The Auto Ordnance company made a couple different types of cases for the Thompson SMG, and today we are going to look at two of the most common and one exceptionally cool type. The two most typically found are the Police and FBI cases. Both other these hold the gun along with the detached stock, one drum, and four box magazines. The Police type has the drum and box mags separated for balance and was lined with purple velvet; the FBI cakes was generally blue velvet and had all the magazines on the left (making it balance poorly).
The other case we have today is one fabricated by the Secret Service for one of its protective details. This is a flat-lying wooden case, which holds the gun, stock, and four box magazines – no drums for the Service.
I’ve been given to understand that a real violin case won’t hold a real Thompson.
Viola case will.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Thompson_in_violin_case.jpg
That would be a little too heavy for your average Joe. A violin would weigh a lot less. If I see a full-grown man struggling to hold the handle of a violin case with one hand because the case is somehow overweight, I’m not sticking around to find out if he’s a horrible musician.
Heavier than a string instrument, which is mostly wood and empty space? Absolutely. So heavy that the bearer would be lugging it around with obvious exertion? No way, even if you’re keeping the detached stock in the case on top of a couple of full mags, that’s going to be what, maybe fifteen pounds at most? Perfectly reasonable weight for a fit adult to carry one-handed without arousing any undue attention.
Secret Service case has room at both ends for paper boxes of .45 ACP cartridges. Should balance nicely.
Viola case will.
Even though the police case would be the appropriate one for my Colt Thompson, (Originally sold to Cincinnati PD). I really dig the Secret Service one.
What would be the correct case for a 1928 Thompson sold to Britain before the lend lease program?