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Tuscarawas Sheriff’s Office to Auction Century-Old Machine Gun
By: Associated Press
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NEW PHILADELPHIA, Ohio (AP) – A northeast Ohio sheriff’s office is auctioning off a nearly century-old machine gun to help pay for new weapons for deputies.
An expert has estimated the Thompson Model 1921’s value at $37,000.
The weapon was purchased by Tuscarawas County Sheriff Abe Laird in 1934. Sheriff’s Office staff is unsure what the machine gun was originally used for. Lt. Brian Alford says the Thompson was a popular law enforcement weapon during Depression-era mine riots.
Alford says the weapon is nearly original and is cleaned several times a year. He says he was the last person to fire the weapon five years ago.
Sheriff Orvis Campbell expects the gun to fetch nearly $50,000 at a September auction.