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Pre Sample M3 or M3A1


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I'm looking at buying a pre sample Grease Gun. I don't really care which mode it is or who it's made by, although I prefer Guide Lamp. I have found several for sale around $10,000. Seems decent to me. The only thing is that they are all refinished. Is there any chance of an original gun,( even if it's all beat up I still prefer original), or is that just how the pre samples are gonna be because of when and how they came to the states? Also if you know of any for sale, please reach out to me. Thanks!
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Many of the Pre May GL M3A1 Sales Samples were Imported in batches, during the early 1980s. Then a company doing business as Inter American Import Export Company in Sacramento CA.

 

They were a 07/SOT at the time. They imported sales samples on Form 2s, exclusivity for LE and SOTs as Pre May Sales Samples.

 

They advertised and sold them through a company called ARMEX. They advertised in MGN quite a bit.

 

Most Pre May that we have owned, were imported by them. All were WWII NFA.

 

They imported in such quantities, that they used a warehouse in the city of Sacramento in order to store them.

 

We requested over the years FOIAs on them, and even though there is quite a bit of redacted information. The dates and forms used are there. Sometimes, youll get a letter, (redacted in part) form some agencies included with the paperwork.

 

Some are quite funny. Like a NESA 1918A2 that went to a LE agency on the east coast. It was prompty transfered back with a letter from the Chief of Police. Stating, that he did not want a replacement or to do business with IAIE company again.

 

If any of them were refininished, most likely overseas. Pre Mays were imported by businesses. As far as I know, the military had nothing to do with bringing them stateside...

 

Good luck in your search and 9k is a good place to start for a Pre May GL M3A1. Most of the sales samples were M3A1s...

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Mostly from Europe.

 

Wherever the surplus was...

 

I spoke with a gentleman, who used to work for IAIE Co during that time frame. He spent some time coordinating the logistics for Export out of Europe. He spent time personally overseeing the process in Europe. This was during the timeframe listed in the last post...

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Sellers have not been discriminating in price between the two manufacturers. If you want a GL, might want to hold out.

 

The last two , that I noticed in the last 6 months that sold on GB, sold for 9k. One was an Ithaca...

 

Both M3A1 models...

 

9k is a good price. If you keep it for a while, youll get what you put into it.

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