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What is the give away this is not a Colt drum? The lack of a nicklel rotor??

 

Arthur can I send you some pics of a drum I am looking at? Its marked exactly like this one but has a nickel rotor and is being sold as a Colt on Subguns drum one

 

 

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The drum is nice, but it is a early Worcester version. Over a $1,000 is high ($900 would be high), considering there is a guy selling, or sold, legit 3rd pattern all component Colt L drums for $1300.

 

All three pattern Colt drums have:

 

The "C" in "CAL" underneath "SUBMACHINE" should be between the "C" and the "H"

 

There should not be any period after "NEW YORK"

 

There should be a comma after "N.Y."

 

The rotor should be nickel and the hub protruding on the back cover should have a rounded contour, not flat as on Worcester and WWII drums.

 

There is a subtle difference regarding the key rivets as well. They are rounder rather than flatter.

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Here's a pic of my drum which I "think" is a colt. Is it?? I'm certainly no expert, so I'm always up for some educating. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif

 

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-6/746244/TSMG_mydrum01.JPG

 

 

John

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I have a mint condition colt drum that i bought from a guy

10 years ago i was told from him that it is a second standard New York N.Y., U.S.A. type L drum nickel rotor.rounded shaft but it has no serial# he advised me not to use this one as it has been kept in this bag for the past 30 years that was 10 years ago

 

also i have talked to others over the phone and they think it might be a navy 1928 let me know

 

I wont name anyone but there are 2 well known guys on this board that have told me its worth $4000 to $6000

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QUOTE (sargent @ Feb 21 2006, 04:43 PM)
I have a mint condition colt drum that i bought from a guy 10 years ago i was told from him that it is a second standard New York N.Y., U.S.A. type L drum nickel rotor.rounded shaft but it has no serial# he advised me not to use this one as it has been kept in this bag for the past 30 years that was 10 years ago

also i have talked to others over the phone and they think it might be a navy 1928 let me know

I wont name anyone but there are 2 well known guys on this board that have told me its worth $4000 to $6000

sargent,

 

The drum is probably the same type that was posted under the other thread referring to these drums. If it has the nickel rotor with the rounded hub it is more than likely a Colt era, third type with the winding instructions for both the 1921 and 1928 Model guns.

 

This drum would be the type just prior to the Worcester made New York marked drums with the blued rotor. Sometimes they are referred to as 1928 Navy drums, because of the winding instructions for the 1928 Model. The true 1928 Navy model is the scarce type that has the 1928 winding instructions retro-stamped on the bottom of the face plate of the original 1921 Model drums. This stamping specifically refers to the 1928 Navy Model.

 

Estimates of $4,000.00 to $6,000.00 are a little high for the drum you have, mint condition notwithstanding. The current price for these drums is more realistically in the $1,500.00 range as evidenced by the recent sale price of $1,300.00 each in the Subguns ad.

 

John in IN,

 

Yes, that is a Colt era drum. The numbered drums were the first type sold with the original 1921 Model guns. I say Colt era, as opposed to Colt, because there is an excellent article by Tracie Hill from a year or so ago that suggests that the contractor for the original drums was not actually Colts Patent Firearms, but a firm based in Ohio. It is an original drum and probably the most difficult to find.

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QUOTE (sargent @ Feb 21 2006, 04:43 PM)
I have a mint condition colt drum that i bought from a guy
10 years ago i was told from him that it is a second standard New York N.Y., U.S.A. type L drum nickel rotor.rounded shaft but it has no serial# he advised me not to use this one as it has been kept in this bag for the past 30 years that was 10 years ago

also i have talked to others over the phone and they think it might be a navy 1928 let me know

I wont name anyone but there are 2 well known guys on this board that have told me its worth $4000 to $6000

As gijive observed, unless the people you spoke to thought you were talking about a Colt C drum, I think they were having you on about the $4K-$6K figure. Even the second pattern "NO" Colt L drums would be in the $1.5K-$2K while the third pattern are $1K-$1.5K

 

gijive,

 

I wish Hill would think about writing an article clearing up the mistakes on L drums in his "American Legend." It would be the perfect bookend for the article you mentioned on actual manufacturers.

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thanks for the imput you could be right and besides no one has seen it in person except me and the guy that i bought it off of 10 years ago i was just going off this big long letter to me from him telling me that it is a second pattern new york drum and that he has had it preserved in this bag for the past 30 years and that i should not use it in a gun. i told doug richardson about it back then and he seemed to think it was a second pattern also and asked me if i would be interested in selling it to him that was 10 years ago i never knew there were so many different patterns

thanks

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all i have right now is a camera phone i will try and see if they come out beings it does not have any serial# is that what might make it a 3rd pattern? i glad their is a nice group of people on this board with alot of knowledge

on the history of these wonderful guns i learn something everytime i read this site. never did i think there was so many differences i am always looking for that rare item related to the tommy gun have you ever seen the letters GHD inside a square on a thompsom stock with crossed cannons on top ? thanks again for the help

 

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