19 replies to this topic

[LIONHART]

Since there was an incident here VERY recently of a Forum Member paying $600.00+ for a WH Drum, there is a source for these for less than $300.00. NUMRICH! They have a LOAD of their own Manufactured Drums, LEO Marked, Manufactured up until Kahr bought out AO in '99. Numrich, IE-E-Gunparts, DOESN'T SELL KAHR DRUMS! Let the rush begin..

[John in IN]

That looks like the way to go! For $275 it looks like you would have a better chance at getting a good product, as opposed to the Kahr drums for just a little less $$.

The add says "built on original tooling".

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (PhilOhio @ Feb 4 2005, 11:33 PM)

I'm not going to make the P. T. Barnum comment because, thanks to Z3's research, I now know P. T. didn't make it either. And it doesn't really apply. Many of us could have just as easily made the same mistake, or one much like it.

Dood!! Going for the guilt trip? I didn't mean to ruin your "go to" posting material.... LOL Just tryin to get the truth out is all......

[Ron A]

Hats off to Lionhart. Price is good and guality - its things like this that make the board..
Thanks

[Sgt]

Phil makes a very good point about the pressure associated with collecting Thompson stuff these days. I remember when I was shopping for the M1, one came available and was gone almost as fast as it appeared. There was no time for barter or research, if you really wanted it. It comes down to the recurring statement, "it is a seller's market," yea boy! That sure makes it fertile ground for crooks too.

Thanks guys, for the tip on the WH drum.

[deerslayer]

I've been watching their ads to. I haven't tried one of the drums from Numrich, but I was informed the ones they have now are from the same supply as the new Kahr ones. A careful buyer might inquire as to the origin of the drums in question before buying. Would be nice to have a test buyer report the actual drum they purchase before the buying spree starts.

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

Where are you guys seeing these listed? I've been to e-gunparts.com and can't find anything?

[LIONHART]

Dan,
A number of folks at Numrich informed me that these are indeed, NOS West Hurley Drums, and are NOT current production...

[John in IN]

You have to work your way into their site a little. Kudos to LIONHART for finding it.

http://www.e-gunpart...rSKU=715720&MC=

[LIONHART]

My use of, NOS=New Old Stock is that these Drums are WH, and not the later ones produced by Kahr. Not that I intended to mean that they were Old, or Antique, since we all know that there not. Just left over Stock WH had manufactured up through the purchase of AO by Kahr, thus my term of NOS...

[randyron]

I just bought one of those from Gun Parts, it was junk. The rails would not fit into my WH 28 without major stoning, the lid was so tight it would have had to be pried off, but most grevious was the feed slot was too wide. Once loaded you would have had to push down the first round to get it into the gun.
I sent it back, without messing with it, since the feed slot problem, as well as the location of the rails would not have allowed it to work.

I measured it against a WH C that was worked over by Merle, and a Bridgeport L, and it was nowhere close.

It was marked LEO, and supposed to be WH prior to Kahr, but if I were guessing, it looked like Kahr junk.

[John in IN]

Well, that's what we needed; real world feedback.

[LIONHART]

All I can say is that upon numerous correspondence with Numrich, in every instance they replied stating their Drums are WH. Many problems associated with Karh Drums are the Rails being to narrow, and sliding all the way through the Receiver. With every WH Drum that I have owned, the Rails and Lids had been tight requiring some attention to fit properly.
The information obtained from Numrich did state that their Drums were LEO Marked, thus manufactured after September 13Th, 1994 up through 1999. It would stand to reason that they probably are most likely WH Drums. I'm sure WH had produced a significant number prior to Kahr's buy out, thus the unlikely possibility they were stocking LEO Kahr "L" Drums from 2000 to 2004.

[PK.]

You guys crack me up; constant complaining about the WH drums and high hope for improvements in this new batch. Being disappointed that the new stuff isn’t up to WWII standards (big surprise), all of a sudden the holy grail is the WH again.

If you could combine the best properties of the WH and current Kahr, you might have a pretty good drum, but neither of them is up to snuff. Still, the Kahr is easier to fix than the WH, even Merle admits that.

I am not defending Kahr, no more than I would have NAC when they were making the WH drums, but lets not get carried away and so easily forget the past either- junk is still junk, even if it has “patina”

[Mike Hammer]

Your right-on Phil. I really don't believe Kahr is seriously interested in producing a drum that is as good as the WWII versions otherwise they would take the time and trouble to do so. I think they are only interested in making a quick buck on what they may perceive these drums to be... "novelty items", pawning them off to the eager masses of unsuspected "curiosity seekers" who want to own some curio of a bygone day. These new drums are total flimsy junk. They are only a poor facsimile of my WWII Bridgeport drums, no thank you. I hope Kahr ends up eating these things, maybe it will teach them a lesson they should have learned by now.

Mike Hammer

[LIONHART]

It won't....

[Ron A]

I agree with Lionhart - look at the history of this group - there will always be a sucker trying to save money - Scams work best on the greedy or a person wanting something for nothing - there is no such thing as a free lunch.

They feed on the entry market who first want a thompson, and purchase a Kahr 27 semi, not knowing the gun is as far from a thompson as one can get.

The new owner wants to impress his friends with his purchase of a "Real Thompson" and wants a drum only to discover they cost money, in some cases more than he paid for his "Real Thompson" - Shock

- then he finds he can get a drum from Kahr for less than $300.00 and off goes the money only to discover it is crap.

In most cases the new owner has nothing to compare it with, and it won't make much difference the gun won't shoot anyway. Don't tell the friends, just hang it on the gun and no one will ever know.

Kahr made their money and most of the drums will not make it back to Kahr.

How many time have we heard "I know its a Kahr, but its cheaper that a GI drum" Cons only work if the buyer is looking for a good deal. Kahr feels your pain - they just can't reach you!!

[Grey Crow]

Phil,

You hit the nail square on that topic. Craftsmanship is a difficult issue. Forget it when it comes to mass production. At least by today's standards.

I also need to agree with PK,

Prior to the talk of the ban sunset, AO drums were junk and a waste of $$, and if one owned one it almost was certain to need a trip too Merle. Back then the only drums to get were, and still are the Bridgeport's, Worcester and the like. The B's & W's "Still" command a stiff $$. But they are tried and true. The old drums are as much a classic as the Colt and Savage made Thompson's.

I wonder if when they were first released if they had operational problems, and the ones that are surviving today are the Dr'd ones of the 20's and 30's......

If products were made today with the time and union wages, cost of materials, and the quality of the past only but a few could afford them.

Believe me, I am far from defending Kahr, or anyone else.

I get really fed-up with shoddy workmanship, and high prices that seems to go with the product.

Imagine the thrill of having a mean pitbull on a steal lead, and the lead comes apart. Ah, quality in the new age of technology.

It ain't no fun!

[Grey Crow]

Nods, That they are!!

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

So after the initial excitement, has anyone else got on of these WH e-parts drums, for better or worse?