A Few Pictures To Share

[DXDunner]

Hey Guys:

 

Didn't have a lot to do tonight so I pulled one of my Thompsons (which I've owned in this condition for some 25 years) down off the wall and took a few pictures to share with all of you.

 

Obviously, your thoughts, comments and observations are solicited.

 

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/dxdunner/82806011a.jpg

 

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/dxdunner/82806020a.jpg

 

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i32/dxdunner/82806023a.jpg

[TD.]

Nice, very nice. I like the checkering on the stocks. It looks similar to the engraved Colt Thompson on the cover of Guns & Ammo, July 1973 - NO 1361. I believe that one was owned by J. Curtis Earl at one time.

[CHICAGO TYPEWRITER]

THAT IS AWSOME!

[reconbob]

Thats a nice gun but its a shame that someone did that to a perfectly

good Thompson. Whats the history? Who had the engraving done and

why?

 

Bob

[John Jr]

Can't wait to hear AF's snide remarks... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif

 

 

[Zamm]

Kinda like covering a beautiful woman with tattoos.

OK if your into that http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Z

[October1971]

DXDunner,

 

Yes, I'd be interested to know who the engraver was. And you probably will get some negative posts from those who "run down" engraved Tommys.

 

Here's my take on this: I, personally would never take an original Colt Thompson and engrave it. Having said that, most of the engraved Thompsons that have turned up, were all done 25, 30, 35 years ago.

 

So the way I look at it now is that we have a classic Thompson gun that, for whatever the original motive, has been turned into an artistic piece. On the one hand, the majority of Colt Thompson collectors would not go for "an altered" gun. But on the other hand, you have one of only 3-4 known engraved Colts and so there are only about 4 people in the world who can say they own "an artistically engraved Thompson."

 

I've actually been doing a little research lately on that subject and will provide more info in the future FWIW.

 

In the meantime, your Thompson is a beautiful piece of art, and has to be considered an "art object." And when it comes to art, only the person interested in art can really apprciate it, and everybody has their own perception of what they llike in the way of art.

 

It's still a beautiful piece. So if you get some negative comments, don't dispair. Looked at another way: If I say to myself, "self, I think I'd like to go out and find a beautiful engraved Thompson, where will I ever find one?" The answer is: There are MAYBE 4 out there. And if no one is willing to sell theirs, then the answer is: there are NO engraved thompsons on the market right now.

 

Thanks for sharing your treasure with the board, and ... you are really good with the camera!

 

 

[21 smoker]

I`ll bet $10.00 that Bill D.(Oct1971) had the `Midas` sittin`on his lap when he posted the reply... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[DXDunner]

To all those who posted replies: Thanks!

 

To those with some questions:

 

I really don't know who did the engraving or under what circumstances it was done.

 

I was done at least 25-30 years ago.

 

If anyone has any information on the history of this engraving I certainly would like to hear it.

 

And, yes, if I personally owned that gun today in an unengraved state I probably wouldn't authorize the engraving; but, having said that, it is an incredable piece of art.

 

I have examined the entire gun under high magnification and I can't find a single error or mistake. I was obviously all done by hand and the hand of a master engraving artist at that.

[Norm]

Is that the correct Cutts compensator for this gun?

 

Norm

 

[Bob]

Nice gun, thanks for posting!

 

Engraving is a little more special because of the mind set of the owner that had it done. They wanted to make it stand out and not be like everyone else.

 

And yes, I do like to view trashy wimmen with body illustrations (full on tatoos) especially when they are naked http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/woot.gif

 

 

[gijive]

Norm,

 

I noticed the compensator also. It is devoid of markings, so it may have been buffed and refinished when the gun was engraved and refinished or it could be a post WWII unmarked compensator. It has a WWII military style front sight and the barrel is either a second type Colt barrel for the Type II compensator or a WWII military barrel. This is determined by the flanged area near the front where it meets the compensator. It is obviously the 3/4 type thread used on the later Colt guns and the WWII guns. It isn't the original compensator for a 1921 Model within that serial number range. Of course the gun may have originally been a 1921A Model when it was modified.

[SecondAmend]

Could you please post a right side view?

 

Always something new and interesting!

 

Thanks for sharing.

[Zamm]

QUOTE

Phil Ohio wrote: Zamm says, "Kinda like covering a beautiful woman with tattoos. OK if your into that." Well, yes, it's O.K. Especially if the tatoos are on your own back.

 

Hey Phil,

why do you think they are on my back?? So I don't have to look at em' ! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif

 

Z

[Arthur Fliegenheimer]

As long as the perpetrator, I mean the owner who commissioned the engraver to do the work, is up front about when it was done and by whom, then the TSMG can be evaluated on its own merits.

 

But of the four known full engraved Colt TSMG's, only Earl's "Midas" example was fueled by a phony PR campaign that would be the envy of Geico.

 

The finish behind the engraving looks pretty dull in the photo. IS it actually nicer in person? As bad as the "Midas" hokum was, the fancy burl wood on that piece did compliment the engraving. The wood on this looks rather amateurish.

[TD.]

Bill,

Do you have the Colt Thompson on the cover of GUNS, February 1975, included in your list of 3 or 4 engraved Thompsons?

[October1971]

TD,

 

Yes, I have that magazine and just dug it out the other day. Thanks!

 

 

[colt21a]

the midas now this one and the bonnie and clyde model's.and the pretty boy floyd.i think that one was also on a "gun" magazines cover,if i remember four or five. a few other's i've seen.mostly poor gun's that somebody made pretty, i collected engraved gun's for awhile.walther factory pistol's. and a few s&w handgun's..great to look at.and i displayed a few.at the last s.a.r.show i had my gold engraved ivory gripped walther ppk on display.a mere $5,000.00 value..some had comment's of "pimp" gun or a fancy cigar lighter.

or my p-38 engraved in wood display case from germany....somebody asked was it goring's.....i stated nope rudolph hess.{ as if they knew who i was talking about.}

what would you expect from a gun show crowd?get the dig folk's....

 

and as a sidenote i think kenny in ohio, still own's the "Midas"he asked me awhile back how much should he sell it for.i told him ask $50,000.00 or whatever he could get...

 

he also has the lowest numbered colt 21a i've ever seen.from the 15,000 production..

 

on the engraved gun's everybody should have just one.to say they enjoy the engraver's art. and since dx has a few other thompson's.this one fit's the display perfectly..Artwork in metal and wood..have fun.. ron

[TAS1921AC]

For those unfamiliar here's the cover of Guns magazine TD and October71 are referring to:

 

 

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h266/TAS21AC/th_ced0b547.jpg

 

[LIONHART]

QUOTE

And yes, I do like to view trashy wimmen with body illustrations (full on tatoos) especially when they are naked

 

You can view all you want, so long as I do all the touching! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

 

[Sig]

DXDunner

WOW that is one interesting Thompson.

congrats

michael