The Prohibition Era was a lot of things including a great time for bootleggers and the mafia, but it also had some cool guns. If you’re thinking there’s nothing else out there from this particular era than the Thompson Submachine Gun, we’re here to tell you you’re wrong (but we’ll cover that one too, because it’s a must).
Guns From the Prohibition Era — Our Favorites
There are all sorts of awesome guns that hail from the era of flappers and pre-NFA firearms, and we’re here to share our favorites.
Thompson Submachine Gun (Tommy Gun)
This is an obvious one, because it’s impossible to cover Prohibition Era guns without mentioning the Thompson Submachine Gun, AKA Tommy Gun. These guns were truly popular among mafia members (it wasn’t just a stereotype). Although these guns were originally designed for military use, the mafia got their hands on them as well. Perhaps their most infamous use took place during the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Interestingly, there is documented evidence that it was Al Capone himself to “ordered” the Tommy Guns for his men to carry out that hit.
The Tommy Gun is a 45 ACP, and the original was full-auto. Today you can find pricey replicas that are semi-auto. Or, you can pay an arm and a leg for an original, which includes all the related paperwork and fees for having an NFA item. If you ever see a photo of a Tommy Gun with a standard magazine, you might feel confused because they’re so frequently shown with a drum magazine. But in reality, they can be run both ways. The original M1928 Tommy Gun has a rate of fire of around 700 rounds per minute and an overall empty weight of over 10 pounds. You can imagine how heavy it was with a drum full of 45 ACP.
Smith & Wesson Model 10
It might surprise you, but revolvers played a big role during Prohibition. Both sides of the mafia fight used them, too: gangsters and law enforcement. Al Capone was said to be a fan of the Smith & Wesson Model 10, which just happens to be the same gun used by Special Agent Michael Malone, the man who infiltrated Capone’s gang. Malone was undercover for years. Of his assignment, Paul Camacho, a former head of IRS criminal investigations in Las Vegas, said:
Michael Malone was, I believe, the greatest undercover agent in the history of law enforcement. This was the riskiest assignment you could ever think of. People were dying left and right, witnesses were dying left and right. Nobody wanted to be with these guys.
As for the Smith & Wesson Model 10, the revolver was chambered in .38 Special and had a cylinder capacity of 6 rounds. So if someone ever asks you if a revolver can really be used for self-defense, it might be worth a reminder that the gangsters of the bootlegging era used them regularly, as did the law enforcement officers and agents trying to stop them.
Colt 1911 “Baby Machinegun” in 38 Super
This is a rather unique gun that was specifically used by gangster John Dillinger. The variant Dillinger used was labeled the Baby Machinegun and was designed by Hyman Lebman. Rather than the standard semi-auto model, the Baby Machinegun was full-auto. Dillinger’s was chambered in .38 Super and customized with a vertical forward grip, among other things (the image above is the actual gun). That gave Dillinger an easy-to-conceal, full-auto pistol he could readily wield while carrying out his various crimes. The .38 Super has been getting a bit more attention lately, but it still isn’t an incredibly popular cartridge.
So, what was Dillinger like? He is quoted as having once said, “My buddies wanted to be firemen, farmers, or policemen, something like that. Not me; I just wanted to steal people’s money!” Well, at least he was honest, right?
1911 in 45 ACP
Yes, it’s another 1911, but this one isn’t full-auto or chambered in .38 Super. Pretty Boy Floyd favored the 1911, although he also had a hammerless 1903. It makes sense because, at that time, the 1911 was the best option for a semi-auto pistol chambered in a heavier caliber. Floyd climbed his way to the top of the Most Wanted list to become Public Enemy Number One. His 1911, which is pictured, had a blued finish, walnut grips, and a five-inch barrel. It ended up being auctioned off by Rock Island Auction Company and sold for $31,625.00.
Rock Island Auction Company included a brief summary when they listed the gun:
This Colt .45 pistol is identified to Floyd in an accompanying 1989 dated notarized letter from gun collector and president of the Wisconsin based Strommen Trickel Industries Neal E. Trickel. Trickel interviewed Chester Smith in 1982 and during the interview Smith showed Trickel this Colt .45 pistol as well as a .45 bullet said to have been recovered from Floyd’s body. According to Smith, this Colt “was one of two that Floyd was carrying when shot. He said that the bullet was a souvenir, and the gun was an added prize ‘to not say anything about how Floyd was actually killed.’”
Sawed-Off Shotguns, in general, were popular in the Prohibition Era.
This one’s not a specific model, it’s more a style. Although the gangsters in movies seem to be consistently depicted with Tommy Guns, which isn’t exactly inaccurate, a lot of them favored sawed-off shotguns. The pictured gun is said to have belonged to Joe Bonnano, who ran the Bonnano crime family from 1931 to 1968. According to law enforcement, the Bonnano family is still involved in organized crime today through the international drug trade, loan sharking, and extortion. Joe himself passed away in 2002 at the age of 97.
The pictured gun is part of a display at The Mob Museum in Las Vegas, but it’s far from the only sawed-off shotgun used by members of the various mafias and gangs. Shortening the 12 gauge shotguns by cutting down the barrel was popular because it was a good way to make it easy to conceal the gun under their coats. Of course, you can’t cut down a shotgun today without the proper paperwork being filed and approved and fees being paid. Then again, it isn’t like criminals care about rules.
What guns do you think were the most interesting used during the Prohibition Era? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
