Road to Perdition tommy gun case

[bingoh]

I just caught Road to Perdition playing on TV the other night and, naturally, just had to watch it (such a good flick).

While watching it, Michael Sullivan's (Tom Hanks) tommy gun case caught my eye. I had been trying to find a violin case that will fit my Auto Ordinance Thompson with no luck (because of the definition of short barrel rifles under US Federal law, the barrel is longer than an original Thompson's would have been, making it super difficult to find a violin case that's long enough). So, I was thinking that something more like Sullivan's case would be easier to reconstruct.

The question is, does anybody have any idea what kind of case it might be based on? The dimensions seem to be too long and shallow for a suitcase or briefcase of the era.

 

[breen2057]

If you want something cool from the era for your tommy gun, look up FBI Thomson case.

 

[bingoh]

I've got an Auto Ordinance "violin case" (piss poor description imho...it's more like "guitar case") and have looked at the FBI cases, but I was thinking I wanted something more old-school "gangster."

 

[JoakSteins]

Hi bingoh I made a violin case for my custom Denix Thompson last summer, you can find my thread here if you need inspiration

Custom Denix Thompson M1921/1928 with lots of real parts in a violin case!

Just finished my Thompson M1921/1928 sub machine gun, based on a Denix copy with original walnut wood stock and pistolgrips, Cutts compensator, Lyman rear sight, fire control switch, safety switch and pivot spring Chicago made vintage leather covered violin case modified for the Thompson with...

www.therpf.com

 

[smithjohnj]

I do not know if it will help but a viola case looks the same but it about 2 inches longer.

 

[bingoh]

I do not know if it will help but a viola case looks the same but it about 2 inches longer.

I've researched both violin and viola cases with no luck so far. The longest "normal" violas run about 17.5 inches, but my Thompson (with the buttstock removed) is about 31.5 inches. Obviously cases have extra room, but I haven't had any luck finding anything quite long enough. I'd estimate that 32 inches interior length to adjust for padding/lining would be the absolute minimum. That's not even taking into consideration the height of 7.5 inches at the rear grip. I purchased an old wooden coffin-style case with the hopes that it would be just big enough, but it's only 30.5 inches.

 

[Astyanax]

Aren't trombone cases also popular for Tommy guns?

 

[GrenadeKing]

To keep on theme of the film, it may just be a rectangular violin case. They don't seem as common but they do exist. I found a vintage one from the 1920's but, it wouldn't help since it would be too small.

I did find this: mandola case on Amazon that's 34" and seems like a similar style to the movie case.

 

[jts1031]

At one time Kahr made a violin case for Auto Ordnance for a 1927A1, style number T30. It was about 43 inches long.

 

[bingoh]

To keep on theme of the film, it may just be a rectangular violin case. They don't seem as common but they do exist. I found a vintage one from the 1920's but, it wouldn't help since it would be too small.

I did find this: mandola case on Amazon that's 34" and seems like a similar style to the movie ca

The mandola case has potential! Thanks GrenadeKing!

I hadn't even thought of the movie version being a vintage violin square case...duh on me!

 

[bingoh]

At one time Kahr made a violin case for Auto Ordnance for a 1927A1, style number T30. It was about 43 inches long.

Yeah, I've got one. It's probably better described as a "guitar case" given its size...it's quite large.

 

[03hemi]

The more intriguing thing about his Tommy gun was the removable-slide-snap on foregrip!
Now that's a challenge nobodies pulled off yet.

 

[bingoh]

The more intriguing thing about his Tommy gun was the removable-slide-snap on foregrip!
Now that's a challenge nobodies pulled off yet.

That had never even registered with me. I assumed that someone (if not Auto Ordinance/Kahr Arms themselves) had made a version of that by now just using a modified rail system. I went a bit down that rabbit hole after you mentioned it and it's interesting how much people talk about it but nobody seems to have recreated it.