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New to Thompson, 1928 A1 Bridgeport Mismatch Serial


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The mismatch is not uncommon and does not affect the gun's utility as a shooter. It does reduce the collector value but it also reduces the price. You get more or less what you pay for. All Thompson's are collectable so it's really a matter of how collectable and by whom.

 

Check Ruben's site again. He has a matching Savage M1 (IMHO a better gun than an M1A1) for sale at $28K.

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Ruben will always be 15+% more than anyone...deduct that 15% and thats what the gun would normally sell for....that being said i think Ruben gets the nice guns and frank gets whats left over.

 

Ruben has been lowering prices $1000=$2000 on several guns this past week or 2....so maybe he would accept an offer on one of them(most likely not)

 

i would expect a matching gun to be worth $1k-2k more...original finish $2k+ more....Rubens guns are typically refinished and beautiful....id rather have a worn, original, matching gun myself

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Rubens guns are typically refinished

 

?

 

That's a pretty broad statement and not what I've seen from him over the last 10-15 years or so, do you have evidence of that?

 

Conversely, the one pictured looks to have been drug behind a pickup truck recently, I wouldn't consider that "battle worn" or "patina". To each his own I guess.

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This very late serial numbered Savage 1928A1 Thompson looks a bit on the rough side for my money. If me, I would save the pictures for reference and continue to shop around. You may end up paying a few dollars more for a much better (and matching) gun, but that would be to your advantage. The nice thing about the military Thompson guns is shooting them usually does not impact future value. Of course, you have to do proper cleaning and not shoot them like a range gun. I would continue looking.

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Just remember with Ruben, you receive peace of mind throughout the transaction. This has significant value. You're going to get a first class transaction. He does get the better guns. You know what you're buying up front...just see the photos that are clearly the best in the business. His HK's are all gone through by Terry Dyer. He has started to have a respected member on this board go through his Thompsons prior to posting. In some cases, he posts videos of the guns being fired. He ships in expensive boxes that are clearly better than any other you'll see, and the guns are shipped in thick, cloth padded cases inside the extra thick boxes. He is fully insured throughout the process. You can get a hold of him almost any time. Have you ever met him? He constantly takes calls. He's also the most patriotic American I know, and he was born in Cuba. You just won't get the same level of service from a dealer who brokers most of his guns. How much is avoiding the worry and stress about a huge amount of money being in play for 7+ months worth? It could potentially be worth the entire amount you paid. All it takes is one bad transaction...Peace of mind in an NFA transaction is a valuable, and very tangible factor, indeed.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

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Just remember with Ruben, you receive peace of mind throughout the transaction. This has significant value. You're going to get a first class transaction. ...Peace of mind in an NFA transaction is a valuable, and very tangible factor, indeed.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

 

Absolutely agree.

When I was entering the NFA world, I called Ruben, telling him upfront that I was just starting out, but not ready to purchase at that time.

He spent about a half hour, patiently telling me much information on what was good, not so good, etc., on Thompsons and others.

That kindness to a total stranger, with no transaction involved, told me all I needed to know about Ruben.

 

I'm happy to say I've since met several others, most of them posting here, who have been every bit as helpful.

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Just remember with Ruben, you receive peace of mind throughout the transaction. This has significant value. You're going to get a first class transaction. He does get the better guns. You know what you're buying up front...

This.

 

Ruben with generous assistance from a gunsmith member of this board saved me from making a huge mistake when I was looking at another gun which had been misrepresented to him before I bought my current Thompson. He was willing to cancel the sale and give me a full refund. Maintaining his integrity and guaranteeing my satisfaction were more important to him than simply making a sale. Needless to say when I finally bought a gun I bought it from him.

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I had a WH 1928 before I bought my M1 from Ruben. There are two known problems with the WH guns. The machining for the blish lock is not done correctly on most if not all of their 1928s. The steels used for the receivers of the WH guns are inferior to the GI guns. Going with a WH M1 or M1A1 will eliminate the first issue but not the second. I could have kept my WH 1928 but I sold it and bought my Savage M1 and am very happy that I did. I suspect that if you settle for a WH gun, you will be kicking yourself somewhere down the road

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If you buy a USGI Thompson, it should work properly. A friend of mine had a WH 1928 that never did run properly - he sold it with full disclosure about the issues several years ago. I'd recommend a USGI 1928 if you want to run drum mags, or an M1 or M1A1 if you don't. My Savage M1 has never malfunctioned in the 6 years I've owned it. I run a few hundred rounds through it every year. Although I have a full parts set, I've only changed out the recoil spring and buffer.

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I settled on a WH after a lot of research looking and following up on a number of GIs also. I went through friends who know the one I purchased, seen it shot it and It had been changed a lot and only WH part left was the receiver. Happy yes and not happy with the wait but it is what it is. Good luck on your decision.
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I’m happy with my WH Thompson even though I had some issues with it starting off. After I bought my 1928 WH from Ruben, my SOT let me have a supervised visit with it one day at the range and I had all of the problems I had read about WH’s having and I had just submitted my paperwork to the ATF. Ruben not only paid for the gunsmithig work by Dan Block but also the shipping and convinced my SOT to do the transerfer paperwork and not just sit on it until I had to do it myself a year later. It runs like a champ now and I definitely lucked out with Ruben standing by his business. That being said, in a perfect world I would have bought an original one had the right one been there at the time but I’m not upset with my purchase at all and that peace of mind from buying with Ruben was worth it.
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Most or all of his ww2 Thompsons have been refinished

 

On his website are any original finish?

 

I wasnt talking about all his guns. Just ww2 Thompsons over the past 1.5-2 years

 

Edited by huggytree, 18 November 2018 - 09:19 AM.

 

Once again you make you make a blanket statement without the evidence to back it up.

 

As of today 11/20/18 there are three that basically fall into WW2 vintage on his site, all the rest are West Hurley guns. Two are 1928AC guns that we all know are a variant of 1928A1s, and that the major components were built during the war. Both of them have what appears as original finish. Th Savage M1 listed looks to be refinished at some point. Was it a military arsenal refinish after the war, before storage and release to some police department? Would an official war department refinish exclude it from being "original" enough to appreciate it's history by the owner?

 

2/3 of the guns from the 1940's he has listed are not refinished. Let's not just make statements of fact for an unsuspecting audience without some historical lists to prove the point.

 

Besides, Ruben is above reproach in his dealings...just ask anyone who has. He doesn't try to hide anything.

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Its worth to mention that good stuff sells fast, stuff with issues sits longer. This is true with any dealer. Ruben is a stand up guy and based on several of the possible headaches out there with this market, it pays to use reputable dealers especially if its your first rodeo.

 

Huggy, you of all people should be looking into reputable dealers based on several of your experiences you have shared with us. Its a lot of money and a long wait wit little recourse once all said and done. It pays to do homework and buy from those that can be trusted. Sometimes a deal can be had for a little less. Sometimes that goes flawlessly, sometimes disasterous.

 

Only point of this post is for those that arent as seasoned to listen to all perspectives and make their own educated decisions on how to spend the money. Its one thing to tell your wife youre buying a $25k gun, its another to tell her the deal went south and you have to recoup your losses.

 

Ron

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Havent looked at Rubens Thompsons this month. But I have looked for most of this year. They all sold fast and all I saw were refinished

 

Ive bought large amounts of guns in a short period of time. Ive really only gotten 2 junk guns. Both from dealers. Both falsely advertised and one from one of the top 3 dealers.

 

I cant pay 15% over price

I now pay 15% under going rates.

 

With the paws 9mm just I picked up Ill have a Andrewski mk4 for $10,500 when done. A gun I can resell for $14,000 if I wanted(I wont )

 

The only gun I own that was a loser was my Uzi. All the others are worth more than what Ive paid even w repairs

 

Ive got nothing bad to say about Ruben. Id rather just save $ and roll the dice.

Edited by huggytree
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Most or all of his ww2 Thompsons have been refinished

 

On his website are any original finish?

 

I wasnt talking about all his guns. Just ww2 Thompsons over the past 1.5-2 years

Edited by huggytree, 18 November 2018 - 09:19 AM.

 

Once again you make you make a blanket statement without the evidence to back it up.

 

As of today 11/20/18 there are three that basically fall into WW2 vintage on his site, all the rest are West Hurley guns. Two are 1928AC guns that we all know are a variant of 1928A1s, and that the major components were built during the war. Both of them have what appears as original finish. Th Savage M1 listed looks to be refinished at some point. Was it a military arsenal refinish after the war, before storage and release to some police department? Would an official war department refinish exclude it from being "original" enough to appreciate it's history by the owner?

 

2/3 of the guns from the 1940's he has listed are not refinished. Let's not just make statements of fact for an unsuspecting audience without some historical lists to prove the point.

 

Besides, Ruben is above reproach in his dealings...just ask anyone who has. He doesn't try to hide anything.

All 3 of the guns you mention are refinished. The "X" guns are not only parts guns, but the receivers are not original finish and have been reparked at some point. Nice sight rivets on the one gun LOL! It would appear Huggytree is correct.

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People dont like a beat up war gun

 

They like a Thompson that looks like new

 

Park hides the pitting

 

That says nothing negative about Ruben. Its just the market

 

I like original finish. Or Korean War arsenal refinish

Edited by huggytree
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