BOLO- Stolen Tommy Gun

[THE PILGRIM]

A 1921 Thompson was stolen from the State Museum in Lincoln, NM.
Don't sound like it had adequate security.
This building is the old Lincoln County Courthouse where Billy the Kid made his last escape.
In other words, not a good place to lock up something.
Lincoln is probably the most original and least commercialized of any of the old West towns.
It looks a lot now like it did then, including lack of security.

Thief takes Tommy gun from Lincoln County Courthouse | Albuquerque Journal News

 

[Otreb]

Tasteful thief, at least.

 

[moosedog]

Probably on it's way to Chicago to become a typewriter.

 

[tops]

I was in Lincoln probably 20 yrs. ago and I remember thinking that other than the road being paved I didn't think much had changed. We rode over a bunch of NM but Lincoln and Columbus were the two places I enjoyed the most. I wanted to see where Billy the Kid was locked up and where Pancho Villa attacked the US. Larry

 

[jack the toad]

Years ago while touring the on-base museum at Ft. Sill (Lawton) Okla., the displays were fairly unsecure IMO. The old original stockade where Geronimo was held prisoner for a while and reportedly had his Colt 45 and Trapdoor Springfield on display, in what I thought would be tempting for a thief. There were other artifacts as well but since I'm more a gun guy than anything, they caught my attention.
Some old barracks were open and housed some very nice old guns, etc. (Gatlings, small arms, etc) and were unmanned. You just walked in, looked around and left. Your car was parked right outside. I know it might have been hard to swipe some wheel-mounted piece but there were other things besides firearms. They now have a new staffed museum that has surveillance and other security.
If ever in the Lawton area, it's worth a few hours to tour but I think there is more restrictions now for even getting on base.

 

[kaaskop49]

I would hope (Careful - hope is a 4-letter word) that the firing pin on a display weapon would have been removed. I believe the 1921 had a separate firing pin, unlike the M1A1 with a "pimple" on the bolt face.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[canoeguy]

A few years ago, maybe 15 years someone stole a Smith & Wesson Model 59 from the Elvis Presley Museum in Memphis, Tn. Elvis's personal pistol from his collection.

They found and identified the thief through video surveillance, some teenager. He showed the police where he had stashed the pistol, inside the tank of a porta-potty....

A full porta-potty.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I would hope (Careful - hope is a 4-letter word) that the firing pin on a display weapon would have been removed. I believe the 1921 had a separate firing pin, unlike the M1A1 with a "pimple" on the bolt face.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

Unfortunately, it has been reported to be a fully operational weapon.
It belonged to a Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff.
As I have posted, the best Tommy Gun that I ever actually held was one owned by the Carlsbad, NM Police Dept.
It had drum magazines and a leather magazine carrying case.

 

[jack the toad]

They found and identified the thief through video surveillance, some teenager. He showed the police where he had stashed the pistol, inside the tank of a porta-potty....

A full porta-potty.

bad day to be a rookie on the dive team.

 

[kaaskop49]

Unfortunately, it has been reported to be a fully operational weapon.
It belonged to a Lincoln County Deputy Sheriff.
As I have posted, the best Tommy Gun that I ever actually held was one owned by the Carlsbad, NM Police Dept.
It had drum magazines and a leather magazine carrying case.

To pervert the old saw, I have always believed a ton of prevention is worth an ounce of cure. Case in point. With all the bad press lately, you would think... There I go again, "you would think..."

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[Comrad]

The Paterson museum in Paterson NJ has an extensive collection of all the early Colts and I thought the same thing when I went through there. Easy pickings for a smash and grab.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I think this proves the more things change, the more they stay the same. Clyde Barrow, Dillinger and others in the 20s and 30s got their guns this way. Walk into police stations or armories and take what they wanted. Some people just can't resist easy pickins!

This is a problem for lots of old museums and art galleries. There's just no money for security guards and systems.

 

[austinjeane]

I believe that CCTV cameras showed the thief wearing a double breasted suit with a snap brimmed fedora. He was seen driving away at a high rate of speed in a 32 Ford V-8.

 

[scooter123]

They found and identified the thief through video surveillance, some teenager. He showed the police where he had stashed the pistol, inside the tank of a porta-potty....

A full porta-potty.

This is a commonly repeated theme that applies to some thieves. They steal something because it was tempting and then basically toss it in the trash once the newness wears off. I just don't understand these types, if you are going to be a thief wouldn't it be the least bit logical, as well as profitable, to sell that item you stole? Nope, as soon as it becomes the least bit boring it goes into the handiest sewer grate, creek, river, or whatever disposal site is easiest to get to.

Hopefully when they do catch up to the thief who stole this Thompson they'll be able to recover the rifle in it's original condition. Because it would flat out make me darned angry if this idiot tossed it down some old water filled mine or into a convenient river because it no longer interested him. I also hope that when they do catch the thief he'll face a judge who believes the only suitable sentence is the maximum sentence.