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well I took a 2 inch square aluminum bar and crafted a solid receiver, want to make a mock up of Dillinger's Thompson, needing a few pictures of the engravings both sides, already engraved the stock with his signature, any help would be appreciated, did a google search and got two different patent engravings

 

thanks

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If you are mocking up the Racine Thompson, that is displayed, as that's the one showing an engraved signature, it's # 3363. A Navy overstamp.

I think you can find close ups of it here on the forum search. Gijive & Mike Hamer , I believe, have good close ups of it on display. Also there are historical pictures of it at the arrest in Tucson, but I don't think I've seen close ups.

The gun was stolen, recovered and returned to Racine without a butt stock.

 

Really like to see your project too. I've got some old photos of it that were sent to me by hostage Ursula Patkze. She went to the police station and took them, which was easy for here as she donated some stuff too. This was back in the 80s.

 

 

OCM

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Edited by OCM
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  • thanks OCM, right now its a block outside dimensions correct, 3363 is hopefully the end result, if I get chance Monday will take a few pictures of the stock with signature, took a good picture, digitised it into the mill and using a pen, drew the image,
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Great- this will be fun.

 

Guy in the above picture is Charles Makley , Dillinger gang member that took the Thompson from the Racine cop at the robbery- In case you didn't know, assume you do tho.

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Here are a few my old pics of #3363 with reasonably good detail from a previous thread, Hey, good luck with the project, very interested to see the final result.

 

Mike Hammer

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Dillinger Engraving.jpg

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DT serial number.jpg

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yes.

There is a ton of stuff on this gun here in the forums- Not to long ago on 3363 and in Dillinger's Thompsons a couple years ago. Mike Hammer has done a lot on it in the past. Can't remember when Makley got it, did it have a L drum or XX box magazine.

 

Anyway, here is the same model car that was used in the Racine robbery- Makley sat in the front passenger seat with # 3363, Dillinger driving, rest in the back one on the jump seat, other jump seat down & had bag(s) of money on it.

 

This would go excellent with your # 3363 display gun. Total package ! !!!!!!!!! 2015 traveling crime show !!!!!

 

OCM

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Awesome car Sandy. One would feel very special to drive it or even just ride in it. These are few and far between, something you just don't see these days.

 

Mike Hammer

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Don't want to drift off the subject, but the same ( Racine Dillinger model car ) has a shell on the ignition from Crown Point Thompson # 7387 and the locking radio key has a shell fired from Crown Point Thompson # 6444.

 

The XX box magazine in this photo, came from the gang's arrest in Tucson- Could of it been used in # 3363, possibly.

 

Going to be a fun, if not historical, project for us historians types.

 

I'll try not to hog the posting which I usually do. Sure simulates the old noggin.

 

OCM

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I don't have pictures of the right side- I think in an old thread about the gun ( see Dillinger's Thompsons) Mike Hammer had a guy respond named Jerry- This guy said he shot it and has pictures and a video of # 3363 . That would be a must to have, he did say to PM him if interested in his posting. I can take a shot of my 28N, if you can't find anything or maybe you have one.

Could go so far as to visit the gun in Racine.

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Mike, I assume the roll markings are the same on 3363 as one of same vintage, playing with the picture I can digitize the text but its skewed due to the angle the picture was taken, do you or maybe OCM have a close serial that the sides of the receiver could be photographed looking square on, maybe add a ruler or even a scale to it?

 

thanks

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It's just a standard 1921 roll makings, with the 8 hand stamped to the edge of the 1 in 21 and U S Navy over the top. I believe they were invidually stamped by hand so it's rather open on exactly where.

I don't have a better photo and the gun is on display tilted in a custom made frame.

I understand where you are going on this. Nice. My 28N is way off that number.

 

Here is another picture of the Racine gun, maybe can be enlarged ?

 

OCM

1928 Overstamp056.jpg

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well took Mike's picture of the stock, converted it to a cad file and engraved it into a aluminum block, the cutter used was 0.005" diameter, a little wide but do you think its close? next step make a tool and engrave a stock

 

 

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L-

Just so you fully understand, the gun in Dillinger's possession, never had a butt stock, and I've heard the one on the gun isn't original to the gun.

Only thing possible would be if the Wisconsin group that traveled to Tucson to pick up the gun and serve papers on the gang, had John sign a butt stock they took with them ( I say unlikely) and later had it wood engraved over the sig. They did get rather friendly with Dillinger during the Tucson visit. Anything is possible and what the gun is now in Racine is how it's going to be, without my comments.

So, engraving the butt stock to clone the one in Racine is correct, I guess.

I did notice in a arrest photo of the gun, it did have a L drum on it.

 

OCM

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thanks OCM, its a representation of what is existing, looked at several signatures of Dillinger's and this signature was the only one I could see with the tail on the r, it will be a good conversation piece. frankly it looks better than the others.

 

from pictures its clear it was gone over, too deep for a pen, looks pretty deep and crisp, was not aware it was gone over afterwards, they did a decent job of it. the goal is a display piece, something to be a part of the past. the butt stock can be removed any time.

 

doubt I will ever have access to a L drum, not sure I could CNC one of those though down the road who knows, heck we are limited to 5 round mags, likely in a few years depending on our next election we may be limited to pump and bolt action here, I may have to plan a trip down south just to shoot one some day.

 

spent a few hours playing with the receiver engraving, darn the font used is eluding me, its close to the Veranda but several characters are just slightly different and the more one looks they get more distorted, maybe I should have sent the block to someone who roll stamped before machining?

 

anyway hoping to get it engraved this week and off for anodizing, maybe I should have replicated the aluminum version, it would have been quicker.

 

done the car thing, yours look great and would love to check them out, this current hobby fits into a suitcase not a shop

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Sandy and I previously discussed the possible authenticity of the signed stock. Sure it's very possible Dillinger signed or maybe even scratched his name into the stock, but unfortunately all the people that were there that day in the Tuscon jail are long, long gone and to my knowledge there is no documented paperwork from the persons supposedly involved in the procurement of the etched/signed stock. That being said, as an autograph aficionado/collector/researcher of more than 3 decades, the signature does display very accurate subtleties of Dillinger's signature.

 

I don't think I have a detailed photo of the receiver that is "exactly" square. Unfortunately the day I was at the Racine station I did not ask the officer in charge if I could handle the gun, I regret not doing so. I was unable to photograph the other side of the receiver for the same reason, however it should have the same markings as any other Colt Thompson. Perhaps a board member who owns one would be kind enough to post a close-up of the markings on that side of the receiver. A search of past threads or one taken from a Thompson book could also produce a reasonably nice photo. Again, good luck with the project!

 

Mike Hammer

Edited by Mike Hammer
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Yes, I agree with all this. I've got original Dillinger sigs ( copies now) look the same. You wood burn it in will be a hair different, of course. Mike H is the guy on this.

see if I have a photo of both in files.................

There ya go, a 28N as the Racine Thompson and a copy of his sig engraved on his 38 Super that was taken off him in Tucson.

I've got a copy of his sig from his prison record, but was when he was younger, his only confession.

 

Fun project, glad you are doing this- Easy to make a gun, hard to duplicate a gun exactly & correct. Time can be against you or in your favor.

 

OCM

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