One of the most famous sub-machine guns in the world, the Thompson SMG rates as one of the truly signature American weapons. While advancements in manufacturing techniques and materials would allow later designs to match or exceed the Thompson's performance, none of them have managed to do the job with the same level of style and craftsmanship. The Thompson, a product of old-school hand craftsmanship, is virtually synonymous with the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression, being found on both sides of the law during the "gangland" era of American history, and also serving on all Allied fronts of World War II, where it stood tall among its more cost-effective stamped steel substitutes. Per the records in Herigstad's "Colt Thompson Submachine Gun" (page 241), this Thompson was part of a 20-piece order shipped to Colonel Jackson Arnold, Superintendent of the West Virginia Department of Public Safety on February 28, 1922. Only just established in 1919 and later re-designated the West Virginia State Police, the Department of Public Safety was a response to the West Virginia Mine Wars, a harsh struggle between mine ownership and mine labor that dragged local law enforcement in on both sides of the conflict. Later, this Thompson was one of nine transferred to West Virginia State Penitentiary; no specific incidents are recorded, but Thompson are known to have been popular guard guns, being both maneuverable in tight quarters and bringing enough firepower to the table to make an otherwise bold criminal think twice about taking their chances at escape. It would later reside in the inventories of dealers Edward Klein and J. Curtis Earl, and the collection of Doctor Theodore David. Blade front and folding Lyman rear sights, with a non-conventional added custom compensator mounted to the muzzle (Herigstad's records show the item as originally shipped as a 1921A), and the signature finned barrel. The receiver is marked with the model and five-line Colt address on the left side, and the Auto-Ordnance patents and address on the right, and the trigger group is numbered to match beneath the stock, and fitted with a set of fully functional selector and safety switches. Internally, the bolt is equipped with a mobile firing pin and a brass "Blish lock" device, as well as a wide spring and spring guide and the felt-padded oiler. The replacement detachable stock is unnumbered. Included with the Thompson is a later production "FBI" pattern case and the following accessories; an extra stick magazine, a World War II era Auto-Ordnance Type L 50-round drum, cleaning rod and sling.

Fine, with 60% of the original blue finish, the balance mostly a brown and gray patina, bright edge wear, and scattered spotting and handling marks. The replacement wood has been refinished, with a mended break in the forward pistol grip, scattered dings and scratches, and an overall glossy varnished appearance. The case is in good order. Mechanically excellent. NOTE: This weapon is a National Firearms Act (NFA), fully transferable Class 3, which is registered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, (BATFE) that is classified as a "Curios or Relic" as defined in 27 CFR, 478.11. These weapons are still subject to the provisions of 18 U.S.C. Chapter 44 and 27 CFR part 478.