huggytree Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 http://www.urban-armory.com/cart/proddetail.php?prod=t2 dont know where the market is for this gun, but i was just amazed to find one for sale at any price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azboater Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 Same one at the SAR show Phoenix, I got to hold it, pretty cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelkih Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 (edited) Seems "cheap" to me considering what it is and how rare it is. Edited March 26, 2017 by michaelkih Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Seems "cheap" to me considering what it is and how rare it is. At more than 1.5X what I paid for my first house, "cheap" does not seem like the correct term, to me anyway. Rare, yes... David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelkih Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 That's why I had it in quotes. Cheap in relative mega rare transferable machine gun terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 (edited) i felt the price was also reasonable(not cheap).....its the rarest thompson seeing there are only (2)... where is the other one? this should be in a museum....not in someone's collection im actually shocked someone with a few colts doesnt sell 2 or 3 and buy this? i know a few of you have multiple colts here.....bought back when they were $100 and no one wanted them.... i cant own a gun that i cant shoot....and shooting the T2 would be a crime.... what mags does it use? Edited March 26, 2017 by huggytree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurencen Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 believe it used regular 45acp Thompson mags Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ppgcowboy Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 It does not have that iconic Thompson look and feel about it. I would buy the ĺess expensive house before I bought another more expensive house that does not fit my taste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeNukem Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 (edited) I bet the recoil on that thing blows (compared to a tommy) since it is closed bolt Edited March 26, 2017 by DukeNukem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Rare and desirable have to cross paths in order to bring big money. That has not happened in over a year and now on the second auction and multiple sellers trying to move it. You never know someone may see a value? There are other guns just as rare that function and haven't brought that much money. Another out of the Mike Freef alias pile. Obviously a high reserve on it. I had ownership in a 1 of 2ish Thompson and it didn't bring anywhere near $100K... and it actually worked. 21 Colts, while not particularly rare in the registry, based on the prices, are obviously desirable with a big following of collectors. No one ever bought Colt Thompsons for $100, they were 200+, hence the $200 stamp. There are thousands of rare MG's stored away in museums that never see the light of day, so that is NOT a good option for us as collectors. Lots of guys today post multiple pictures of MG's on the web allowing a lot of others to view what they would otherwise never see or be able to research.......a MUCH better option IMO than some curator type with little interest putting out a 03A3, vs. a 1917 browning because it's too heavy and takes up too much space, so it's better left in the basement. Museums like libraries are an obsolete model due to geographic limitations that the web has overcome. Hopefully they will be forced to liquidate their stuff to private collectors who tend to share, and lift the burden from taxpayers who never get to see most of what they pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 where is the other one? this should be in a museum....not in someone's collection huggytree, I disagree. The other T2 is in a private collection, and as a result, it has been seen by tens of thousands of people at NRA Conventions, and during other collector events in several states. Museums are good, but subject to the display tastes that govern what ends up being seen. That may mean that they are never seen, or could potentially be sold to fund whatever the museum needs, perhaps even to pay the rent. If it's a government museum, it may also mean that they could be put away forever, or destroyed. Here is a photo of the T2 in an NRA display last year. It's at the bottom of the photo. David Albertdalbert@sturmgewehr.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 i watched the video of the auction house review on the gun....there are 5 of them in existence....2 in peoples hands, 3 in museums learned it was a POS with many jams and is now broken....i thought it would function....i think this is why it doesnt sell....its not a machine gun...its a gun to go in a case.......if i owned it id want it to function and shoot once a year for kicks..... i was joking above about the $100 thompsons...but they were $500 and now worth 90x more for some.....so the fact that someone here could sell 2 or 3 of his colt thompsons and grab that gun and have actually only $1500+$600 in stamps into the whole thing is a real option for someone closed bolt is cool....and the 2 stage trigger (1/2 pull single, full pull auto)...couldnt help looking at it and thinking about my M6 and figuring that Ingram stole that idea from the T2.... wonder why they chose a closed bolt? when the competition didnt...just for keeping it clean? was dirt a problem with the M1 or M3? i like its looks....probably the most wood of any tube gun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Ploughboy Posted March 26, 2017 Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 Closed bolt operation is generally preferred for better accuracy in semi auto and first shot accuracy in full auto - no (heavy) bolt sliding forward to disturb aiming. MHO, YMMV, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted March 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2017 But not typical in the 1940s Why make it complex when all the guns into the 1960s were geared towards simple Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnsonlmg41 Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 A number of guns were closed bolt. Reisings, Johnson lmg's, FG42's on semi/full first round come to mind and I'm sure there are others. Indeed they are more accurate and of course today MP5's etc.Really the fact that it doesn't work would be insignificant to me since it would be pretty easy to fix. Prototype guns are just that, put it together fairly quickly to prove out a theory, then go at it with properly heat treated and dimensioned and simpler to make parts. Had it gone into actual production I think these would be worth a lot more to collectors to own a final production gun AND an early prototype, but just a prototype not so much. The only thing that gives it any value at all is it's affiliation to the other Thompson models. Lots of other prototype MG's from the period aren't worth much at all. Early 60's roller locked guns....not so simple......when they don't work. Open bolt subguns....EZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
av8tr Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 I wouldn't know if Free has control of the reserve, if the guns still in his control as a felon. But, he has some parts for sale on Subguns.com at crazy prices. If he does have any say in the reserve, expect it to be way high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted March 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 If it's the damaged official test gun repairing the damage would effect historical value I'd think But the video I watched said it had like 70 failures. It's worthless to ever shoot. Did mr Thompson have anything to do with this gun? I figure not Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLansky Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 it is no longer Mr Free's gun. It was purchased at a bankruptcy auction along with several of his other guns. The gun was previously offered for sale at the Rock Island Auction, Knob Creek and SAR. As with any extremely rare gun, there is no market of comparable sales to help determine value. This could be the deal of the century for a historically significant prototype or it could be a whole lot of money for a non-working wall hanger. is this gun the subgun equivalent of the savage pistol that lost out to the Browning 1911? there is no way to know for sure until future generations look back with the benefit of hindsight. and that, in my opinion, is why the gun is still available. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLansky Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 at my request a board member looked at the parts Mike Free currently has for sale at Knob Creek last April. Mr Free agreed to bring the parts for an in person examination. the parts are all in terrible condition. I did not buy them. they are still for sale. don't buy books from crooks and don't by gun parts from a guy who committed bankruptcy fraud in an effort to avoid consumer fraud charges from his regular business. caveat emptor. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Got Uzi Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Value is based upon what 2 people will pay for it. The question comes down to it with an item like this-who has that kind of money to buy something and put it in the safe? Huggy-you ever been inside an MP5 or HK23? Closed bolt guns are a PITA compared to open bolt guns. MP5 burst packs (4 position packs) yeah smack your hand with a ball peen hammer to get you in a good mood to work on one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalbert Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Find an Inmate: https://www.bop.gov/mobile/find_inmate/byname.jsp#inmate_results Name: MICHAEL J FREERegister Number: 33470-068Age: 65Race: WhiteSex: MaleRelease Date: UNKNOWNLocated At: FCI Morgantown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 I wonder if the Feds will give Mike a 3 day pass to attend Knob Creek.Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huggytree Posted March 27, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 Value is based upon what 2 people will pay for it. The question comes down to it with an item like this-who has that kind of money to buy something and put it in the safe? Huggy-you ever been inside an MP5 or HK23? Closed bolt guns are a PITA compared to open bolt guns. MP5 burst packs (4 position packs) yeah smack your hand with a ball peen hammer to get you in a good mood to work on one. not a HK guy.....i realized how the registered sears worked after i already bought (2) high priced guns....couldnt justify buying a 3rd high priced one...when i enjoy my $6k Mac 10 as much as my $35k M16 wish i would have started out with the HK concept and bought hosts my point was in 1943 (or whenever) a closed bolt FA was not the norm....why try when your competition isnt....guess they saw it as an advantage, but then were too stupid to actually shoot their gun before handing it to the government for testing....if it were me i would have shot 10,000 rounds through it before i considered handing it over Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Fliegenheimer Posted March 27, 2017 Report Share Posted March 27, 2017 (edited) There are at least five T-2 prototypes that were made two years after John T. Thompson passed away. Despite the rarity, the historical value for a design that didn't advance the TSMG and was quickly rejected for production, even by Maguire's A.O.C., is suspect. Perhaps its major contribution was as an inspiration for the disguised M1 Carbines carried by simians in "The Planet Of the Apes" franchise. The prop department figured more wood on an automatic weapon was primitive not cutting edge. $100K for a tube gun would be a novelty in itself. Edited March 27, 2017 by Arthur Fliegenheimer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Arthur,Can you list the location or collection and caliber of the five known T2 prototypes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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