This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/16/2022
This consecutively numbered pair of Thompsons are documented as being shipped to Hugh B.C. Pollard, London, England the week of April 20, 1921. A copy of the actual Auto Ordnance Corporation Weekly Shipping Chart for "Thompson Submachine Gun and Accessories" indicating these guns by serial number accompanies this lot. Captain Hugh Pollard was the intelligence officer on the staff of the Chief of Police in Ireland, headquartered at the "Irish Office" based at Dublin Castle. These were 2 of 5 Thompson machine guns shipped to Captain Pollard (#121, #152, and #175 were the others). It is a safe assumption that these guns were intended to be, and in fact likely used in Ireland by the British authorities there, putting down the Irish independence rebellion. According to a letter dated April 26, 1921 from F.J. Merkling, the Secretary of Auto-Ordnance Corporation, to Colt's Patent Firearms Manufacturing Company, these guns were being shipped that day as a tax-exempt shipment. Captain Pollard made several references in his book, "Secret Societies of Ireland - Their Rise and Progress" published in July of 1922, that Thompson machine guns were used in Ireland. It was in June, 1921 that the British government terminated any intention to associate or do business with Auto-Ordnance Corporation as a result of the discovery that Auto-Ordnance had sold 600 Thompson machine guns to the Irish Republican Army. These guns were intercepted and seized aboard the S.S. East Side in New York Harbor on June 12, 1921. No doubt this motivated Captain Hugh Pollard to return his Thompson guns to Auto-Ordnance Corporation in New York. At some unknown date, prior to August of 1921, these two Thompson machine guns, #134 and #135 were resold to West Virginia coal mining companies and their detective agencies, as arms to be used to suppress coal mining strikes and unrest. These 2 guns are documented by serial number in the March 2014 article “GUNS OF THE BATTLE OF BLAIR MOUNTAIN” by Kenneth L. Smith-Christmas, published in the American Rifleman magazine. Subsequently these 2 machine guns came into the possession of the West Virginia State Police as 2 of 50 Thompsons in their arsenal. From this point, the chain of ownership is as follows: On October 1, 1968, these two guns were delivered to an unknown Class 3 machine gun dealer as 2 of 35 machine guns. On October 4, 1968 these 2 were transferred to Edward J. Klein, a Class 3 machine gun dealer in Houston, Texas, as 2 of 35 machine guns. On May 22, 1970 these 2 were transferred to J. Curtis Earl, a Class 3 machine gun dealer in Phoenix, Arizona, as 2 of 20 machine guns. These machine guns were live machine guns when J. Curtis Earl sold the consecutive serial numbered pair to a collector in San Francisco, California; since the buyer/collector could not possess live machine guns in California, Earl employed an experienced Phoenix welder to deactivate the machine guns. The subsequent transfers went from Earl to the George F. Cake Company, a licensed machine gun dealer and law enforcement supply company in Berkeley, California on May 22, 1970 and then on to the private buyer/collector on October 21, 1970 as “unserviceable”. These were “Letter” transfers, before the days of ATF Form 5s or 4s. These 2 guns were sold and transferred from this California collector to the current consignor on July 1, 2009. The current consignor transferred these two guns to M6 Management Corporation on July 27, 2009 for the purposes of carefully reactivating the guns. The process used was Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). This process carefully removed the weld with .0005 inch precision by gradually eroding the weld away with an electrode. This reactivation occurred on June 4, 2010 and included the meticulous refinishing to original 1921 Colt bluing standards by a Colt Firearms restoration professional with 30 years of experience. These 2 guns were transferred back to the consignor as live guns on September 10, 2010. DESCRIPTION OF THE GUNS: (A) Colt Thompson 1921A, serial 134. Original barrel serial numbered to the gun with the serial number visible in the extractor slot of the receiver when the bolt is retracted. Index mark between barrel and receiver perfectly aligned. Squared forward edge of actuator slot. Matching numbers between upper and lower assemblies. Original Colt 1921 parts within receiver. 1 near excellent 20 round Bridgeport magazine is included with this gun. Electronic NFA Registry indicates “COLT” as the manufacturer. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is near excellent as refinished faithfully to original 1921 Colt factory standards. Bluing is deep, lustrous and extremely attractive with one slight mark in the first “O” in “Thompson” on the left side, and another slight mark on the left side near the bottom of the receiver below the rear sight. Markings on both sides of receiver as well as “Automatic” and “Semi-Automatic” on trigger frame are crisp and clear. “JHB” inspectors mark not visible on right side of the receiver and there is no indication it was ever so-marked. Buttplate finish also near excellent. Wood is near excellent with some extremely light handling marks. Anchor proof discernable. Bore is near excellent, shiny and bright. Bolt face is near excellent. Mechanics are crisp. This is a select-fire machine gun. (B) Colt Thompson 1921A, serial 135: no barrel serial number visible in the extractor slot of the receiver when the bolt is retracted. Barrel is an original Colt barrel. J. Curtis Earl told collector in San Francisco, who, in turn, relayed it to the consignor, that the barrel was replaced upon the gun’s return to Auto Ordnance by Pollard. Index mark between barrel and receiver perfectly aligned. Squared forward edge of actuator slot. Matching numbers between upper and lower assemblies. Original Colt 1921 parts within receiver. 1 near excellent 20 round Bridgeport magazine is included with this gun. Electronic NFA Registry indicates “COLT” as the manufacturer. CONDITION: Overall appearance and finish is near excellent as refinished faithfully to original 1921 Colt factory standards. Bluing is deep, lustrous, and extremely attractive with 2 tiny marks just forward of the bullet logo on the top of the receiver, and 2 tiny marks just above the patent dates on the right side of the receiver. Markings on both sides of receiver as well as “Automatic” and “Semi-Automatic” on trigger frame are crisp and clear. “JHB” inspectors mark not visible on right side of the receiver, and there is no indication it was ever so-marked. Buttplate finish also near excellent. Wood is near excellent with a tiny chip out of the right rear corner of the vertical foregrip and at the front center of the pistol grip where it contacts the trigger frame. These are only discernible upon the closest possible inspection. Anchor proof discernable at front of stock. Bore is near excellent, shiny and bright. Bolt face is near excellent. Mechanics are crisp. This is a select-fire machine gun. This cataloger has had the opportunity to examine many Thompson machine guns over more than 35 years. This includes visiting advanced private collections, as well as numerous encounters incidental to cataloging for auction. It is truly extraordinary to find a pair of Thompsons that combine so many positive and interesting elements integral to their history. Just the fact that they have been together continually, as consecutively numbered guns since first shipped, and that their history is so well-documented sets these guns apart. Add to this their extremely low serial numbers, and that their condition, albeit refinished, makes them exceptionally attractive guns on multiple levels. The advanced Thompson collector, or would be forward thinking collector/investor should consider that now, this opportunity, is when these guns are within reach. The dollar is inflating but guns such as these are not something one can just, “go out and get” later. THESE ARE BOTH NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEMS AND REQUIRE BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. BOTH OF THESE ITEM ARE FULLY TRANSFERABLE ON AN ATF FORM 3 OR 4 AS CURIO AND RELIC ELIGIBLE. JWK 2022-11-83
Barrel Length
(BOTH) 10 - 1/2"
Caliber/Bore
(BOTH) .45 ACP
Model
(BOTH) 1921 Thompson
Paperwork
Box of provenance, Box of books
Serial Number
(A) 134 (B) 135