80 years later; Thompson stolen by Dillinger gang is returned.
20 replies, posted
[thumb]http://media.nbcmiami.com/images/654*368/John-Dillinger-mug-shot1.jpg[/thumb]
[quote=NBC6]
A .45-caliber Thompson submachine gun stolen by members of John Dillinger's gang has been returned after more than 80 years.
Three FBI special agents from Indiana presented the weapon to Auburn, Ind., Mayor Norm Yoder during a ceremony Thursday at the DeKalb County Courthouse. The gun was stolen on Oct. 14, 1933, along with bulletproof vests, ammunition, and several other firearms. It was later recovered by the Tucson Police Department in Arizona and turned over to the FBI.
Auburn Police Chief Martin McCoy said the department was making plans to preserve and display the gun in Auburn.
The Indianapolis-born Dillinger was one of the most notorious criminals in U.S. history. He and his gang robbed several banks and police arsenals in Indiana during the 1930s. He was also charged with murdering an East Chicago police officer but never convicted.
Federal agents shot him dead outside Chicago's Biograph Theater in July 1934.
The plaster mask of Dillinger's face, cast by an amateur criminologist who slipped past Cook County morgue guards, went on display in Springfield last year at the Illinois State Police Heritage Foundation museum.[/quote]
[url]http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/national-international/john-dillinger-gun-248984941.html[/url]
The Thompson is such an iconic gun for American history; I'd love to own one.
Chicago love right here.
Little fuckin' late, but hey man, if it's a free gun, better late than never.
They found the Thompson in my hometown. How awesome!
I see Thompsons at gunshows often, they are a mean looking gun
[QUOTE=WoodenSpoon;44165673]I see Thompsons at gunshows often, they are a mean looking gun[/QUOTE]
And their value is massively overinflated.
[QUOTE=download;44165807]And their value is massively overinflated.[/QUOTE]
and antiques/historical things mean nothing!
There's a Johnny Depp movie about Dillinger, and it was pretty good. Not 100% accurate but close enough and it's good iconic fun. Called Public Enemies. Some of the key scenes of the movie were even shot in the exact same spot the event happened
[QUOTE=download;44165807]And their value is massively overinflated.[/QUOTE]
Because they're one of the most iconic guns in history.
[QUOTE=Egevened;44165829]and antiques/historical things mean nothing![/QUOTE]
Thompsons were expensive even when they were still new
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;44168821]Thompsons were expensive even when they were still new[/QUOTE]That's because the M1928 Thompson was insanely powerful at the time, the few other firearms in the world that could match it's rate of fire and still be as compact were nowhere near as powerful. Really, the pricetag of a Thompson during that time is actually [i]cheaper[/i] than the current price for brand new, quality firearms today. Few submachine guns existed at the time, and the Thompson's chief rival was the MP18 which had a retarded as fuck magazine and was chambered in the weaker 9x19mm. Spraying a target with a M1928 that had a 50 round drum unleashed two and a half times the kinetic energy as a single BAR with a 20 round magazine.
Basically you could pepper a car full of people with a single M1928 and kill or incapacitate all of your targets, which was a selling point for gangsters. There really isn't anything on the market today that matches up with the shock, comparative power, and innovation the Thompson had over contemporary weapons.
For anyone who say they'd like own a Thompson: Several companies manufacture reproductions for about $800 to $2000, or about the same price of a decent AR-15.
[url=http://www.impactguns.com/brand-thompson-semi-auto.aspx]Impact Arms[/url]
The price has steadily come down over the years, from the original, $2500 to about $1200 now. I'd imagine that someone is going to eventually create a .22LR version to compete with GSGs STG-44 and MP-40.
[QUOTE=JumpinJackFlash;44169499]That's because the M1928 Thompson was insanely powerful at the time, the few other firearms in the world that could match it's rate of fire and still be as compact were nowhere near as powerful. Really, the pricetag of a Thompson during that time is actually [i]cheaper[/i] than the current price for brand new, quality firearms today. Few submachine guns existed at the time, and the Thompson's chief rival was the MP18 which had a retarded as fuck magazine and was chambered in the weaker 9x19mm. Spraying a target with a M1928 that had a 50 round drum unleashed two and a half times the kinetic energy as a single BAR with a 20 round magazine.
Basically you could pepper a car full of people with a single M1928 and kill or incapacitate all of your targets, which was a selling point for gangsters. There really isn't anything on the market today that matches up with the shock, comparative power, and innovation the Thompson had over contemporary weapons.[/QUOTE]
No wonder why the Thompson was so popular in organized crime, AND why it was so popular in the military during WW2. Sounds like a great SMG for the early/mid 20th century.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it standard belief for Thompsons to be more highly regarded to the Brits than the soldiers who used them? Or was that a myth?
[QUOTE=Leo Leonardo;44173680]Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it standard belief for Thompsons to be more highly regarded to the Brits than the soldiers who used them? Or was that a myth?[/QUOTE]
Well considering they had to deal with Stens, I wouldn't be surprised.
Not saying that Stens were bad, it's just that given their ragtag nature, the glamour of a Thompson might have been alluring to a Brit.
[QUOTE=Leo Leonardo;44173680]Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it standard belief for Thompsons to be more highly regarded to the Brits than the soldiers who used them? Or was that a myth?[/QUOTE]
That, and also the British used the larger, clunkier drum magazine instead of the standard magazine used by the US. The problem with the Tommy for the Brits was that by the time you were finished reloading with the drum mag, you were probably already overrun.
[QUOTE=Moustacheman;44173854]That, and also the British used the larger, clunkier drum magazine instead of the standard magazine used by the US. The problem with the Tommy for the Brits was that by the time you were finished reloading with the drum mag, you were probably already overrun.[/QUOTE]
Wait, did the Tommy supplant the Sten in the British forces?
[QUOTE]The gun was mistakenly put in the "to be melted down bin" and is forever destroyed.[/QUOTE]
Oh god imagine that
[QUOTE=BFG9000;44173888]Wait, did the Tommy supplant the Sten in the British forces?[/QUOTE]
Some, but not to many. Tommies were more common amongst Commonwealth Forces like Aussies, Canadians, and Gurkhas. Some Tommies were used by the Main British Army, but not many.
[QUOTE=ironman17;44170224]No wonder why the Thompson was so popular in organized crime, AND why it was so popular in the military during WW2. Sounds like a great SMG for the early/mid 20th century.[/QUOTE]
Of course, you're still carrying a submachine gun that weighs nearly [i]5 kg unloaded[/i], but eh, it was pretty good for what it was for, y'know?
[QUOTE=JumpinJackFlash;44169499]That's because the M1928 Thompson was insanely powerful at the time, the few other firearms in the world that could match it's rate of fire and still be as compact were nowhere near as powerful. Really, the pricetag of a Thompson during that time is actually [I]cheaper[/I] than the current price for brand new, quality firearms today. Few submachine guns existed at the time, and the Thompson's chief rival was the MP18 which had a retarded as fuck magazine and was chambered in the weaker 9x19mm. Spraying a target with a M1928 that had a 50 round drum unleashed two and a half times the kinetic energy as a single BAR with a 20 round magazine.
Basically you could pepper a car full of people with a single M1928 and kill or incapacitate all of your targets, which was a selling point for gangsters. There really isn't anything on the market today that matches up with the shock, comparative power, and innovation the Thompson had over contemporary weapons.[/QUOTE]
MP28 was out around then, and I would be more afraid of it, as it's more likely to hit what you are aiming at...
MP34 also came out a few years later and was still used into the 1970s. can't really say the same about the Thompson. Manufacturing quality, accuracy, and most all practical aspects were better.
Thompson is one of the most overrated guns out there.
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