The New Zealand Connection

(with special thanks to MW)

An amazing little-known fact was that in 1983 a number of “IRA” Model of 1921 Thompson Guns in mint condition were offered for sale at the well known Antique Arms Auction House of Weller & Dufty in Birmingham. It appears there were about eight guns for sale in catalogues dated July, August, September, October and December of 1983 along with original stick and drum magazines, ‘C’ and ‘L’ drums plus XX  magazines (100, 50 and 20 round respectively).

One collector bought six Thompsons alone while another known collector bought two. All these guns are now in collections in New Zealand.

And how did the guns get there?

Well it appears they were part of an IRA cache of 114 guns seized by Gardai in County Mayo in 1942, held by the Gardai since then and some off-loaded at auction in 1983. The cache also contained 100 ‘C’ drum magazines even with their original winding and loading instruction card still attached.  Pictures below.

Thompson Gun with serial number 393 appeared in July catalogue, serial 879 in August while the others appear to have their serials erased which was practice by the IRA. The guns were part of the original “East Side” ship consignment seized by the FBI in 1921 and at least one gun was part of the “Gentry” purchase.

Serial numbers on the side of the receiver may be erased but same serials were stamped in three other gun locations – under rear of the trigger frame, under fore-grip support and on the breach end of the barrel (this last number only on the first 1000 numbered guns).

495 Thompsons were in the “East Side” shipment while 50 guns comprised the “Gentry” consignment.

One collector still holds guns serial numbers 389, 586 and 708.

Others hold serials  630, 993, 308, 393, 535, 592, 609, 886.