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Colt Thompson No. 7353


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I grew up in the little city of St. Bernard, Ohio which is just north of Cincinnati. When I was 9 or 10 years old (1961), I went with a neighbor to the St. Bernard Police Department for some non-emergency business. While we were there, I can’t remember if we asked to see their guns or if they volunteered to show them. But one of the policeman brought out a Colt Thompson Model 21 AC to show us. Having watched the Untouchables TV show, I recognized it right away. That day was the start of my lifelong love of the Thompson. But being a WWII guy, I was more in to the military Thompsons. I have two of them. Over the years, I often thought about that Colt. I had heard that it had been sold to a dealer. So, about a year ago, I stopped at the St. Bernard PD to see if I could get any information. If nothing else, I wanted to identify the serial number. A friendly Lt. told me he would check for me. I have not heard from him since and he has not responded to my emails. However, with the help of Tom D. and Mike W. at the recent NRA convention, I was able to identify that Colt Thompson. It was Serial No. 7353. If that gun ever comes on the market, I will be making another purchase. It was a fond memory and the start of something good!

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Welcome to the Board!

I remember talking to you about the St Bernard guns. It was great to see your passion for them.

Good luck in your search!

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The late Robert Stack as Elliot Ness on "The Untouchables" was also a big influence to me. Another influence was when I was 11 yo and saw a shooting demonstration that a Michigan State Police sharpshooter performed with a 1911 National Match (shooting the edge of an axe blade to shoot out the centers of a pair of aces placed on either side of the axe head), followed by a Thompson 20 round mag dump into the center of a silhouette. And while not having any ties to my home state, the prior and current Colt Thompsons that I have been privileged to own are both former LEO guns. I've only seen a couple of the former MI State Police Thompsons come up for sale, and they have been out of my affordability and sold fast nonetheless.

 

Best of luck with your quest.

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The late Robert Stack as Elliot Ness on "The Untouchables" was also a big influence to me. Another influence was when I was 11 yo and saw a shooting demonstration that a Michigan State Police sharpshooter performed with a 1911 National Match (shooting the edge of an axe blade to shoot out the centers of a pair of aces placed on either side of the axe head), followed by a Thompson 20 round mag dump into the center of a silhouette. And while not having any ties to my home state, the prior and current Colt Thompsons that I have been privileged to own are both former LEO guns. I've only seen a couple of the former MI State Police Thompsons come up for sale, and they have been out of my affordability and sold fast nonetheless.

 

Best of luck with your quest.

I remember the MSP trooper and the Thompson. He put 20 rounds on automatic into a playing card centered on a target at 21 feet. Doesnt sound to difficult but try it sometime. I had the opportunity to shoot that same Thompson at the headquarters building in Lansing on several occasions. The gun is still there. The hardcase he used to transport the gun now belongs to a fellow board member in Michigan.

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In one of my favorite episodes, "Elliot Ness" is meeting with The Untouchables in the office in Chicago.

 

Needing a couple bullets for a ballistics match from a suspect's Thomson, Ness fits a drum, swivels in his chair and fires a burst into a bullet-trap next to his desk.

 

Always wondered if the accounting agency next door realized they shared the 6th floor with...The Untouchables?...........Phil

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The late Robert Stack as Elliot Ness on "The Untouchables" was also a big influence to me. Another influence was when I was 11 yo and saw a shooting demonstration that a Michigan State Police sharpshooter performed with a 1911 National Match (shooting the edge of an axe blade to shoot out the centers of a pair of aces placed on either side of the axe head), followed by a Thompson 20 round mag dump into the center of a silhouette. And while not having any ties to my home state, the prior and current Colt Thompsons that I have been privileged to own are both former LEO guns. I've only seen a couple of the former MI State Police Thompsons come up for sale, and they have been out of my affordability and sold fast nonetheless.

 

Best of luck with your quest.

I remember the MSP trooper and the Thompson. He put 20 rounds on automatic into a playing card centered on a target at 21 feet. Doesnt sound to difficult but try it sometime. I had the opportunity to shoot that same Thompson at the headquarters building in Lansing on several occasions. The gun is still there. The hardcase he used to transport the gun now belongs to a fellow board member in Michigan.

 

Thanks for sharing. Nice to know the gun is still in alive and well.

And to amend a line from the movie 'Miller's Crossing', "The man was an artist with a Thompson."

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In one of my favorite episodes, "Elliot Ness" is meeting with The Untouchables in the office in Chicago.

 

Needing a couple bullets for a ballistics match from a suspect's Thomson, Ness fits a drum, swivels in his chair and fires a burst into a bullet-trap next to his desk.

 

Always wondered if the accounting agency next door realized they shared the 6th floor with...The Untouchables?...........Phil

Do you recall the name of that episode or have a link to it?

Thanks

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Thanks for the comments.

 

Actually, the story continued. In the summer of 1975, I was working in a corner drug store in St. Bernard. The PD firearms guy came into the store one day and I asked him if they still had their “Tommy Gun”. He told me they did. I told him the story about seeing it as a kid and told him I would like to see it again. He said I could stop by the station any time he was on duty. When we got together and he handed the gun to me, I could not believe what I saw. It was dusty, filthy dirty and had rust fingerprints on it. I told the cop that it was a shame the gun was in the shape it was and that it was a very valuable firearm worth a couple thousand dollars. I then told him I was willing to take it apart and clean it up for him. He asked me if I knew how to shoot it. I told him I did. He then asked me if I would be willing to show him how to shoot it. I told him I would be happy to as long as he let me shoot it too. So, 14 years after first seeing this Thompson as a 10 year old kid, I also got to shoot it.

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