On April 29 through May 1, 2011, the National Rifle Association (NRA) held its 140th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The official attendance of 71,139 is the second largest NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits on record for the longest running shooting and hunting show in the world. With a record braking 559 exhibitors, the exhibit hall was packed with NRA members the entire weekend, many of whom traveled from all over the country to attend the event. Additionally, most seminars and workshops were standing room only.

In addition to the industry display booths, and in conjunction with the show in their own exhibit area, are displays of rare, historic and interesting collector firearms sponsored by NRA affiliated clubs. This year, there were 26 gun collector affiliates that participated with displays in this 51st year of awards competition. These gun collector groups take great pride in their displays in not only presenting weapons of rarity and historical note, but in the professional looking displays as well. While the NRA primarily focuses on shooting and hunting, they are well aware of the value of collecting and displaying significant weapons to the public to educate them on the history and the roll collecting plays within the gun culture. The competition between the affiliated clubs and their displays is intense.

In recognition of this, the NRA awards medals and certificates in a number of different categories. These include:

• Best Arms Awards – Each year a maximum of ten sterling silver numbered medallions are awarded to those collector arms judged best on display (and not necessarily will ten be awarded). Firearms are judged on their individual quality, condition, originality, collector importance and historical value.
• Certificates of Recognition – In 1981, the NRA Gun Collectors Committee authorized an award for unique displays of items related to firearms. Up to ten certificates are normally awarded in any one calendar year. An item which has received a Certificate of Recognition is not eligible for this award in subsequent years.
• Best Educational Display Awards – In 1962, the Gun Collectors Committee authorized the Best Educational Group Awards to recognize outstanding displays that creatively and effectively present a well-organized theme. The committee has divided the Best Educational Display Awards into four categories: Antique Arms (pre-1898), Classic Arms (1898, 50 years prior to the show), Contemporary Arms (50 years prior to the show to current) and Combined Arms (collections that represent a mixture of more than one category.) Emphasis is placed on recognition of those exhibits that best inform the NRA members and general public of the historical, technical and cultural aspects of firearms and related items.
• The National Firearms Museum’s Spirit of Collecting Award.
• The Best Miniature Arms Awards – Each year, since 1987, sterling silver numbered medallions have been awarded to those miniature arms judged best on display. In 1998, the Collectors Committee decided to heighten competition for this award by presenting only three medals each year.
• The NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy – This sterling silver bowl is a perpetual trophy awarded for the display judged best of each year’s Annual Meeting and Exhibits. The winning organization’s name is engraved on the trophy and the organization receives a miniature of the trophy to retain. This is the top honor and the award all strive for.

World renowned Thompson submachine gun collector and author Tracie Hill is the force behind bringing the validity and legitimacy of collecting and displaying historic machine guns to the forefront of the NRA community. For so many years, machine guns were taboo at the NRA show and considered “evil” within the NRA hierarchy and by many even within the general NRA membership. His efforts have truly enlightened all that collecting historic classic machine guns is just as legitimate as collecting any other historical firearm and he has done it in a most profound and professional way.

He broke the ice within the NRA and the NRA Collectors Committee with exhibits of the iconic Thompson submachine gun winning awards from the judges, and the public, and winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy and a number of Best Arms awards beginning in 1998. Under the sponsorships of several NRA affiliated organizations over the years that include the Thompson Collectors Association, the Dallas Arms Collectors and The American Thompson Association, he has been responsible for winning the coveted NRA Gun Collectors Committee Trophy six times.

With the success of having displayed, and winning multiple awards, for Thompson exhibits, it was decided to become ambassadors of the Class III world and bring to display some of the other wonderful and historic collections that exist. The first foray into other machine gun exhibits was in 2006 when the Thompson Collectors Association and the Dallas Arms Collectors sponsored a Maxim machine gun exhibit at the NRA show in Milwaukee that won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver Best Arm medallion for a Colt Model of 1904 Maxim. (See Small Arms Review, Vol. 9, No. 12, September 2006.)

In 2011 in Pittsburgh, under the sponsorship of The American Thompson Association, they presented an exhibit entitled The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning. The 30×10 feet exhibit featured a Colt Automatic Gun Model 1914 on a Marine Light Landing Carriage, a New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun on a Model of 1917 tripod mounted on an M1 machine gun cart, a Winchester Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR) Model of 1918, a Colt Browning M2 .50 caliber water-cooled mounted on an M3 anti-aircraft mount, a Buffalo Arms .30 caliber ANM2, an Inland Arms M1919A6, a GM/Frigidaire .50 caliber M2 HB on a M3 tripod and a twice-size cut-a-way of a .30 caliber Browning. Accompanying the display of the firearms were lighted display cases that contained tools, manuals, accoutrements, medals, awards and ephemera relating to the guns with explanatory signage for everything present. Additionally, a professionally printed 8-page handout describing all the weapons on display was freely distributed to all show attendees that expressed an interest. The response by those attending the show was overwhelmingly positive with many thanking us for bringing such a collection and making it available for close-up viewing.

These displays are not slapped together at the last minute. A full year of planning is required to establish what and how the display will be presented: what guns, accessories, accoutrements, historical information, signage, handouts, glass cases, lighting, overall theme, etc., all has to be thought through and decided upon well before the start of the show. This collection of Browning machine guns came from the Robert Segel collection with additional pieces from David Albert and Phil Askew. Helping set up the display and staffing it during the show answering questions and highlighting the historical aspects were David Albert, Richard Vensel, Jackie Vensel, Tom Davis, Phil Askew, Bill Yenglin, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel, Tom Rasch, Tracie Hill and Thomas Hill. The human element and the truly enthusiastic volunteers set a high standard for that very much helped guarantee a successful presentation to the public.

The exhibit of The Machine Gun Designs of John Browning won the top honor of the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and a sterling silver medallion for one of the Best Arms at the show for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 water-cooled machine gun, serial number 6, on a Model of 1917 tripod. The medallion is numbered and registered to the gun and stays forever with the gun should it ever be sold.

It should be noted that as sponsor of the exhibit, this is the third time The American Thompson Association has won the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy. But even more importantly, with the displays of Thompsons, Maxims and Browning machine guns over the last 13 years, machine gun collecting has been recognized and accepted within the main stream gun collecting fraternity as the historic, relevant and legitimate endeavor that it is with the stigma of being “evil” finally disappearing.

Miniature 1/3 Scale MG 34

Another machine gun also won an award at the 140th NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Pittsburgh. The Miniature Arms Society, a recognized NRA collector affiliated organization, had a display showing many fine examples of the art and craft of miniature arms makers. These are not toys but a testament to the skill of making actual working miniatures that fully represent their full-size brethren except in a diminutive size. The judges award just three sterling silver medallions each year to those miniatures that represent the height of the art. Robert Segel, a Miniature Arms Society member, submitted a fully functional 1/3 scale German MG 34 light machine gun on fully functional Lafette, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006, and won one of the Best Miniature Arms sterling silver medallions. The medallions are numbered and registered to that gun and if the gun is ever sold, the medallion must go with it.

Miniature Arms Society (MAS) president Wayne Driskill (left) and MAS member Robert Segel display the 1/3 scale MG 34 that was submitted for judging.

The fully functional MG 34 in 1/3 scale, one of only six made by MiniArt in Moscow, Russia in 2006 on fully functional Lafette is displayed with the numbered and registered NRA sterling silver medallion for Best Miniature Firearm. It is one of three awarded to miniature arms.

Tracie Hill, Robert Segel, Jennifer Segel and The American Thompson Association president Tom Davis accept the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy and silver bowl during the NRA Gun Collectors Committee awards presentation ceremonies. (Lloyd Hill)

Back at the display after the awards presentations, (left to right) Tracie Hill, Phil Askew, Tom Davis, Jennifer Segel, Robert Segel and David Albert proudly display the NRA Gun Collectors Trophy, silver bowl, and silver Best Arm medallion.

Robert Segel accepts a numbered and registered sterling silver medallion for one of the ten BEST ARMS on display during the awards ceremony for the New England Westinghouse Model of 1917 Browning water-cooled machine gun.

August 5-6, 2011 marked the truly special occasion of the 20th annual All Thompson Show and Shoot, in association with The American Thompson Association (TATA), as hosted by the Tracie Hill family in Granville, Ohio. The 20th anniversary mark is an achievement that few events reach and is a testament to the passion of collecting, studying, researching and shooting the venerable and historic Thompson submachine gun (just for the sheer enjoyment of it) by the forever dedicated and faithful. Over 100 members and friends of TATA registered for the event traveling from such diverse compass points as Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and Kentucky to attend the event to display, talk and shoot Thompsons.

On Friday the 5th, the show began at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center, hosted by world renowned collector and author Tracie Hill and his family, with over 50 tables of Thompsons and related equipment on display. With the doors opening at 10 a.m., Friday is devoted to a show and tell display of the registrant’s guns and accessories respectfully exhibited on display tables throughout the conference center. All makes and models of Thompsons were present as were a wide assortment of accessories, spare parts, stick and drum magazines, web gear, manuals and historical documents – many of which were for sale. The array of Thompsons and the devotion to the subject is exceptional from the earliest prototype models through the Colt production models, through the World War II production models through to the Numrich and West Hurley models.

At 1 p.m., approximately 60 attendees filed into the library to attend a presentation by Lt. Michael Kline of the Berrien County (Michigan) Sheriff’s Department on the two Thompson guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre and how they were discovered and then forensically linked to the mass killings. Lt. Kline travels all over with these two historic Thompsons relating not the gory embellishment of the actual crime, but the then advanced and new technology of forensic science as applied to law enforcement to help solve crimes. While no one was ever arrested and convicted of perpetrating the St. Valentine’s Day massacre, there is no doubt that these two Thompsons were the guns used that infamous day and have been proven so by scientific forensic methodology.

The Shoot

Saturday the 6th was devoted to shooting Thompsons at a beautiful nearby range in Newark. The weather was hot and humid with temperatures and humidity both in the 90s; it was a beautiful summer day with no rain. There were two structured shooting competition events and then free range shooting time after that. Thompsons used in the competitions must be in original factory configuration.

The morning event had over 40 shooters registered and began at 7:30 a.m. Five shooters at a time would shoot with each shooter having a range officer supervising his or her actions.

• Stage 1. From a distance of 50 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on one target using semiautomatic fire only.
• Stage 2. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 3. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 20 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 4. From a distance of 10 yards (30 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 15 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 5. From a distance of 7 yards (21 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 4 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.

Total rounds fired is 100 rounds. Less time is allotted to the shooter the closer they got to the target requiring speed as well as accuracy. Each target had to be engaged separately and sweeping the three targets in one long burst was not allowed.

Targets used were the standard OPOTA combat silhouette type. Hits inside and cutting the outer silhouette line counted as hits. The shooter with the most hits was the winner. Hits in the INZ (Instant Neutralization Zone – a T shaped area covering the brain and spinal column down to the middle of the chest) were recorded for use in the event of a tie.

Immediately following the first competition, the second competition took place consisting of metal “pepper-popper” knock-down targets. Over 30 shooters registered for this event. Two shooters would compete against each other in a two-out-of three engagement. A shooter had to knock down his six metal targets before the other shooter knocked down his six targets. The last, center targets, were set at a slight angle so that one would fall over the other in a closely contested event. After all the initial pairing of shooters took place, the winner of each heat then competed against the winner of another heat. New this year was a mandatory mag change during the final heats. This elimination process continued until there were only two shooters left to determine first and second place.

Free range shooting time was available on the main range during the metal target events located on a side range.

All shooting ended at 3 p.m. and everyone went back to their hotel to shower and freshen up for the buffet banquet dinner that was held back at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center at 5:30.

A delicious buffet dinner of tenderloin, chicken breasts and all the sides and trimmings were served along with a dessert selection that would please any palate. At each dinner place setting was a bronze and enameled medallion commemorating the special occasion and honoring the 20th anniversary of the All Thompson Show and Shoot. Every attendee received one as a gift. At the end of dinner, the winners of the day’s contests were announced. The morning shoot winners were: Paper target competition 1st place winner – James Gilronan with a 94 with 2nd place to Eric Wank with a 90. In the very closely contested and exciting steel knock-down competition, the 1st place winner was Tom Davis with 2nd place going to C.J. Roberts.

The camaraderie and gathering of like-minded people in a casual setting such as this two-day event is a testament to the diversity of interests that people are more than willing to share. This two-day event is actually a perfect microcosm of a perfect blending of subject, time and functions. The first day of show and tell is all about meeting up with friends and making new friends and sharing your interest and passion for the Thompson. Day two is the perfect culmination of actually shooting the Thompson in a competitive or non-competitive way to your heart’s content. How does it get any better?

The 21st annual All Thompson Show & Shoot will be held in August, 2012. Check the The American Thompson Association website for the dates and details.

The American Thompson Association
P.O. Box 8710
Newark, OH 43508-8710
Website: www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/tata

The Show

The 19th annual All Thompson Show and Shoot, in association with The American Thompson Association (TATA), held their event on August 13-14, 2010. 110 members and friends of TATA registered for the event traveling from such diverse places as Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah and Kentucky to attend the event in Granville, Ohio to display, talk and shoot Thompsons.

On Friday the 13th, the show began at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center, hosted by world renowned collector and author Tracie Hill and his family, with 55 tables of Thompsons and related equipment on display. With the doors opening at 10 a.m., Friday is devoted to a show and tell display of the registrant’s guns and accessories reverently exhibited on display tables throughout the conference center. All makes and models of Thompsons were present as were a wide assortment of accessories, spare parts, stick and drum magazines, web gear, manuals and historical documents – many of which were for sale. The array of Thompsons and the devotion to the subject is phenomenal.

At 1 p.m., approximately 60 attendees filed into the library to attend a PowerPoint presentation by David Albert on reproduction Thompson items. Becoming a real concern with collectors, the unmarked reproduction of Thompson gear and accessories was discussed beginning with the various motives involved: sometimes for profit, sometimes to reproduce an exceptionally rare item for representation in a collection or for use with re-enactors and sometimes to specifically fool the purchaser. Reproduction of items is not a bad thing as long as it is marked in such a way that purchasers know that it is a reproduction. Of great concern is unmarked items that are sold as original to collectors and if used in the field by re-enactors or shooters, over a period of time, the new item gets wear and tear and a patina that makes it look like an original item. The PowerPoint presentation showed many examples of original gear with proper markings and reproduction gear with counterfeit markings. This applies to all manner of web gear, accessories and manuals.

To their credit, the Board of Directors of The American Thompson Association has adopted a new bylaw for their association regarding Reproduction Marking Standards. The American Thompson Association is a group of collectors dedicated to preserving the history, collecting, and promoting the safe operation of legal Thompson submachine guns. The club has a responsibility to future collectors and recognizes that many artifacts and accessories associated with the Thompson are being reproduced, or have been reproduced in the past. As a result, TATA assumes a stewardship role for future collectors, who, upon encountering reproduction items now and in the future, may not be able to reasonably determine their originality. This can have the effect of reducing collector value of original specimens, as well as present unintended (or intended) ethical issues among the Thompson collector community.

The American Thompson Association adopted a standard consisting of marking any new Thompson submachine gun reproduction items with a name or other distinguishable identifying mark that indicates the manufacturing entity, and at least the year of manufacture. The marking should be easily visible, and made in a manner that the item can be readily identifiable as a reproduction, such as die stamping in metal, firmly stamped wood markings, readily accessible publisher marks inside the front page of a paper item, permanently painted markings on canvas material, or other reasonable and permanent marking methods. (An example for stock markings is to mark such items under the buttplate, and on top of the grip, as these are already standard methods, and will not detract cosmetically from their presentation on a Thompson.)

TATA members must comply with the standard, and any reproduction item made by a member after notification of the adoption of the new standard in the club newsletter should be marked according to the TATA reproduction marking standard.

A list consisting of 3 categories of Thompson reproduction items will be maintained:

* New reproduction Thompson items that conform to TATA marking standard, to include known manufacturer information.

* Existing reproduction items that conform to TATA marking standard, to include known manufacturer information.

* Reproduction Thompson items that do not conform to TATA marking standard, to include known manufacturer information.

At a later time to be determined, once greater experience has been gained with managing a marking standard, TATA will present their standard to the NRA as a potential best practice. The standard may also be introduced to other NRA affiliated collector organizations who might want to adopt a similar standard.

The Shoot

Saturday the 14th was devoted to shooting Thompsons at a beautiful nearby range in Newark. There were two structured events and then free range shooting time after that. Thompsons used in the competitions must be in original factory configuration.

The morning event had 43 shooters registered and began at 7:30 a.m. Five shooters at a time would shoot with each shooter having a range officer supervising his or her actions.

• Stage 1. From a distance of 50 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on one target using semiautomatic fire only.
• Stage 2. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 3. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 20 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 4. From a distance of 10 yards (30 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 15 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 5. From a distance of 7 yards (21 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 4 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.

Total rounds fired is 100 rounds. Less time is allotted to the shooter the closer they got to the target requiring speed as well as accuracy. Each target had to be engaged separately and sweeping the three targets in one long burst was not allowed.

Targets used were the standard OPOTA combat silhouette type. Hits inside and cutting the outer silhouette line counted as hits. The shooter with the most hits was the winner. Hits in the INZ (Instant Neutralization Zone – a T shaped area covering the brain and spinal column down to the middle of the chest) were recorded for use in the event of a tie.

Immediately following the first competition, the second competition took place consisting of metal “pepper-popper” knock-down targets. 32 shooters registered for this event. Two shooters would compete against each other in a two-out-of three engagement. A shooter had to knock down his six metal targets before the other shooter knocked down his six targets. The last, center targets, were set at a slight angle so that one would fall over the other in a closely contested event. After all the initial pairing of shooters took place, the winner of each heat then competed against the winner of another heat. This elimination process continued until there were only two shooters left to determine first and second place.

Free range shooting time was available on the main range during the metal target events located on a side range.

All shooting ended at 3 p.m. and everyone went back to their hotel to shower and freshen up for the buffet banquet dinner that was held back at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center at 5:30.

A delicious buffet dinner of tenderloin, chicken breasts and all the sides and trimmings were served along with a dessert selection that would please any taste. Normally held outside, due to inclement weather, the dinner was moved indoors. The winners of the day’s contests were announced after dinner. The morning shoot winners were: 1st place to Charlie LeCount with a perfect score of 100 (with 7 hits in the INZ) and 2nd place went to Tom James with a 95 (with 8 shots in the INZ). The winner of the metal target knock-down pepper-popper event was Dan Block with Tony Veronesi coming in second in a very closely contested and exciting event.

The camaraderie and gathering of like-minded people in a casual setting such as this two-day event is a testament to the diversity of interests that people are more than willing to share. The 20th annual All Thompson Show & Shoot will be held in August, 2011. Check the The American Thompson Association website for the dates and details.

The American Thompson Association
P.O. Box 8710
Newark, OH 43508-8710
Website: www.nfatoys.com/tsmg/tata

The 17th annual All Thompson Show and Shoot, in association with The American Thompson Association (TATA), held their event on August 15-16, 2008. 95 members of TATA registered for the event traveling from such diverse places as Wisconsin, Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Kentucky to attend the event in Granville, Ohio to display, talk and shoot Thompsons.

On Friday the 15th, the show began at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center with 55 tables of Thompsons and related equipment on display. The array of Thompsons and the devotion to the subject is phenomenal with wonderful displays of manuals, web gear, magazines, drums, ephemera, etc. Anyone needing spare parts for whatever model of Thompson could find what they were looking for. A particular display of note were the two Thompsons (#2347 and #7580) used, and forensically identified by Dr. Calvin Goddard, in the St. Valentines Day Massacre. While the show is 99.9% Thompson related, there were two other exhibits that were extremely interesting. One was a display of High Standard weapons of World War II and the other was the one-millionth M1 Garand presented to John C. Garand.

At 1 p.m. Tom Davis, Jr. gave a one hour power point presentation on the history of the Thompson and Kilgore Manufacturing Co. Over 30 people attended this lecture to see and hear about this relatively unknown aspect of the Thompson legend.

Saturday the 16th was devoted to shooting Thompsons at a beautiful nearby range in Newark. There were two structured events: one in the morning and one after lunch and then free range shooting time after that. Thompsons used in the competitions must be in original factory configuration.

The morning event had 32 shooters registered and began at 8 a.m. Five shooters at a time would shoot with each shooter having a range officer supervising his or her actions.

• Stage 1. From a distance of 50 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on one target using semiautomatic fire only.
• Stage 2. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 25 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 3. From a distance of 25 yards, shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 20 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 4. From a distance of 10 yards (30 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 15 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.
• Stage 5. From a distance of 7 yards (21 feet), shooters will load one magazine with 20 rounds and have a time limit of 4 seconds to fire 20 rounds on three targets using automatic burst fire.

Total rounds fired is 100 rounds. Less time is allotted to the shooter the closer they got to the target requiring speed as well as accuracy. Each target had to be engaged separately and sweeping the three targets in one long burst was not allowed.

Targets used were the standard OPOTA combat silhouette type. Hits inside and cutting the outer silhouette line counted as hits. The shooter with the most hits was the winner. Hits in the INZ (Instant Neutralization Zone – a T shaped area covering the brain and spinal column down to the middle of the chest) were recorded for use in the event of a tie.

The morning event ended by about 11 a.m. and everyone had lunch on their own. Beginning at 1 p.m., the second competition took place consisting of metal “pepper-popper” knock-down targets. 32 shooters registered for this event. Two shooters would compete against each other in a two-out-of three engagement. A shooter had to knock down his six metal targets before the other shooter knocked down his six targets. The last, center targets, were set at a slight angle so that one would fall over the other in a closely contested event. After all the initial pairing of shooters took place, the winner of each heat then competed against the winner of another heat. This elimination process continued until there were only two shooters left to determine first and second place.

Free range shooting time was available on the main range during the metal target events located on a side range.

The shooting ended at 3 p.m. and everyone went back to their hotel to shower and freshen up for the buffet banquet dinner that was held back at the Thompson Collectors Conference Center at 5:30.

A delicious buffet dinner of tenderloin, chicken breasts and all the sides and trimmings were served. The winners of the day’s contests were announced after dinner. The morning shoot winners were: 1st place Tom James with a 99 (out of 100 shots) with 17 shots in the INZ and 2nd place went to Charlie LeCount with a 98 with 10 in the INZ. The winner of the metal target knock-down pepper-popper event was Mike Wank.

The camaraderie and gathering of like-minded people in a casual setting such as this two-day event is a testament to the diversity of interests that people are more than willing to share. The 18th annual All Thompson Show & Shoot will be held on August 14-15, 2009 and already people are marking their calendars for that event. The 1 p.m. lecture on August 14 will be on Thompson serial Number 41.

The American Thompson Association
P.O. Box 8710
Newark, OH 43508-8710

The 137th National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits were held in Louisville, Kentucky on May 16-18, 2008. Louisville provided a wonderful venue for the largest convention ever hosted by the city. Firearm and accessory vendors assembled for the weekend exhibits at the Louisville Expo Center to display their wares in a setting similar to the S.H.O.T. Show. Since 1960, the NRA has provided space at the exhibits for collector displays, where affiliated clubs may apply to feature their firearms and related material for public viewing.

Members of The American Thompson Association (TATA) participated in the event, and assembled a historic display that will surely be remembered for many years to come. With the support of the Berrien County, Michigan Sheriff’s Department, TATA displayed the two notorious Colt Thompsons used in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on February 14, 1929.

The effort focused upon Dr. Calvin Goddard’s crime scene investigative techniques, and respectfully presented the two Thompsons. Dr. Goddard had previously worked on the Sacco & Vanzetti case of the late 1920s, where he established some of his forensic principles. Immediately following the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, Dr. Goddard’s expertise was sought to assemble a crime lab at Northwestern University in Chicago to enable investigation of the case. It was the massacre of the century, purported to have been initiated by gangster heavyweight Al Capone, and law enforcement wanted to solve it quickly. As a result of the murders, and the subsequent investigation, Dr. Goddard pioneered many standard forensic methods used by law enforcement, including acid etching to reveal a ground off serial number on Thompson #7580, as well as rifling, cartridge case, and primer marking forensics.

Colt Thompsons serial number 2347 (Model of 1921A), and serial number 7580 (Model of 1921AC), which were recovered from a Berrien County hideout of “Killer” Fred Burke in December 1929 were featured on display. Also included on display were many artifacts, including one of three bullet proof vests recovered from Burke’s weapons cache, two bricks from the wall of the building where the murders occurred, an original full box of ammo from the same lot as used in the killings, various drums and magazines from the hideout, as well as several Goddard ballistic test artifacts.

The American Thompson Association was also fortunate to obtain the support of the Newark, Ohio Police Department, who lent their ballistic comparison microscope, which appeared on interactive display to the public. The microscope demonstrated some freshly spent cartridge casings from Colt Thompson #7580, and attendees could examine the markings left by the weapon on the casings as its own, distinctive fingerprint. The casings could also be compared to sample photos from the report produced by Goddard, showing the same markings.

The two Thompsons on display were undoubtedly the best documented firearms in the entire exhibit hall. Their provenance was apparent, as they could be spotted in several period photographs on display, and their descriptions and involvement in the murders were forensically proven in Goddard’s investigative report. It should also be noted that the deeds performed by gangsters with the two Thompsons drove much of the anti-machine gun sentiment of the time, and more than likely inspired passing of the National Firearms Act of 1934, therefore affecting many of our actions today. The Thompsons are truly historic artifacts for many reasons, and this was the first time they appeared to such a large audience, with over 71,000 attendees. Some fortunate audience members received unique souvenirs from the display; actual bullets and shell casings with documentation indicating they were fired through one of the SVDM Thompsons. These were highly sought mementos, and did not last long.

Goddard’s work was presented to a Coroner’s Jury to account for the seventy .45 ACP shell casings, and two “Climax” Brand 12-gauge shotgun shells found at the scene. All ammunition used was manufactured by the U.S. Cartridge Company. At the time he presented the evidence, the weapons had not been recovered. Goddard was able to determine the killings were performed by two different Thompson Model of 1921 submachine guns; one emptying an “L” drum of 50 rounds (later determined to be #2347), and one presumably emptying 20 rounds out of an “XX” magazine (later determined to be #7580). There were also two shotgun rounds fired from the same pump or automatic shotgun, probably as a “coup de grace” to Reinhardt Schwimmer, an optician by profession, and a gangster “groupie” who found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time on that fateful day.

It is important to note that no one was ever prosecuted for involvement in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Captured in 1931, Fred Burke was jailed for life for the murder of police officer Charles Skelly of the St. Joseph, Michigan Police Department. Burke died in prison of a heart attack in 1940.

As a result of the amazing display, and the provenance of the Colt Thompsons, each Thompson was awarded a silver “Best Arms” medal by the NRA. To top it off, the overall effort won the 2008 “Best Display” award, which is a perpetual silver cup that is engraved with the winner each year. Very significantly, this was the first time that all 11 NRA judges unanimously chose one display to receive the top honor. Also awarded was a certificate of recognition for the accoutrements on display from Dr. Goddard, including pictures from his report, and boxes of labeled test bullets from his laboratory.

The display was produced through the efforts of several individuals. First of all, Lt. Mike Kline, who is the caretaker of the SVDM Thompsons in Berrien County, Michigan, and also Sheriff L. Paul Bailey supported the project. Tracie Hill, President of TATA, put together the incredible display, and coordinated the club’s involvement. Many tireless hours were spent by Tracie to make it possible, and his experience with previously designed firearms displays proved invaluable. Also critical was Chuck Schauer, whose display at the 2006 TATA Show & Shoot inspired this one. Mr. Schauer initiated the involvement of Berrien County, without whom the SVDM Thompsons would never have been possible to display. Also, Bill Helmer, author of the 1969 classic Thompson narrative, The Gun That Made The Twenties Roar, contributed artifacts and much of the historical account that was featured in the program handout that accompanied the display. Many other TATA members helped with construction, and staffed the display while providing historical tutelage to those who viewed it on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Much fun was had by all who participated from the club, and countless people were amazed and grateful for the opportunity to view such historic firearms presented in an interactive manner. The NRA provides an unbeatable collector display forum, and attending their annual events held in cities around the country is highly recommended. Nowhere else can one see so many firearm displays, vendor exhibits, along with Ted Nugent’s enthusiastic support of the second amendment, followed by his amazing guitar rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner,” all in the same day. The next NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will be held in Phoenix, AZ, May 15-19, 2009.