St. Louis Police Department to Sell 27 Tommy Guns

gunsamerica.com ^ | 6/1/2017 | Jordan Michaels

[archy]

I don’t think Thompson’s were available in any hardware store ever.

You don't know how or where Al Brady died in 1937, do you?

[Kickass Conservative]

Vic Morrow (Sarge) on the TV Show Combat carried one as I recall.

[Kickass Conservative]

Did the Civilian versions have Sling Mounts as well?

[DickBrannigan]

Makes me think of the line in Little Caesar “Gimme that chopper!”.

[PIF]

Nah, that was too long ago in 7th grade ... minute and obscure details about things that go bump in the nights of history must have escaped my overfull hard drive ...

[archy]

Did the Civilian versions have Sling Mounts as well?

Yes. Both the early 21 and 21AC versions, as well as the rare M1927A1 semiauto version, were usually fitted with sling swivels. The expected sling was the military Kerr sling developed during WWI as a substitute for the leather sling of the M1903 Springfield. The Kerr was frequently found on the M1917 Enfield rifle and M1897 Winchester Trench Gun as well.

Some 21/21AC Thompsons ordered with vertical front grips were not fitted with sling swivels on order, others had them mounted to the side of the vertical grip, as favored by the British after their introduction to the Thompson gun by the IRA, by then the *overstamp* M1921 guns with the final *1* in the model designation overstamped to an *8* were most common, some 5000 having been so modified by Colt, less those sold commercially as 21/21AC models. The side-mounted sling allowed easier use of the gun when prone, and when coupled with a rear sling swivel mounted on the top of the gun's buttstock, allowed easier carry slung in front of the user while moving on patrol.

[archy]

I heard that one of these weapons is reserved for a Norwegian named Roland in Eastern Nigeria. It’s the only firearm he uses.

The final song performed by the late Mr. Zevon on the now-also-deceased Letterman show, 30 October 2002. Not a bad finale at all.

[M1903A1]

The per-unit purchase price makes me think the guns were registered pre-1986. A post-86 registered Thompson has essentially no market and is virtually worthless in comparison.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

HERE is something that will bring a tear to your eyes!

[wbill]

My grandfather was supposed to carry one when he was over in Europe. Dumped it for a carbine. Said that it weighed a ton, and it was worse to keep fed.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"...the iconic rifles..."

I'd hardly call a Thompson sub-machine gun a 'rifle'.

[Big Red Badger]

Auto-Ordanance gets about 1200 bucks each.

[Big Red Badger]

Saving Private Ryan....

That hooked me on The Tommy Gun!

[M1903A1]

I think that was either Yugoslavia or Vietnam.

[Osage Orange]

A Thompson machine gun is not a rifle....

Who writes this stuff?

[Hot Tabasco]

The drum on that tommy gun held one heck of a lot of bullets..............LOL!

[rktman]

Erstwhile journalists. LOL!

[marktwain]

You might have been able to order them from the mail.

They were extremely expensive firearms for the times.

About $400, when gold was $20 an ounce.

Using that metric, the current price would be about $24,000 each.

[itsahoot]

I got to fire one once. What a beast. My father carried one in the war.

This is why the Thompson dissapeared.
Dirt cheap to stamp these.

When I went through Basic in the 50s we qualified with M1, M2 Carbine, BAR, Thompson, Grease Gun and I had to shoulder fire a Grenade from an M1. I can not recall if we did Bazooka and Mortar. We did do Grenades both Pineapple and the cheaper smooth stamped steel. I did do Quad 50's with National Guard and twin 40's, a couple lifetimes ago.

[itsahoot]

Dumped it for a carbine.

I read a comment from a wwII Iwo Jima survivor said you saw M1 and BARs laying everywhere but when he saw a Carbine it had a live soldier attached to it.

I have one and love it but Ammo is outrageous. Ruger's Mini 14 has close to the same feel, same rolling block design, but cheaper to shoot.