West Hurley 1928 (Tennessee Valley Authority) Law enforcement gun

[Stampcollector]

Thought I would post this if anyone were interested in just checking it out because you don't see WH's in law enforcement mode!

I wonder if this WH receiver is a replacement of the original WW2 one, just my guess. 

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=dd201b986d2c3259ff21e5e3981f1a8b52611fc096a9bd819e94c2e4843fdcecJmltdHM9MTc2NTkyOTYwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=3c6019eb-e0a5-604a-0be0-0944e11261b4&psq=https%3a%2f%2fcollectorsfirearms.com%2fproduct%2fwest-hurley-auto-ordnance-thompson-model-1928-45-acp-l2024-07167%2f&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9jb2xsZWN0b3JzZmlyZWFybXMuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3Qvd2VzdC1odXJsZXktYXV0by1vcmRuYW5jZS10aG9tcHNvbi1tb2RlbC0xOTI4LTQ1LWFjcC1sMjAyNC0wNzE2Ny8

[Motorcar]

Why does that receiver look like an aluminum one? I doubt the narrative that everything else is WW2 vintage. Trigger frame looks WH. 

Interested to hear what TD and others have to say about the pictures.

[TD.]

I have no idea why the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) would purchase a Model 1928 West Hurley Thompson submachine gun in 1977, not 1975 as claimed. I did note a pinned compensator that may be a Type 2 compensator. The pictures are not clear enough to tell with absolute certainty. However, it does have a standard Numrich Arms 27 fin barrel. The actuator appears to be a World War II smooth ball but AOC West Hurley also had a smooth ball actuator. The rear sight is a WWII Lyman adjustable (that is a plus). The provenance to TVA is a sticker on a removable butt stock. If I was going to pay a premium price for a West Hurley Thompson submachine gun, I would want to see some documentation as to the prior owner(s). 

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request may reveal prior government ownership but if I was interested, I would want to know where Collector's Firearms obtained it, and where the past owner obtained it. I would try to follow the trail back to Auto-Ordnance, West Hurley, New York. 

Those that live in or near Houston should visit Collector's Firearms. It is an amazing store. I remember their two old locations (on Richmond and Fondren I believe). I could spend hours in their store just looking. It was almost like a museum but near everything was for sale!  If you happen to fly into Houston and can stay an extra day, rent a car and visit the store. It is on a major road (Westheimer), easy to find and well worth the effort.  

[Outsider]

Did anybody else notice that the TVA tag is not scratched at all after over 45 years old supposedly?

[68coupe]

41 minutes ago, Outsider said:

Did anybody else notice that the TVA tag is not scratched at all after over 45 years old supposedly?

Much like the several "Wells Fargo" items highlighted on Pawn Stars. Coach guns, lock boxes, shackles. All were deemed to be fakes. More provenance is definitely needed.

Just my humble opinion, Karl, 68coupe

[Doug Quaid]

Here we have a gun that supposedly is 100% USGI except for the receiver.

Probably what happened is that some past owner of this Westie purchased a nice minty WWII era parts kit that included a TVA buttstock.  Then swapped all the parts.

Now the current owner is doing the usual attempt at pumping the value of the gun by claiming it was in police armory inventory.

Without any kind of hard proof, the story is just another story.   

Even if it was true, I don't think it would add much collector value to the gun.   Collector value comes from firing up the imagination of collectors.  To have collector value, a gun needs to have something "neato" about it - like being an iconic design, having superb fit and finish, or being associated with a colorful gun maker, person, or historic period. 

A WH that was owned by the TVA police isn't going to blow any collector's skirt up.  

This might actually be a good WH to buy, because of the USGI parts.  Of course, you would want to examine it and see it run first, and get them to drop the price some.

[troll]

I would want to look at the lock ramps to make sure they are in spece

[maschinenpistole]

 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1143981118

[68coupe]

 

"Scotty57" has been discussed ad nauseum here. I, personally, wouldn't buy anything he sells. Caveat emptor.

V/R, Karl, 68coupe

Edited December 24, 2025 by 68coupe
spelling

[Stampcollector]

I agree with the comments by everyone on this. West hurling, the buffer pilot looks chrome finish or just very worn. Who knows, but did find this on T.V.A. search, AI.

[tomk]

Yeah...that's the issue with "AI".  If something is posted online, right or wrong, AI searches and uses it for it's "results".  It likely also feeds off your cached internet activity to help it quickly come up with answers.  Garbage in garbage out.  We're in a world of trouble as folks start using "AI" and assume that it is somehow providing accurate information.  It is very misleading and dangerous (my opinion).  No offense to your search results - I'm just voicing my opinion here.

[inertord]

Yea, AI is using this exact thread to determine that TVA Police used West Hurley Thompson’s.

 

Edited December 24, 2025 by inertord

[Stampcollector]

On 12/24/2025 at 6:40 PM, inertord said:

Yea, AI is using this exact thread to determine that TVA Police used West Hurley Thompson’s.

 

inertord, thanks for pointing that out! I get less and less impressed with "AI" as time goes on. 

 

On 12/24/2025 at 4:34 PM, tomk said:

Yeah...that's the issue with "AI".  If something is posted online, right or wrong, AI searches and uses it for it's "results".  It likely also feeds off your cached internet activity to help it quickly come up with answers.  Garbage in garbage out.  We're in a world of trouble as folks start using "AI" and assume that it is somehow providing accurate information.  It is very misleading and dangerous (my opinion).  No offense to your search results - I'm just voicing my opinion here.

Tomk, I agree with you 100% with all your comments! 

[rpbcps]

Stampcollector/ Tomk,

That is interesting. Maybe it is my age, but I have been suspicious of AI, and how it aquires, or is fed the information, that it provides to people.

Thank you both for raising this issue, which goes far beyond our interest in Thompsons.