MP43 Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Today is my birthday and while taking it easy and goofing off all day I stumbled upon this site, so I joined up. I tried to get into these toys years ago but the Chief Enforcer would not sign for anyone in his jurisdiction. The wicked witch is gone now and I received my first gun a month ago. It is a Reising 55 and I enjoy the heck out of it. I was buying parts kits when M1 kits cost less than half of todays prices. Now I am looking for a Thompson. I am torn between a mod. 28 or an M1. I already have a great M1 parts kit on a Philly. receiver and and a Bridgeport 50 rd. drum five 20s and five 30s. I really do collect mostly military stuff since I spent a few years there. I've heard that the M1s shoot better. I'm not too concerned about price, and I want to get something I will be happy with for a long time. Hopefully this crazy appreciation will continue and make me happy like the rest of you guys. Right now I'm hot on the heels of a West Hurley 28, exc. original cond. with orig. box and 50 rd. drum for $9,000. Looks like two transfers may be necessary plus cost for dealer to handle paperwork. I don't think it's a great buy but it surely is a better deal than most of the stuff I have come by lately. What do you all think? Anybody got a nice M1 they would be willing to part with hopefully in Ohio. You could save me from this West Hurley. I spent all day and read all the Thompson posts on this board and the original board. I read a few discourageing words reguarding the desireability of this Johnny come lately to the "real" Thompson family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Jr Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Welcome to the board! Buy em both. Jr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter63a Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Welcome to the board MP43! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif I would buy them both too, if I did not live in New Yorkislavia, where full-auto is illegal for the 'subjects'. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/ohmy.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/blink.gif Regards, Walter P.S. MP43, I just noticed that today is your 60th birthday. I hope it was a good one!! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/cool.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Fliegenheimer Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Combine the money for a West Hurely and an M1 and get a Colt TSMG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP43 Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Sounds great. Buy them all and let God and my wife sort them out when I die. I only want, correction need one functioning Thompson now. I already have four registered non Thompson Dewats inbound. I'm trying to keep a low profile here. What is so great about a Colt? I was under the impression that the lower priced guns had more room to appreciate. The higher the price the skinnier the market. Please corrcct me if I'm wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fencer Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 QUOTE What is so great about a Colt? http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/huh.gif Oh boy.. can of worms has been opened. Grenade into a trench. (insert metaphor here) Now, can I disable this thread so my CPU does not explode. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Fliegenheimer Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 MP43, Considering Auto-Ord contracted Colt to make the 15,000 original Thompsons, there is much "greatness" attached to them. Not to mention that a board devoted to Thompson Submachine guns would not exist if not for John T. Thompson's Colt guns. The Class III market is inherently skinny to begin with. High prices go hand in hand with submachine/machine guns. There is no shortage of people who pay big bucks for quality Thompsons, hence the rise in prices. I would imagine people who buy West Hurley's buy them to shoot, not to set aside in the vault awaiting Colt Thompson prices to raise their value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Fliegenheimer Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Fencer, You betcha. The shit has hit the spam! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Jr Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 QUOTE What is so great about a Colt? Nothing, nada, negative. If you are into WW2 guns they would be of little interest to you. You could buy 3 or 4 other Thompsons for the price of a "pristine" colt. QUOTE I was under the impression that the lower priced guns had more room to appreciate. The higher the price the skinnier the market. Please correct me if I'm wrong. That would be correct. Contrary to popular beliefs, there were more Model of 1928 Savage and AO guns build than M1/M1A1 Thompsons. Plus the 28 takes a drum. I would go with a 28 FIRST, and then go after the M1/M1A1 (same gun except for the bolts firing pin system.) Shy away from colts, unless you have an infatuation with the gangster guns of the 20's-30's. Colts are in the "too expensive to shoot" category, IMHO. Jr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisley45 Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 yep, Fencer was right you stepped in it right there IMHO. As for M1 thompsons shooting better than 21's or 28's. I would argure the other way, the blish lock smooths out the motion and my opinion is you would have better luck having the 4th hit with a 21 than a 28 and more so than the M1. That said which would I rather try and take apart and clean and lube in in a trench in the rain? M1 all the way. After my case head seperation disregarding age and repeated uses of said case I'd want those "extra" three pieces as I've had a few pieces of factory new brass crack on first firing. As for what's so special about a Colt, I know some colectors who would bend a perfectly good rifle barrel around your head for asking. Unfortunately the mystique carries a high (worse than the rest of the bad situation the NFA creates) price tag. Welcome to the board, there are some individuls with strong opinions but as a whole a very knolagable and polite group of gentelmen, and posibley a few gentle ladies. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurridale Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 What's so special about a Colt? It's history. That's it. It's not like those 15,000 were built any better than the million-plus built during WWII. Face it, if we were into function over form, we'd spend our money on MP5's, which will out-shoot a Thompson any day (when was the last time you saw a Special Ops guy with a Thompson?) That's not to say that history doesn't have its place; it does, and I'm the proud owner of both a Colt 21AC and a Savage US1928A1. I'd like to get a West Hurley, too. All legal Class III pieces are becoming "history" as time rolls on. For a Westie, it's the design, not the maker, that matters. Unfortunately for me, my funds don't allow me to make the Westy purchase. I'd rather pick up a flintlock or two, along with some Civil War pieces. You know, things I can show my class of 5th graders. (I can't justify bringing in the Thompson with the current curriculum. Maybe I could do it when we study gangs during Health?) Welcome aboard! And yes, buy them all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MP43 Posted December 21, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 I like strong opinions. I have always had strong opinions myself. Actually I'm trying to develope an opinion right now. I guess I need a shooter and since I'm not going to be wallering in the mud with it I guess almost any old Thompsom will work for me. None of them are getting any cheeper. Right? What about legal re-welds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisley45 Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 the only way you can reweld is if you make a post sample gun under liscense, old dewats aare getting hard to find to reactivate becouse people see the dollar signs in their eyes when the guy down the street sells his for $$$$$$ and moves to tuscany and lives in a nice house. BB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Jr Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 QUOTE What's so special about a Colt? It's history. The colt TSMG HAS history! We would never doubt that. Used by booze runners, criminal murderers, and a few cops of the late 20's early 30's would be the history there. A few Marines used them in SA and China too, very limited usage with nearly NO regcognition for the GOOD things the colt did. Funny thing is Savage turned down the contract to produce the gun in the early 20's and Colt's did not. When WW2 arrived, Colt's turned down the contract and Savage picked it up. The Savage guns helped win the freedom we enjoy today. As you said, the colt has a history. Jr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colt21a Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 mp-43 do what you feel is best for you........get a wes hurlee!! or a military.......they all have history.....and will have more in twenty years............. but let me give you the secret>>and this is for your eye's only.................. keep one for when you are old and grey, and when your time is coming to pass,tell them to cremate your remains load them into 45acp casings,and then have one of your still living children...load them into a L-drum{ 50 rds.} and fire you out of a 21 colt gun...................on full auto, non-stop...............then toss the gun into the sea................kinda like rambo tossed the m60 e3 in rambo part 2..................yaweeeee!!!!! wink!! glad to have you around.............take care,ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waffen Und Bier Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 What's so special about a Colt? When Colt made the Thompson, they were in their "Golden years." They were made better (at least nicer finished) than WWII guns. If you collect Colts (I have a few), a 1921 is a very desirable piece. The Auto Ordnance designed/ Colt manufactured Model of 1921 was the first American designed and manufactured SMG. It was the first SMG used by the US military. Those things in and of themselves make it a collectable piece and give it a place in history. The Colt tie in adds that much more. My Colt 1921 is a documented police gun. "On the side of law and order" I've got a Savage M1A1 also. If I only had one Thompson, it would be a 1928A1 military gun. Classic styling with military heritage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21 smoker Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Lot`sa good advice...Bisley45 touched on a good point ..case seperation, it`s happened to me too, I`m grateful to the inherant safe design of the floating firing pin of COLT21.. 28 ,28A1.This tends to prevent a round firing out of battery.. a dangerous and costly situation. J.J.... you need to lighten up on 21s...without that design...there would be no 28s,28a1s,M1s,etc...give it its due...original,1st of it`s kind,design concept,well made...these are the opinions of Roger Cox,Tracie Hill,Helmer... and countless ordnance personel... I owned both 21 and WH28,the Colt always worked,the WH always did not,(PK make it work..please!) I wish I had the funds for a Savage or a Bridgeport,maybe someday.Like I said.. good advice.. thanks to all..I value everyones opinion here... even if I don`t agree with it.KEEPEM`SMOKIN`,out http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SecondAmend Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 While there were a whole bunch of '28 and '28A1 Thompsons manufactured, many, many of them were Lend Lease guns on cargo ships that went down under attack from U-boats and mines. Many, many that made the trip are "stuck" overseas and no longer importable to the U.S. Another thread explores the question of how many TSMGs are registered and thus transferrable - an unknown. My philosophy - buy 'em all, shoot 'em all. (Why marry a super model and never boink?) If you don't like the way they shoot, sell 'em. Charisma and history aside, they're just a hunk of metal and wood. If you want to try before you buy, go to Knob Creek and rent one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21 smoker Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 MP43, I almost forgot with all this discourse,... HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Many more.KEEPEM`SMOKIN`,out. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john Posted December 21, 2003 Report Share Posted December 21, 2003 Welcome to the boards! No better time to get into it than now...prices jes keep going up!! Regarding what to buy.....buy what you like. Whatever tickles your fancy, be it a WH Thompson or a GI model. They all are going up in value and all are fun to shoot. I have an A.O. Bridgeport (really early one) and it's been polished and blued. Kinda destroys the collectors value, but I got it really cheap 4 years ago and it's going up at the same rate anything else is!! I also have a S&W 76 that is a riot to shoot! It behaves just like the Bridgeport, but much cheaper to feed!! Am looking for others.....but they will ALL be shooters!! Good luck and congrats on having the wisdom to join this board!! john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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