I'm watching the "St. Valentine Day's Massacre" on tv and was just wondering what did a Thompson cost back then when you could buy one in the hardware store (obviously before 1934)? what would a transferable Thompson cost in this day and age? any ideas on how many transferable one are out there? the movie ain't a really high level of acting but there sure is a lot of Thompsons in it.
Thompson submachine gun
- Thread starter steveno
- Start date
While TSMG's could be bought freely in that era, the high cost meant that very few gun or hardware stores actually stocked them. The Capone gang reportedly had its own pet dealer who procured guns for them, and many crooks stole full auto weapons from police and National Guard Armories.
Jim
Jim
safe cracker
New member
i heard you could order one back then, and they would send it to ur house in the mail 
JT-AR-MG42
New member
AFIK, the Thompsons used by Capone's gang were 21s, not 28s.
The 28 - with it's slower cyclic rate -came into being in an attempt to get Military sales.
Auto-Ordnance still had plenty of leftover 21s from the original 15,000 run made by Colt. Thus, the overstamp guns.
Safe to say the Thompson was not a real sales hit, even in the pre-depression days.
18k will get you a 70s production Thompson.
25 to 30 for a war two 28 or M1.
30 and UP for 21s or commercial 28s. There is a demand for the early guns and once put on the market, sale is usually the same day.
JT
The 28 - with it's slower cyclic rate -came into being in an attempt to get Military sales.
Auto-Ordnance still had plenty of leftover 21s from the original 15,000 run made by Colt. Thus, the overstamp guns.
Safe to say the Thompson was not a real sales hit, even in the pre-depression days.
18k will get you a 70s production Thompson.
25 to 30 for a war two 28 or M1.
30 and UP for 21s or commercial 28s. There is a demand for the early guns and once put on the market, sale is usually the same day.
JT
When the 1968 amnesty was in effect, an acquaintance was sure it was a government trap to find and confiscate auto weapons, so he did not register his. Of course, (if he is still with us) he has a gun that can never be sold or even shown to anyone and is subject to destruction if seized.
Too bad; it was an M1921 in the hard case, with a 100 round drum, and five 20 round sticks, tools, etc. A beautiful gun. I hope it went or can go to a museum instead of the steel mill.
Jim
Too bad; it was an M1921 in the hard case, with a 100 round drum, and five 20 round sticks, tools, etc. A beautiful gun. I hope it went or can go to a museum instead of the steel mill.
Jim
The "FBI" hard cases only held a 50 round drum and 5 20 round mags.
I bought a 100 round from Roger Cox one time in the 80's for a $1,000.00 that had different serial numbers on each side. We figured that there was another drum somewhere with the same numbers in the opposite sides that the PD that he got it from still had somewhere in the gun room.
I bought a 100 round from Roger Cox one time in the 80's for a $1,000.00 that had different serial numbers on each side. We figured that there was another drum somewhere with the same numbers in the opposite sides that the PD that he got it from still had somewhere in the gun room.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Last 1928 Thompson I saw for sale had a $45,000 price tag on it.
The last (and only) amnesty was in 1968, not 1986. The law allows the Attorney General to declare an amnesty when he/she wishes, but none has been declared.
The reason for the amnesty in 1968 was that the law itself was changed to require registration of DEWAT's, which had not previously required registration. To prevent possible attempts to prosecute for actions which had not been illegal under the old law, an amnesty was made part of GCA '68.
Jim
The reason for the amnesty in 1968 was that the law itself was changed to require registration of DEWAT's, which had not previously required registration. To prevent possible attempts to prosecute for actions which had not been illegal under the old law, an amnesty was made part of GCA '68.
Jim