St. Louis police to auction gangland-era Tommy guns to buy new sidearms

St. Louis Post Dispatch ^ | May 31, 2014 | Joel Currier

[Second Amendment First]

Thompson submachine guns are as much a legend as the bad — and good — guys who fired them.

With as many colorful nicknames as the gangsters whose rat-a-tat-tats roared through the 1920s, the weapon remains an icon of American criminal, military and pop culture history.

No matter what you call it — the “Chicago Typewriter,” the “trench broom,” the “chopper,” the “annihilator” — the Tommy gun is a vintage Hollywood favorite. It was used not only by desperados such as John Dillinger to rob banks and Al Capone’s mobsters in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, but also various lawmen and soldiers.

*

St. Louis police took them out of service perhaps 60 years ago, but 29 are still stored in a basement bunker at the Police Academy downtown, with a 30th in the crime lab. Chief Sam Dotson and some collectors think it may be the biggest police-owned stock of Thompsons in the United States.

And it is about to go on sale.

*

The collection, which includes rare 1921 and 1927 Colts and a model made in 1942, was appraised by a local dealer in May 2012 at $770,000. Police and some collectors, however, think the stash could fetch far more. It is not clear how or when the department acquired the one newer Tommy gun.

[Second Amendment First]

I wonder if John Ross will get any?

[andyk]

Thanks, 1986 FOPA! Thanks, Reagan!

[knarf]

there aren't 29 St Louis cops that want one of these ?

Something's wrong somewhere.

No matter the price, 29 is NOT a mortgage ... I'd GET the money.

[Second Amendment First]

I would get it too, but I expect at auction will fetch the highest dollars for their coffers.

[Paine in the Neck]

The Merry Ploughboy

I am a merry ploughboy and I plough the fields all day
Till a sudden thought came to my mind, that I should roam away
For I'm sick and tried of slavery, since the day that I was born
And we're off to see the IRA and we're off tomorrow morn

Chorus:
And we're all off to Dublin in the green, in the green
Where the helmets glisten in the sun
Where the bayonets flash and the rifles crash
To the rattle of the Thompson gun

I'll leave aside my pick and spade, I'll leave aside my plough
I'll leave aside my horse and yoke, I no longer need them now
But I'll take my short revolver and my bandoleer all so
And with me comrades by my side, I'll face the foreign foe

Chorus

I'll leave aside my Mary, she's the girl that I adore
And I wonder will she think of me when she hears the rifles roar
And when the war is over and dear old Ireland's free
I'll take her to the church to wed and a rebel's wife she'll be

Chorus

And when the war is over, and dear old Ireland is free
I'll take her to the church to wed and a rebel's wife she'll be
Well some men fight for silver and some men fight for gold
But the IRA is fighting for the land that the Saxon's stole

Chorus

[Rodamala]

They ought to be forced to sell off all their replacement MP5s and flashbangs as well.

[Second Amendment First]

I would think cashing in the IRA’s to put the whole collection into a gun trust would provide an excellent return over time.

[rellimpank]

—another good one—

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvTv-I2Y390

[riverrunner]

Training cost, ammo cost as far as weapons go selling them and buying modern patrol rifles is a much smarter move.

[Freeping Since 2001]

I highly doubt that these were registered as transferable under the 1986 act.

I don’t see how any person could buy these, even ignoring the price. They may be museum pieces, but they’re probably not legally transferable except to another government agency.

[Second Amendment First]

The police department must believe they are transferable to the civilian market, otherwise there is no way they will get $770,000 for them.

[VanShuyten]

I’m more interested in if the Berettas they’re getting rid of are going to be sold at a good price.

[catnipman]

“I would think cashing in the IRA’s to put the whole collection into a gun trust would provide an excellent return over time.”

And you would be correct. There’s only about 250,000 registered MGs that are legally transferable and there won’t be any more. Thus you have a guaranteed fixed supply of something that is unique and highly desirable. Oh, yeah, and REALLY, REALLY fun to shoot!

[a fool in paradise]

Do they come in a violin case?

[Hardastarboard]

OMG! OMG! OMG! There will be blood in the streets. These guns will be used for mass murder. Our children will pay the price for this! It's the NRA's fault.

Putting some quick talking points out there for a lazy MSM reporter to cut and paste.

[RedMDer]

FReepathon day 62, Month #3.
Don't let the Left win!


Woo hoo!! Less than $4.7k to go!! Time to put this baby to bed!!
Thank you all very much!

[catnipman]

I searched and searched and searched for information about who, when, where, and how this auction is to be conducted. Nada. Either the media and the search engines are trying to hide access to the auction or the police department doesn’t yet have its act together about it.

I’m going to call them Monday and find out what’s going on.

[bamahead]

You would definitely need to have an FFL to buy one of these, unless the fully auto action were disabled somehow.

[BradyLS]

Who knows how many they started with? 30 is what they have left!

[BradyLS]

I wonder if they’ll...fix ‘em.