature American weapons. The Thompson was sought out by both law enforcement
and lawbreakers during the “Public Enemy” and depression era of American history, used by some of America’s most notorious gangsters and the cops trying to take them down, and the later Thompson variants would see service from World War II up to Vietnam.
Per the records in Herigstad’s “Colt Thompson Submachine Gun” (page 743), this Thompson is listed as a “1921AC” as part of a one-piece order, shipped to Kay County Sheriffs
Office in Newkirk, Oklahoma on August 10th, 1933, then is later listed for sale by Law
Enforcement Ordnance Co. of Athens, Georgia on September 17th, 1976, then for sale from the Bob Miller estate out of Cedar Park, Texas in March 1994, then sold by Rock Island Auction Company on
September 10th, 2010, then sold to dealer Dennis Todd in 2010, then to a private collection in 2011. It is estimated
that approximately 15,000 sets of 1921 parts were produced with almost all of those parts being later used to produced the more successful later M1928A1 configuration, making these early 1921 SMGs a very scarce weapon. This Thompson exhibits excellent, factory quality polished blue finish, with a blade front sight on the unmarked Cutts-style compensator as outfitted in the “AC” configuration, flip-up Lyman rear sight graduated to 600 yards, proper witness marks on the finned barrel and receiver, and the circled “JHB” inspectors mark of Major John Barret directly behind the
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ejection port. The trigger housing is numbered to match the receiver, with knurled controls, and the internals are proper 1921 pattern with the large spring and spring guide, articulated firing pin, brass Blish lock, and felt pad oiler. Fitted with a pair of pistol grips and a
quick-detach buttstock, the latter correctly stamped with an “anchor” and holding a nickel finished oiler in the butt trap. The gun is accompanied with one 20-round Seymour Products Co. stick magazine.