Model 1921 Thompson

by
posted on August 11, 2009
2009811142312-a1f_mf_gunnotfired_f.jpg

NRA member George Whitehead, after military service in World War II, moved to Portland, Ore., and started a career with the Portland Police Department, eventually spending 27 years on the force. As a detective following up leads, he frequently visited area gun shops and, in 1969, purchased a Thompson submachine gun from a dealer going through financial hard times. This Model 1921 Thompson, serial number 6040, had been sold by a small police department in the Milwaukee area and was still brand new.

For the next 36 years, that Thompson sat unfired in a safe; in all those years, Whitehead never took this submachine gun to the range and never even disassembled the piece, just carefully cleaned and maintained it. Then, in 2005, he contacted the National Firearms Museum and made arrangements for the piece to be legally transferred. Along with three other modern firearms and a circa 1929 Wibrod bulletproof vest, the Thompson arrived at the Museum later that year. Today it rests proudly in the Modern Law Enforcement display with two drum magazines nearby, still unfired. Whitehead passed away in December 2007, but one of his last comments to a close friend was that he was happy his gun had found a long-term home.

Latest

Long Wolf Timberwolf 19X Web
Long Wolf Timberwolf 19X Web

Review: Lone Wolf Arms Timberwolf 19X

In its Timberwolf 19X, Lone Wolf Arms focused on incremental updates and tweaks to the seminal Glock design, resulting in a versatile "crossover" handgun design capable of fulfilling a variety of roles.

May NICS Numbers Show Possible Improvement In Gun Sales

Despite the 1.6 percent year-over-year decline in firearm sales for the month of May, the 31-day period marks the 70th month in a row with more than 1 million gun sales.

2025 Shotgun Of The Year: SDS Arms MAC 1014

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson Model 1854

Smith & Wesson entered an entirely new market segment in 2024 with its Model 1854, and the lever-action has a few notable features that allow it to stand out in what's becoming a crowded market of modernized lever guns.

New For 2025: Mossberg 990 Aftershock

Mossberg is one of the pioneers of the "Shockwave" style of non-NFA, shotshell-firing firearms, and the company's latest design, the 990 Aftershock, is semi-automatic.

The Battle of Bunker Hill: 250 Years Later

The June 17, 1775, Battle of Bunker Hill marked one of the most pivotal moments in the early years in the American Revolution, as thousands of militiamen stood against determined assaults by British infantry outside Boston.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.