Questions For Thompson Historians

[Bob B]

While researching photos of finned barrels from which to model a dummy short barrel for my '27A1, I came across these pictures depicting a Colt 1921 (offered for $29,500, no less). The barrel on this piece intrigues me, since there are only 24 ribs (including the wider end-ring that abuts the receiver) instead of the 29 or so on other '21/'28 barrels. The serial number is in the 14000 range so this gun wasn't a prototype. Is this some aftermarket adaptation, an incorrect replacement, or a really rare barrel? What gives?

 

Photos at:

http://www.hallowellco.com/colt_1921_thomp...bmachinegun.htm

 

Gun description at:

http://www.hallowellco.com/class_iii.htm

 

Also, the closeup photos seem to show the gun's markings as having rounded line-bottoms (this is particularly visible on the photo titled "Left rear markings", where even the line-ends appear rounded as from a rotating cutter). I would think this sort of engraving profile is more characteristic of machine engraving than the sharp line-bottoms and square corners typical of production roll or die stamping. I can easily see how very early models might have been engraved one-up on a machine, but were they still actually machine-engraving production guns of this serial range? If so, that's a helluva lot of one-up engraving. And here I thought MY carpal tunnel syndrome was bad!

 

Bob

 

[AZDoug]

Well,

 

without a lot of research to see who made what barrels, a couple things stand out:

 

1) The fin under the foregrip raised up thingy barrel support does not match exactly to a fin, and

 

2) the fins are too wide.

 

My quicky conclusion is somebody turned up a barrel out on an M1A1 barrel and used a parting tool to make fins in it.

 

Not original, rare, or noteworthy at all, except heh gun is worth SEVERAL thousand $$ less with this barrel.

 

Doug

[gijive]

That picture was discussed several months ago. It is not an original barrel. I think Doug has it right, someone made a finned barrel from a smooth barrel. Bob,, you have a good eye, there are not the correct number of fins.

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

It's hard to believe that gun is still listed for sale at the same price it was a year ago. What does the seller say when perspective buyers inquire about the funky barrel? You don't have to count the fins to see the problem; at a glance, the fins don't extend to the end of the vertical grip. Maybe the way things are going, if the seller sticks to the current $29.5K figure, in another 2 or 3 years, the price will be right.

[21 smoker]

If recent memory serves,...Devine bragged about getting 22K for a 21 dewat...so another year or two and the price will be in the neighborhood...not where I want to live! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif