Thompson Field Trip

[Bruce L]

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[Ron Mills]

Question: What's in the plastic wraps next to the 21's, magazines?

[Bruce V 21/28]

I've been sitting around all afternoon trying to think of something profound and clever to say about our "field trip" and all I can come up with is WOW!!!!!

 

I can't beleive Bruce and I were in the presence of 10 unmolested 1921 Thompson's that are sitting in the armory of a prison in Alabama and doing nobody any good.

 

In a cash strapped prison system with over crowding and all of the problems that an insuffecent budget brings, it is a damn shame that such wonderful pieces of history are locked up and kept away from those of us that would gladly pay for the privlage of owning them. In the blink of an eye the Alabama Corrections Department could possibly raise $250,000.00 to 300,000.00 dollars if it wern't for foolish leglislation.

 

God only knows how many other states have similar situations; VALUABLE class III firearms locked away in some vault somewhere because of stupid leglislation. Even worst, I shudder to think of all of the wonderful peices of history that have had a meeting with the cutting tourch or are soon scheduled to do so. Yes the subject of "parting out" those guns did come up Bruce L and I both urged them not to do it. I hope no cash hungry politician finds out about these beauties.

 

We should all be urging our leglislators to remedy situations such as this.

 

Thanks again for the great afternoon Bruce L.

 

Bruce V

[Bruce L]

Ron,

 

I'm not sure what was in those bags but it definitely was not magazines. I believe that they only had one XXX magazine and an L drum. We were pretty much beside ourselves having been given permission to come into the gun locker to pose for the photos.

 

Bruce V,

 

I'm glad that we finally pulled off our little visit that was what, two years in the making?

 

This was my second time to see the guns, and I was still overwhelmed to see them all together. I hope that you are resisting the urge for that cigarette!

[Eagle3]

Great Pics,

 

The Alabama Dept. of Corrections is located where?

[First Sergeant]

Phil,

 

Looks to me that both buttstocks are canted a bit more toward the front than the others. Both of their vertical grips are lower on the rack compared to the others as well. This is also evident on the nose of the receivers. As for the mag wells, I can't tell, but they are the only two guns that have mags inserted in them. Anybody else?

 

Chuck

[gijive]

QUOTE (PhilOhio @ Jan 19 2006, 01:30 PM)

In the top picture, it looks like two of those guns have barrels about 1.5" shorter than the others.  Any idea what that is all about?  Were they shortened for some attachment? Those two also seem to have unusually wide stick mags attached.  Could these be shot mags, with barrels somehow modified for shot?  Might these have been guns intended for nonlethal use in putting down riots? If that's the case, those two would be extremely rare and valuable, and belong in a museum right now.

Phil,

 

I can't post pictures from my work computer, however I captured the pictures posted and studied the two guns you mention as looking different. They are different! The original post mentions 10 "unmolested" 1921 Model Thompsons. There are 12 guns in the picture. Look closely and you will notice that two of them are not original Colt made 1921 Model guns. They have round receivers and the magazine wells have flat sides.

 

They appear to be reproduction later produced Thompson look-a-likes. Possibly semi-auto versions. They appear to have genuine vertical fore grips on them. It's hard to tell from the photos. I'm sure the original posters can tell us what they are.

[Bruce V 21/28]

Good eyes guys. The two guns in question are Ingram M-6's which we also got to shoot. Bruce L mentioned them in his first post.

 

Bruce V