September 15, 16, & 17, 2026 Firearms & Militaria
The live portion of this session begins on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
Lot #1005:
(N) THE COLT 1921 THOMPSON MACHINE GUN THAT WOUNDED “PRETTY BOY” FLOYD (CURIO & RELIC).
This is Colt Thompson #7923, certainly one of the best "gunfight" documented Thompsons linked to a prominent gangster which is available for private citizen ownership and possibly the most historic Thompson ever offered at public auction. The documented story behind this gun will make your jaw drop, and such an ownership opportunity is at the same time electrifying, solemn, and awe-inspiring. Former Oklahoma Sheriff Ervin A. Kelly died clutching this Colt Thompson in the early hours of April 9, 1932 while battling Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd. Pretty Boy Floyd, the infamous gangster and bank robber of the early 1930s, who held the notorious record of 50-plus bank holdups, was "the first of the depression outlaws to attract national attention." Floyd ended up winning the gunfight, fatally shooting Sheriff Kelly five times with an M1911 pistol. As Sheriff Kelly was hit, he reportedly fired off a string of shots with this Thompson, striking Floyd four times before he died from Floyd’s attack. In a later interview with Floyd, he indicated, “Erv Kelly nearly got me. It was either him or me.” Floyd was reportedly hit on the grip of a gun on his right hip, on his leg, his left ankle, and his scrotum, all by bullets fired by Sheriff Kelly out of this Thompson. Sheriff Kelly had just retired as Sheriff of McIntosh County in Checotah, Oklahoma, and began running a filling station, but missed the excitement of law enforcement. Pretty Boy Floyd’s headline-grabbing exploits resulted in a $5000 reward being offered by the Oklahoma State Crime Bureau, and Kelly decided to chase that substantial reward, which is almost $120K in today’s dollars. After approaching the State Crime Bureau, the Oklahoma Bankers Association hired Kelly as a “Special Agent” to hunt down Floyd, and presented him with this Colt Thompson to appropriately arm him in the quest. The fight took place on a farm where Floyd’s father-in-law lived outside of Bixby, Oklahoma, close to Tulsa, after an overnight posse party awaited Floyd’s arrival. Media reports said Sheriff Kelly had equipped this Colt Thompson with a silencer, and used a 20-round magazine. The silencer account was probably a reporter mistaking the 1928 style compensator present on this Thompson for a silencer, as there are no signs this weapon has ever been modified to accept one. While Pretty Boy Floyd survived the fight with Sheriff Kelly, he was killed by the FBI two and a half years later in Ohio. After Sheriff Kelly’s demise, this Thompson was apparently sold to a Checotah, Oklahoma banker named B.A. Marlin, and, as of the writing of Gordon Herigstad’s last Colt Thompson Serial Number book in 2014, “this Thompson has never surfaced.” Well now it has, which is an amazing opportunity for a lucky buyer. The weapon was registered in 1934, as the National Firearms Act was enacted. Electronic NFA registry indicates “COLT” in the manufacturer’s block. CONDITION: This Colt Thompson has been faithfully and beautifully restored. The receiver and the lower frame serial numbers match. It has a correct Type 1 compensator with good compensator pins, its barrel has 29 fins, and the index lines match, all indications of being original to the weapon. The buttstock does not retain its original anchor marking on the nose, indicating it was either replaced, or sanded during its previous restoration. The grips and internals of this Thompson are original, including the 1921 style actuator. Anyone who purchases this Thompson should acquire a reproduction 1921 actuator if they intend to fire this gun, along with some other spare internal parts, as original 1921 actuators can be fragile, and are quite valuable, and difficult to find as spares. This Thompson features patent dates, as well as a “JHB” inspector marking on the right side of the receiver to indicate inspection for Auto-Ordnance by Chief Inspector John H. Barrett. This is an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who wants a gun that is truly a part of American folklore. It is a historically significant Thompson submachine gun. Don’t miss out on it. THIS IS A NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT ITEM AND REQUIRES BATF APPROVAL PRIOR TO TRANSFER. THIS ITEM IS FULLY TRANSFERABLE ON AN ATF FORM 3 OR 4 AS CURIO & RELIC ELIGIBLE. JWK 2026-09-170.
CORRECTION: There is no case with this lot. Please note that in addition to the gun itself, only one original un-numbered, “New York, NY” nickle rotor 50 round drum is included with this gun. All other accessories which may be seen in catalog photographs will be offered in a separate lot at a later date.