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Thompson M1 Smg Price?


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Hello-

 

I am new here, new to Class III weapons and Thompsons. I have been looking for a HK MP5 Sear gun for a while, however I have put my MP5 dreams on hold because I have found a M1 Thompson.

 

I have been studying the HK guns and sears for a long time, but I know very little about Thompsons. I have read the pinned topics on SMG Thompsons but I still have some questions.

 

The gun I am looking at is West Hurley Auto Ordinance made in the late 1950's or early 1960's has a factory M1. My dealer said that it has had very few rounds thru it. It is not at the dealer's shop yet so I do not have the exact date or condition.

 

What would be a fair price for a Thompson like this? I now know that the Savage and Colts will be worth more. Also, what should I be looking for in judging the condition of a Thompson.

 

Thank you for your help.

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HK91,

 

Are you sure it was made in the late 50's or 60's? Do you know the serial number? I have one of the WH M1's that were manufactured in 1986, and guns like mine have been selling in the $12-14K range recently.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

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QUOTE (HK91 @ Apr 22 2005, 03:53 PM)

The gun I am looking at is West Hurley Auto Ordinance made in the late 1950's or early 1960's has a factory M1. My dealer said that it has had very few rounds thru it.

Hi,

 

Sorry to disappoint you ,but Auto-Ordnance Corp. of West Hurley, N.Y. did not manufacture any Thompsons in the late 1950's or early '60's. You're not getting the staight story from the dealer or whoever is trying to sell you the gun..

 

Maybe you shoud do some reading on Thompsons before sepnding the kind of money necessary to own one.

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Dalbert and GIJive are correct. All West Hurley M1's were made in late 1985 and early 1986. No Thompsons were produced in the 50's that I recall. All WWII Thompson production ceased before the war's end. By the way, I really like my WHM1. One of the best shooting smg's I've ever owned, with the possible exception of the MP5SD, which was a helluva lot lighter. What's he asking for it?
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Hi HK91 - Welcome to the board.

 

Hey everyone, let's not forget about N.A.C. - 45. There could be more just like it.

 

HK91, does the serial number of the M1 Thompson you are looking at have a letter (or letters) prefix or suffix? If you will post the serial number, I am sure you will obtain a lot of free information about this Thompson. The members here are very knowledgeable.

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Parts, you must remember parts. HK NO. TSMG YES. HK HISTORY NO. TSMG HISTORY YES. HK INCREASE IN PRICE in last 3 years 50%=NO. TSMG INCREASE IN PRICE in last 3 years 100% or more=YES.

 

Getting the picture yet?

 

 

 

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HK91, you'll love the gun. Just do it. If you hesitate, the gun goes to a home other than yours! I'd expect to pay 8-16K for it. Yes, it's a really wide price range, but that's where your negotiating skills will come in, and the guns only come onto the market infrequently. In five years, whatever you pay will look almost like a bargain.

The serial for a WHM1 would look something like MxxxA, where the Xs are numbers. Only some 600 were made, making it one of the rarer TSMGs.

The gun will likely need some sorting out before it is reliable, along with replacement of the WH parts with USGI. (I'm talking USGI reliability here, not 'works most of the time') I sent my gun to a respected member of these boards for the job and have been thrilled with the results. It's probably now the nicest gun that I own. Although NIB, it was a bit of a clunker when I bought it.

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Thank you for the replies,

 

I am going to look at this Thompson this week. I will try and get the serial number and with the help from you guys we can figure out when it was built.

 

I will also have a firm price this week, and you can let me know if it is a fair price or not.

 

I still have some questions:

Can a Cliener 22 Conversion Kit work in this M1?

What should I look for when examining a Thompson SMG?

Where there any Thompsons made in the 1960s?

What modifications have to made to a West Hurley Thompson to make run as good as a WWII Thompson?

 

 

Once again I am sorry for all the questions, but like I said before I have a lot of knowledge of HK SMGs, but very little about Thompsons.

I want to make sure I am making a sound investment.

 

Thank you,

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HK 91,

 

You will more than likely be making a very sound investment. As far as HK versus Thompson prices, who knows how the market will go. I bought my WH M1 for $1200 NIB in 1988. I bought 2 HK MP-5's for $1800 each in 1989. The HK's may each be worth a grand or so more than the Thompson at this point, but who knows where the market will go. I would bet on the Thompson for investment. A lot of folks like the HK MP-5 in particular, and it is great fun to shoot, and a lot more accurate than the Thompson. The history of the Thompson provides all the mystique for me, though, and an early Thompson is the only transferable Class III weapon that I am currently considering purchasing at the high prices they fetch today.

 

If possible, take some pictures when you see the gun, if the seller will allow it.

 

I will attempt to answer some of your questions:

 

1. You can get a Ciener conversion for the M1.

2. There are a lot of different things to look for. Get the serial number, post it here, and we can go from there.

3. No, with the possibility of maybe, if there might have been a "one off" M1 made from some parts that existed at Numrich from their purchase of the Auto-Ordnance inventory. Others on this board can probably provide more insight into this possibility. More than likely it is a WH M1 produced just before May 19, 1986.

4. My WH M1 has run great since I took it out of the box in 1988. Others recommend replacement of all internal parts with surplus WWII internals. Search this forum, and you will find more info on this subject.

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com

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Want to know my answers to your questions?

1)Ciener says no, but anything can be "reengineered."

2)I always look for my wallet or check book.

3)Doubtful. I don't think AutoOrdance of West Hurley NY started building new Thompsons until around 1976.

4)Most have already had key parts replaced by this stage of the game. I examined the bolt in mine and found no markings so I replaced it with an original M1 bolt and it has never failed to operate- 100% reliability.

 

Seriously, if you want a .22 buzz gun, buy an American 180 or the soon to be available .22 belt fed upper for M16.

When you examine it, look at it like any other weapon you have purchased in the past. Note your questions and bounce them off the forum members and you'll hear sound advice. Test fire it if possible-you wouldn't buy a car without testdriving it, would you? OK, I admit, I have never test fired ANY gun before buying it, but it doesn't hurt to ask.

 

My .02.

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HK91 - Jr. is giving some great advice. At today's prices, a West Hurley M1 at 10K would make an excellent purchase - and investment. Unless something changes in the law, I doubt the price will get any cheaper any time soon. The C&R status is another bonus. Serial number M115A is one of the earlier M1 West Hurley Thompsons. The West Hurley M1 Thompson serial numbers began at M100A. Good luck and let us know what you decide.
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  • 3 weeks later...

Thank you guys so much for all your help. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

I have some good news to report. I am going to buy the W.H. M1 Thompson for 10K.

 

I have never spent so much for any gun, but I think it will be a fun investment.

 

 

Thanks again

 

 

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I have a W.H. M1 that is a ball to shoot ( after it spent time in Colorado). http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

I put the M1 bolt in it and PK gave it a tune up. I have fired it over 1000 rds without a failure. When I first got it I couldn't get thru a whole magazine.

 

I really like the slightly faster cycle rate of the M1 bolt.

 

I have shot all the HK stuff, but like the Thompsons best.

 

STEN

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