Thompson - 210214-1
This original Colt model 1921A Thompson Sub-Machine Gun has a very interesting history. This weapon is one of 34 weapons called in for investigation after the February 14, 1929 St. Valentines Day Massacre during the Cook County Illinois Coroners Inquest. It had been shipped on February 25, 1925 to Von Lengerke & Antoine Sporting Goods at 33 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Then sold to a "George Smith", no address, no record in June of 1925. The weapon was sold to him by a person brokering weapons for Von Lengerke & Antoine Sporting Goods using the name of Vincent A. Danials, aka Vincenzo Danialski. This weapon was one of ten sold by Danials to persons and or companies, of what would be considered to be "questionable characters" using fictitious company and personal names before he was officially employed. Later Danials actually became an employee of Von Lengerke & Antoine Sporting Goods . Many of the Thompsons sold by Von Lengerke & Antoine Sporting Goods through Danials wound up in the hands of some very notorious gangsters, to include Al Capone, Dillinger, the Red Bolten Gang, Charles Cleaver, Jack McGurn, and many more.
Later this Thompson surfaced in the DeKalb, Illinois Police Department. Was it confiscated? Amnesty registered in 1968? As of this date, that is unknown. Maybe a FOIA request will determine how it got there in the future.
Now to the condition of the weapon. Colt Patent Fire Arms Company in Hartford, Connecticut manufactured this weapon for Auto Ordnance Corporation, New York, N.Y., in 1921. This is the rare 1921A model, no "Cutts" compensator. Very nice wood with the original barrel. Note that the buttstock looks to be original but it does not have the upside down "anchor" mark on the small end of the buttstock. It is the original buttstock? Unknown at this time. The finish is a little thinner where the lower receiver meets the upper but still very nice. Overall, it is an impressive weapon with a plethora of history
Ownership history as follows:
Von Lengerke & Antoine Sporting Goods, Chicago, IL. 2/25/25
Dekalb, Illinois Police Department
R.J. Perry Associates, Park Ridge, IL. 1980
Douglas Callahan collection, Littlerock, AR. 1980
Nick Tilotta (Western Firearms Company) 5/91
L. J. Davis collection, Grapevine, Texas 9/1994
John M. Schlueter collection, Southlake, Texas 1996
Nick Tilotta (Western Firearms Company) 2/14/2001
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