Arms, Armor & Militaria

.45 ACP. 10.52" barrel length. SN: 4175. (Mfg. ca 1921) Colt blued metal finish overall with polished bolt and bronze lock mounting straight grain oil finished walnut stock with vertical forend and barrel with cooling ribs. Fully automatic Blish-lock submachine gun fed by detachable magazines. Item mounts a pinned front blade sight paired with a folding rear ladder sight with a base signed MADE BY "LYMAN" MIDDLEFIELD. CONN. U.S.A. Left receiver struck with model marking MODEL OF 1921 followed by the serial number. Model and manufacturer mark to left receiver reads THOMPSON SUBMACHINE GUN,/CALIBRE .45 AUTOMATIC COLT CARTRIDGE/MANUFACTURED BY/COLT'S PATENT FIRE ARMS MFG. CO./HARTFORD, CONN., U.S.A. Left lower receiver mounts separate safety and fire selector levers with knurled ends, and a knurled magazine release lever. Right upper receiver further marked AUTO-ORDNANCE CORPORATION,/NEW YORK, U.S.A. followed by patent dates reading PATENTED/MARCH 9, 1915 JULY 27, 1920/MAY 4, 1920 AUGUST 10, 1920/MAY 25, 1920 SEPTEMBER 7 1920/MAY 25, 1920 OCTOBER 26, 1920/DECEMBER 28, 1920. The top of the upper receiver displays the Auto Ordnace trade mark. Right receiver behind ejection port struck with the circled JHB mark of Major James H. Barrett, who inspected arms at Auto Ordnance Corporation. Mounts oiler pads to interior receiver with recoil spring buffer and intact bronze locking block with visible UP {Arrow} marking. Serial numbers match on the upper and lower receivers. Forward edge of the butt struck with an {Anchor} marking. Included in the butt is an early nickel plated oiler struck MADE IN USA. Item comes with a blue velvet lined Police style case with black leatherette finish and additional side latches. Note, the lock plate of this case differs from historical models, and it lacks a visible maker marking. Included in the case are: four twenty-round magazines, one with AUTO ORDNANCE mark, two with THE SEYMOUR PRODUCTS CO/SEYMOUR, CONN, one with patent date reading PATENTED-AUG. 24. 1920/AUG. 24, 1920-JAN. 11, 1921, a single 50-shot L Drum with matching serial numbers 2125 on both plates, and AUTO-ORDNANCE CORP. mark to back plate with twin patent mark, brass cleaning rod, and brass jag.

In Tracie Hill's book Thompson: An American Legend, the shipping data at the end of this book shows that Thompson number 4175 made at Colt sits between an order for Thompsons sent to the Chicago Police Department, and the FBI. An Excellent condition and highly attractive example of a first year of production Thompson Model of 1921 complete with four stick magazines and an L-drum. {CLASS III}