When we think of 1930s bank robberies, the Thompson no doubt comes to mind. These heavy yet potent sub-guns were among the most preferred weapons of that era’s outlaws. The Dillinger/Nelson gang was no exception, of course, and Johnny D. was not afraid to sling a drum full of .45s to dissuade the local cops from interfering with his vocation. This crew used other long guns too, though, and among them was a very special 1907 Winchester.
The 1907 is a blowback-operated semi-auto rifle chambered in the .351 Winchester Self-Loading. This semi-rimmed cartridge pushes a 180gr. bullet at 1850 fps, roughly equivalent to a hot .357 Magnum when used from a carbine-length barrel. It can out-penetrate the .45, which was important given the role of automobiles in the bank robbery trade. Body armor was also becoming popular at the time, and the 180gr. FMJs would likely zip through any of the vests available then.
Fresh off his legendary escape from the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, Indiana, Dillinger teamed up with Lester Gillis, aka “Baby Face Nelson” and a gaggle of fellow psychopaths including Homer Van Meter. Soon, they were taking down big scores, including bank jobs in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Mason City, Iowa. The haul from those two banks alone totaled $2.4 million in today’s dollars.
The crew was well-armed with a slew of unique weapons, many of them built in the shop of Hyman Lebman. Lebman, a San Antonio gunsmith known for serving the well-funded criminal element with cutting-edge tools, built the gang at least three custom 1907s. Two of them were seized when Dillinger was arrested in Tucson, Arizona, that January, but a third ’07 made its way into the gang’s hands by the time of his escape.
