USMC0802 Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Looking for "reviews" on NFA dealers. I am new to the NFA world, and while I am not in a hurry to make purchase of my first TSMG, one never knows when an opportunity might pop up and I'd like to have my questions answered ahead of time if possible. It is not my intent to create a thread with potential for mudslinging - would be grateful for commentary on dealers with whom you have personal experience that was at least "generally positive". Absence of commentary on well-known sellers will serve as adequate note that one may wish to proceed with caution. I would however be appreciative of PMs if there are dealers you would strongly recommend I steer clear of. I believe that there is a distinction between "good honest sellers" and "knowledgeable expert honest sellers" and would be interested in any specific comment regarding a particular dealer's experience and background with historical and collectable arms such as the Thompson, vs guys who sell NFA but don't have a lot of depth on the collectable stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azboater Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 I have bought 2 Thompsons from Ruben Mendiola 1st Class service and guns I also have had a great experience buying from David Spiwak (Swedish K) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motorcar Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Ruben Mendiola, he was true to his word in every aspect. It is incredible in today's world that there are businessmen that will give the same level of respect to the customer and accept your word and name on closing a deal. I would buy from him again without hesitation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) i dont yet own a thompson, but have been in the market for a bit....Rueben will be $3k+ more than anyone else....realize that confidence of having no problems and trust will cost you thousands........ive also watch David Spiwaks website and he is lower priced and his guns sell quicker.. the more i learn about thompsons the more i realize everyone is a different gun...at a different level of originality...many guns start out with mismatched parts and you need to be an expert to spot what doesnt fit that particular gun and price your offer accordingly......i just got my copy of the Tracie hill book which is about 10lbs and has as much text as the bible...im learning and will probably purchase next year so my advice of a guy in your similar situation is to get the book and read it, pick your price point and try to find as much of a gun as you can for that price point...if your budget is $45k you can most likely get a perfect gun.......if your budget is $20k you can find a NIB west hurley and be assured of a matching gun that may need some tweaking.... or $20-30k and find a Bridgeport at various states of correctness i have now bought (3) class 3 guns...all NIB so i dont have to learn and research......its different w/ a thompson good luck on your search....$25k will get you a very nice gun from what ive found from my searching....but good guns seem to go quick Edited December 24, 2015 by huggytree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilroy Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hey bud, it's Neil from the USMC group, didn't know you were looking for a Thompson. I'll send you a PM at some point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USMC0802 Posted December 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Hey Neil, I recognized your 1903 NM and question a few weeks ago about cleaning the Cutts. Looking for an original 21/28 Colt Navy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azboater Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 (edited) i dont yet own a thompson, but have been in the market for a bit....Rueben will be $3k+ more than anyone else....realize that confidence of having no problems and trust will cost you thousands........ive also watch David Spiwaks website and he is lower priced and his guns sell quicker.. the more i learn about thompsons the more i realize everyone is a different gun...at a different level of originality...many guns start out with mismatched parts and you need to be an expert to spot what doesnt fit that particular gun and price your offer accordingly......i just got my copy of the Tracie hill book which is about 10lbs and has as much text as the bible...im learning and will probably purchase next year so my advice of a guy in your similar situation is to get the book and read it, pick your price point and try to find as much of a gun as you can for that price point...if your budget is $45k you can most likely get a perfect gun.......if your budget is $20k you can find a NIB west hurley and be assured of a matching gun that may need some tweaking.... or $20-30k and find a Bridgeport at various states of correctness i have now bought (3) class 3 guns...all NIB so i dont have to learn and research......its different w/ a thompson good luck on your search....$25k will get you a very nice gun from what ive found from my searching....but good guns seem to go quickI have had no Issue paying a little more for a gun to include the confidence and Trust that Huggytree mentions, & the Quality that Ruben brings to the table,and also knowing that what seemed a little high at the time will soon dissipate with supply and demand for good quality guns.just remember: You didn't pay too much...you just bought early. Edited December 24, 2015 by azboater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 i dont yet own a thompson, but have been in the market for a bit....Rueben will be $3k+ more than anyone else....realize that confidence of having no problems and trust will cost you thousands........ive also watch David Spiwaks website and he is lower priced and his guns sell quicker.. the more i learn about thompsons the more i realize everyone is a different gun...at a different level of originality...many guns start out with mismatched parts and you need to be an expert to spot what doesnt fit that particular gun and price your offer accordingly......i just got my copy of the Tracie hill book which is about 10lbs and has as much text as the bible...im learning and will probably purchase next year so my advice of a guy in your similar situation is to get the book and read it, pick your price point and try to find as much of a gun as you can for that price point...if your budget is $45k you can most likely get a perfect gun.......if your budget is $20k you can find a NIB west hurley and be assured of a matching gun that may need some tweaking.... or $20-30k and find a Bridgeport at various states of correctness i have now bought (3) class 3 guns...all NIB so i dont have to learn and research......its different w/ a thompson good luck on your search....$25k will get you a very nice gun from what ive found from my searching....but good guns seem to go quick huggytree, I recommend Ruben Mendiola for his selection, service, and most of all, peace of mind. Here are some reasons to consider purchasing from him: Absolute peace of mind during the transaction - He has been doing Class III business for 30 years - Remember, you are risking multiple 10's of thousands of dollars when dealing with unknown individuals or entities - Ruben is a full time Class III dealerRuben features the best photography in the business - You will know what you are buying, and if you want a particular picture, he can provide itYour firearm will be stored in the equivalent of a bank vault, in an extremely secure locationYour firearm will be fully insured throughout the process - Ruben can fill you in on the detailsYour firearm will be stored individually in a thick padded case, as opposed to in a rack with other firearms where incidental damage may occurRuben doesn't sell crappy guns with problems Your firearm will be delivered to its destination in a specifically designed, high strength cardboard box, as opposed to any available boxRuben knows his stuff, and has completed thousands of transactionsOther dealers I would recommend are Frank Iannamico (PA), David Lanky (AZ), Jack Meadow (IN), Trent Warncke (OH), Jim Kindred (MS), and Ken Keilholz (OH). I have not seen Bill Douglas post Class III items for sale in a while, but I would also recommend him in NC. If I missed anyone I should have mentioned, it was not intentional, but these are dealers that I've known for long enough to be comfortable doing business. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 since ive spent too much already on class 3 guns lately i will most likely try to buy a middle/lower end shooter Bridgeport m1......enough to say i have a thompson and enjoy shooting it w/o worries of losing $$ on my investment...........maybe in the Fall 2016 if i have a good year in business. Congrats to the original poster on wanting his first gun to be a 1921 colt.....thats a pretty cool 1st FA gun.....if you have $45k you will get something beautiful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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