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Removable Thompson Buttstock


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Monday I looked at a '28 Navy and noticed that the buttstock was pretty loose when installed on the gun.

 

1. Can that deficiency be fixed in a manner that will not affect the gun's originality and future value?

 

2. Or should the loose-fitting buttstock be left as it is?

 

In addition, the right-rear portion of the receiver has what appears to be contact wear on the blue finish (possibly from being bumped numerous times) beginning at the rear and extending to the area that includes the word "AUTO" of AUTO-ORDNANCE. The photos that I received prior to my inspection of the gun clearly show the finish deficiency and, based on the photos, I thought it looked like pitting, but it is not.

 

I also noticed a small gouge on one side of the actuator.

 

During my initial inquiry about the gun, I was told this gun was in excellent condition - 95%.

 

Any comments?

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Jay,

 

If you get disgusted - sell it to me! I'll offer $10K!!!

 

If yo wanted a shooter, as I did, I am sure you will be told a range of "%" conditions, from 70% to 95%. That is a very hard thing to get everyone to quantify the same way.

 

If you gun is strictly for investment, and not a shooter, the cost of NOS parts is small compared to the cost of the whole, so it wouldn't hurt to buy NOS stuff and rebuild it.

 

Phil Askew who posts here has a great selection of NOS stuff.

 

Good luck! (Contact me if you DO want to sell it....! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif ).

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Hi Jay,

 

The butt stocks on Colt Thompsons are not supposed to be super tight. They all fit loosely to some degree and there is some play. This does not affect the originality of the gun and I would personally not try to correct that aspect of the gun because of an assumption that the butt stock should be firm and tight.

 

What does affect the originality of the gun is whether the butt stock is an original Remington made stock for the Colt guns or an early 1928 style butt stock. The originals should have a nickel colored latch, a butt plate that matches the stock number and an anchor logo embossed in the wood at the front end of the butt stock.

 

As far as the wear at the end of the receiver and the nick in the actuator, you have to be the judge of whether or not you'll accept the gun in the condition advertised. If it is the original finish, a few scratches and some blue wear would be normal for an 80 year old firearm that was used to some degree.

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Jay,

It is difficult to offer an opinion, regardless of how the seller rated the condition of the gun, without knowing what he thought it was worth. If he said it was 95% and in actuality it is more like you described, but wanted $18,000 for it, then what the Hell. But if he said it was a 95% gun and wanted $25,000 for it, then there is reason to revisit the selling price. There is no way these guns have been in existance for the last 80+ years and not picked up some scratches and dings along the way on the original blue finish. Is the actuator below the knob nickel and is it the two-piece one?

 

Giant,

That $10K budget will get you a nice WH, or WWII M1/M1A1.

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well jay did any of the info i gave you help out???or did the dealer think......................whazz up with this.............

 

and i don't even think its a 18,000 gun..........thats me,take care,ron

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Jay,

Yes, i was joking about the $10K!. Take the $18K from Aurthur!

But, I remember a gun advertised with a bent cocking knob - but can't find the info on it.

What did you pay and from who?

Thanks for the info,

Mike

 

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QUOTE (Arthur Fliegenheimer @ Jan 29 2004, 12:47 PM)
Ron,
What other info did you get from Jay that tells you this is not even a $18K gun? Do you know what the seller was asking for it?

arthur let me explain this if you can understand chicagoese...............i know john jr. don't wink!!!

 

 

just because one person sold one at 20,000 they are not all worth that..

sidebar story:

 

i sold in about 2001 two 21a's in 95% condition...for two gun's 25,000.......and a 21a in 98% plus better condition for 20,000.00........ and in 2000 a 1921/8 navy overstamp.cased original set,with colt 3rd model.L drum four corrected patent date mags,{that corrected uncorrected thing always bothered me}IT'S A MAG!! cleaning rod,buttstock oil can,a spare parts kit mint cond,[ i had six spare parts kits over the years]one new in wrapper}or like new on everything.along with the proper manual................

i felt at this time [myself}it was worth that,since many 99% premier gun's do not come on the market alot,

 

and i figured if somebody was willing to pay that then so be it.............

 

well some guy did,now did i figure all thompsons are now worth that,naw!!!not in the least.................

 

not to me...............

 

remember i had twenty colts to sell at the time,next to curtis earl that was the biggest batch around for sale...........

 

you would not have wanted to see my long distance bill wink!!

 

anyhow now i just buy for myself...........if i see something that looks really good,and a good price. so many have priced the stuff in cyberspace............that the regular guy,like most that post here cannot afford anymore,{thats sad}

 

{mute point}yeah i know the rich guys can afford it all...........and some of the big timers filed bankruptcy in the past,i never have..............

 

 

so when i see all these great guns out there i smirk..........some would not know what a great gun is if it bit them,

 

there is always that exception......but lately i have not seen them,

 

i probably should have kept my best colt,that one sold over ten years ago...............for the lowly sum of $9,000.00>it went to a doctor}other big time dealers offered me 7,000.00....and i paid $8,000.00 for it.

 

a new vette and harley came into my life............yep have had over a half dozen of each...............thompsons was not the only {vice}i ever had.........i liked the casino's also..................

 

man!! i lived it up!!!

 

now i look back at it all.............it was fun!!so i sit with a lonely colt..................and a 28a1 on the way...........

 

and i am happy........... now back to the original question:did i wander???

 

i have no idea what the guy wanted i figured $18,000 to $20,000 since a few people now have to ask what its worth............?????

 

heck if they know what the paid duh!!!!

 

then they normally can figure out simple math.........what they might want............its now a circus out there.........

 

and i turned in my carny I.D. years ago...........

 

so now whatever they want to ask great,if they find somebody with the more money then brain theory great!!!

 

it is and always will be a emotion to buy them.......

 

because if they went to a dealer to buy a car and the dealer said oh!!wait sticker don't count its $5,000 more.how many would pay it,or how many would take a pass???i guess another emotional purchase!!!

 

a boat i won't go there!!!

 

a cycle same deal.........look at the harley V-rod......i wanted one, went to look at them, a dealer told me $21,000 out the door,i passed>>>>>>>>went to chicago in july dealer told me $17,500 out the door,so what i can buy it for $17,500 and sell for $21,000.00.....no way i passed on it lost interest and the hype..............

 

to the collector that wants his first one i understand it all......i just don't want him to get taken to the cleaner's.......

and most do lately...............

 

i just try and help out the youngbloods getting into this thompson thing................to those that can't see that f........um

 

they don't effect me anyway...................to those that want help........i always offered it..............i might have been a hardass sometimes .......but i darn well knew my thompson's,and whatever i sold and talked about.........

 

with all the bad speelings and typeing......um!!!!!

 

never sold a thompson i would not buy back.........even sixth months after i sold it.................anyhow more ya-da ya-da then you care to read arthur.............

 

have fun with the stuff...................i did alot of bizz with bigtimers and small timers.........i always liked the non con man buyer/seller...................honesty in product.........

 

take care,sorry to bore with the detail's................

 

i like this place.take care,ron/colt 21a

 

i see the world through.....................a different light

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Second,

Of course you are right that the ship has sailed on that price for WWII guns, (Mike's PD finds not withstanding), but I didn't want Giantpanda to be completely demoralized.

 

Ron,

If you were selling your Colt TSMGs' today, you would be getting over $20K for them, sans accessories. Even Vito's 70% Colt on Gunbroker actually reached an $18,500 bid, but his reserve still is $21,000!...Idiot.....And we know for a fact what the Colts' brought at the Devine auction last year. You may never pay the going rate for these guns today, considering what you paid for them in the past, but just like the prices reached for muscle cars at the Barrett Jackson Auction in Arizona last week, the sky is the limit for Class III weapons today.

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