OCM

yes it would, story has it they drove away from the bank, firing Thompsons from the Buick, shooting the hell out of everything, even stopping to toss spent brass out of the car. Be interesting if someone there still has some slugs that could be traced to CC's Thompson. One of the locals has a piece of the original ceiling with holes in it, that's displayed I think at his business there.

Been working with the Brainerd- Crow County- Historical Society on the Nelson robbery. I asked my contact there if by chance there were bullet holes on the building. He came back today, I think personally checked it out, that there are still bullet holes on the outside of the building that used to be the bank and on the ceiling. Good damn chance these were shot from Colt Chopper's Thompson. There is also a chance they will be doing a story on the event now, based on Colt Chopper's Thompson , in the local newspaper- Hoping to stir up some activity. Never know what will pop up. Bullets, stories, what the bank did with the Thompson etc. When Colt Chopper gets back from his trip to Paris to visit relatives, be going over this further- Keep you posted on any events. OCM

With Numrich sometimes you win sometimes you lose. I'm running 50% lately.

Thanks- It's off an original 18 BAR they did, back in the day, late 90s or early 2000s. Looks new. Thanks Pals.. OCM

I can't remember but have seen it before- Who uses a picture of a crown as a gun mark ? I have a BAR bolt with a crown stamped on it- OCM

As far as I could tell the 18 was original Winchester, 30+ is a good price for that. With the issues on the Monitor, I 'm surprised on the high price. Darryl, I've heard a asking price on a Monitor at 65K, but no information on it. I'd always thought the Monitors were in the 85-95 range , but this was years ago. If Jim's " Monitor" can pull 62 + 15, I'd certainly think the original Monitors would be in the 6 digit range or damn close. I should of made a stab at that Winchester, I 'm a little out of steam these days. Got enough projects going on.. OCM

If we could get Colt Chopper, load him up with a 6 of Miller High Life and a new spade, we could secure that old Nelson grave- Replace it before the cops show up. Then he could use it in his Nelson display, pretty much as Full Auto 45 is going to do. I might be available on this capper. Have Gun Can't Travel Wire OCM OCM

Anyone know the finals on the Ballou Colt " Monitor " or the 18 BAR listed at Julia ?? My guess they went to a guy in Northern Iowa, just a guess tho- OCM

Nice, you should take CC there, or even by the Dillinger farm , or Where the funeral home WAS, or Greencastle bank OR the Manhattan bank he robbed, OR the Uncles house, OR by where Ed Singleton was found dead, OR by the First Christian church OR the Morgan Grocery store was/is.... I've been there multiple times and live 2000 miles away.......Was invited to stay at the Farm, at the historical date in 1934...............on & on. How about the grave ..................... & Pierpont's grave. Good photos, Mike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OCM

Just a led in so I won't get busted Buckeyes......... OMG, what a game !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! over and out on this. Promise David, won't do it again. OCM

Yes a way cool factor to have for display- Drag it to a show for fun and conversation. Joe Pinkston had like #3 replaced and had it in his Nashville, IN museum. He replaced it himself, just so he could keep one, didn't tell the family just did it. They probably just give the old ones away or destroy them, wonder who pays the tab ? You should re-kindle your communications with your brother, might find something fun. Be fun to display CC's Nelson gun with it and one of yours. Indiana history.......

Full Auto 45- Where do you guys sit in the plane on the escort trip to AZ. You guys sit with the press or something. Boy, that would be something, to fly to a SAR show in a Gulfstream private jet. Then the crowds at the private terminal.

Pet-1 I really don't know either, as Chuck says the picture shows a L drum. Van was outside with a Thompson in a basket as a lookout, possibly had a L drum in there. Brainerd was cold that morning, about freezing. This is why I guess they/others tended not to use a drum hidden beneath the heavy overcoats. To bulky. They were using a Buick ( stolen) as a get- a -way car, these were big cars in the day- Guys loaded with Thompsons, big heavy overcoats, $$ bags sometimes hostages . Not Terraplanes, these were the personal cars. Fast. I can't remember but Dillinger was robbing a bank or something and his L drum dropped out of the gun, so I guess they did use drums sometimes. The Nelson Thompsons at Little Bo had L drums as did the one Van had there, actually Dillinger's Thompson.

According to Helmer's book, the YMCA building got riddled heavy with bullets.

From what I've gleaned thru the years, the guys going into the bank , preferred a stockless weapon and a XX box magazine, with spares in their pocket.

Both Dillinger & Barrow headstones were stolen and recovered at one time. The Barrows decided to lay it down flat in concrete, as it is today. John's has been replaced 4-5 times , as you know. When he was buried they put Jr on his name to separate him from Sr who died I think in 47. JD's brain was missing, someone offered 10K for his body and a slab of concrete was laid him in the grave. Odd. If someone offers 10K for my dead body, I know what my wife will do, new horse named OCM. OCM

FYI- Colt Chopper's real estate investment firm, End Of the Rainbow, owns a lot of commercial real estate in Greencastle and surrounding area. Might check with his VP of Acquisitions, see if you can get close ? Good Luck

Thanks Rob- Helen had requested to be buried next to Lester. She never married after his death. Did you notice any chipping away at the head stone, like what's happened to Dillinger's ? Don't know where the kids are buried, Ron was living in Illinois, ( with Helen ) Darlene in Wisconsin.

The Greencastle Bank, down the road from you guys is much the same. The old original alarm box was still on the bank outside, unhooked of course. I told one of the Dillinger clan they aught to get that, don't think they did. I've been there twice, was divided into two different shops. OCM

This is the Brainerd bank, about the time Nelson & his group robbed it- Kid on the bike in the front right, is Colt Chopper waiting to pick up his gun. Time Machine moment OCM

So best to check maybe with the Minneapolis Tribune and the local Brainerd news service, for an original photo ? I think Chuck already hit most of the area newspapers and picked up the key pieces to the puzzle. Petroleum 1- I think CC has the paper trail from about 1970 till the present. From the Manitowoc PD ( that nobody seems to know about ) to the present. It's the Brainerd Bank, as Chuck says , into private commerce, till today. So much has gone on with this historic gun, get's confusing, at least for this old noggin. The main historical find ( Nelson gun ) is solved, but with this historical gun, it almost mandatory to attempt to follow it's path from Baby Face Nelson to Colt Chopper. Some of us are working on that fact. Then, THAT would be the end of the story ( maybe ) And it's a kick in the butt to research and follow.

Photo was taken by Tribune Staff Photographer, Chicago Tribune ? Check the Brainerd Library, see if they have the old newspapers in file or on a electronic device. Fairly common. Might get more of a first generation look at it. CC was happy to see the stock on the Thompson.

Chuck, Glad you added the rest of this story, was waiting for CC to open this up. Sent some stuff to CC, hoping the Brainerd folks will give us what happened beyond that . They are/were thinking of doing a Dillinger Day thing like the Jesse James Northfield raid days, about the Brainerd robbery. See what happens Yes a moot point but we'd like to see where it went now, to Manitowoc or wherever. Got a lot of fill in the blank stuff, but like to see this void solved. Great job digging this stuff up. The picture of CC's Thompson- classic. Hope the newspaper photo morgue still has an original. Hope you , Geraldo Rivera and Colt Chopper get the Biography straight- Looking forward to it. OCM

Since we're high on Baby Face Nelson these days, here is a historical insignificant thing: First photo is Nelson's grave just after the funeral and covered with dirt. The head stone is seen at top with a curved top. The Gillis family all had the curved top head stones, except Nelson's wife Helen who's is flat when she passed in 1987 ( probably a $ issue or something ? ) Notice the curved cemetery street in the 1934 photo. Next is as it is today, with Nelson's headstone almost buried in the ground, curved top. Notice the curved cemetery street these days. Lot filled in since 34. Helen's flat stone is the first one in the photo. So, there you go. Now you can sleep at night. OCM

Great, thanks. Definitely NOT HS Lebman's style of serial number removal. I guess that's how you'd say it. The two Nelson Thompsons recovered at the Little Bo battle had the same method of grinding off as Colt Choppers, assume the Van Meter one destroyed and the other mystery one the same. ( assuming ) OCM