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Chicago Thompson Up For Sale


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There is a Colt 1921 A/C with a dubious past that is up for sale on GunsAmerica.com. Unfortuately the weapon has been parkerized somewhere along the line. ( There's a project for P.K. to undertake - restore it back to it's original condition ! )The weapon's information provided on GunsAmerica.com is verified in Gordon Herigstad's book " Colt Thomson : Serial Numbers " under the section of "Valentine's Day Massacre Thompsons". This is not to say this Thompson that is up for sale was used in the shooting, but it was sold in a " cloak & dagger " fashion by the Peter Von Frantzius Sporting Goods of Chicago ( a known purveyor of weapons for the Chicago underworld ).

A quote from Gordon's Book :

 

Thompson S/Ns 7301 -7703

 

Auto-Ordnance invoice to Peter Von Frantzius of January 24, 1929. The order included two "C" type on hundred round drums.

 

Von Frantzius sold these two Thompsons January 26, 1929 again to salesman Frank V. Thompson ( aka F. V. Thompson ), ( aka Victor Thompson ).

Frank Thompson paid cash and took them over the counter.

 

As agreed the numbers were filed off, this time at a cost of four dollars per each gun.

 

A "dummy" package was again Expressed January 29, 1929 to one F. Thompson of Kirkland, Illinois.

 

Mr. Thompson then sold these two Thompsons again to Mr. Joe Howard of Detroit, Michigan. He delivered these two guns to Mr. Howard, this time at the Broadway Hotel Gary, Indiana ( near south Chicago )

 

( Book 695 session 4/19 Pg. 131 )

( Book 696 session 4/30 Pg. 165 )

( Book 697 session 5/1 Pg. 281, 310, 312, 313,325 )

 

 

This information that Gordon gathered came from the Coroner's Inquest of Cook County, Illinois starting 2/15/29 and ending 12/23/29. Coroner Inquest Book numbers 695 session 4/13 & 4/19 - Book 696 session 4/30 - Book 697 session 5/1 - Book 718 session12/23.

 

For anyone that has not purchased Gordon's book, it is a VERY informative read and filled with a plethora of Thompson material.

 

Best Regards

 

Randy Lish

 

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I forgot to list the ad............sorry!

The gun is forsale on Gunsamerica.com under the following ad:

 

http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976394898.htm

 

 

Randy

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Randy,

Once a Colt TSMG has been reblued, or parkerized, there is no going back to the original condition. Something can only be original once. This Thompson, aside from the possible historical significance of it's serial number, is a mess. It has the wrong Cutt's, which usually indicates a barrel change, wrong stock, grips, and the frame internals do not appear to be Colt either. $20K for a gun that lacks most of the desirable historical appeal from the loss of so many features is questionable.

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