48 replies to this topic

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

I changed the billing address on one of my seldom used cards to my folks address in PA. I get online statements so it doesn't really matter. I tried again with my new billing address and a PA shipping address and looks like that will work, for now. The games we play...

[TSMGguy]

As I understand it, TSMG L drums were made by the millions prior to and in the early months of WWII. Early experience showed the drums to be too heavy and slow to load for general combat use. XX mags were more generally issued and XXX mags were developed instead. The drums mostly then went overseas as lend lease aid, primarily to the USSR and Great Britain. I think that with the lifting of the large capacity magazine ban, we're seeing what could be just the leading edge of a flood of these drums, and that they will shortly (within a year) be cheaper than Kahr drums are today. Importers will initially see them as very desireable indeed, but there are so few guns that they will fit, and large markets such as NY, NJ, and CA are closed off. It will be, IMHO, a buyers market. I think that you'll shortly be able to complete your WWII drum collection (all manufacturers) for very nearly what Sportsman's Guide wants for just one today.

[brian]

and here i'am, with a Pa addy and no funds for one.

[Jay Baker]

Brian, give them your credit card number, they don't charge you till November when they're ready to ship anyway, if ever.

[TD.]

TSMGguy and PhilOhio,
The essence of your posts is why I bought only one. I too believe that the floodgates may open on these items and the price will plummet. I consider this purchase as hedging my bets. Let's all hope I loose money on this deal and 9 months from now WWII Thompson drums are 100 bucks a pop!!! Now if I could just beat Jr. out of those Colt magazines he has no use for....

[John Jr]

QUOTE (TD. @ Jul 30 2005, 10:02 AM)

TSMGguy and PhilOhio, The essence of your posts is why I bought only one. I too believe that the floodgates may open on these items and the price will plummet. I consider this purchase as hedging my bets. Let's all hope I loose money on this deal and 9 months from now WWII Thompson drums are 100 bucks a pop!!! Now if I could just beat Jr. out of those Colt magazines he has no use for....

Make me an offa' I can't refuse....

[Z3BigDaddy]

Anyone care to make a wager on the 100 buck drum theory? We were basically "flooded" with parts kits at one point, considering what was available before, and I don't see them selling for a 100 bucks.... I think there is a cetain intinsic value due to the history and uniqueness(sp?) of the L drum that will never be overcome any increase to the supply.

[hawksnest]

How about this scenerio. Sportmans guide locates 10,000 drums which they can buy at $10.00 each ($100,000.00 total). Not wanting to risk $100,00.00 they buy 400 drums at 15.00 each ($6,000.00 worth) with an option to buy the rest in 10 days at the original price of $10.00 each. Then they run their first ad. They sell the first 400 at $350.00 each (total sales $140,000.00). Now they buy the remaining 9,600 drums and still have a $36,000.00 profit if they don't sell another drum. That is how I suspect the surplus market works. Now they run their second drum ad before any of the drums have even arrive in their warehouse. I love this country.

[Mike Hammer]

These drums were not made in the "millions", they were made in the hundreds of thousands. But remember, they were also sent back to us in the hundreds of thousands... and ordered destroyed by the military brass because they saw no sence in storing such an "obsolete" item. What remains overseas may not be as big a cache' as some of us think. But then again, perhaps even as few as as several thousand of these babies may be enough to satisfy all the Thompson aficionados' that are out there. Who knows, it's anybodys guess. as of right now, this seems like a pretty good price, it may change, it may not.

Mike Hammer

[Bridgeport28A1]

Around 1991 IMA sold WW2 L drums around $190-210 range prior to any type of magazine ban. I think the $100 per drum price is wishful thinking and I hope it happens. I think the bottom end is likely to be closer to the $200 range with that only happening if Sportsman Guide import thousands anbd runs out of drum buyers at their current plus some substantial shipping charges, even if one lives a short diastance from their wharehouse in So St. Paul, MN.

[msfhotrod]

PhilOhio Doyou know of any reason why sportsmansguide will not sell drums or ammo to us in ohio. Do we have a new law that I don't know about?

[philasteen]

I have ordered 3 of these drums but I will be tickled pink if even more come in and the price drops further.

They will go well with my Colt shooter.

Perhaps one will even go to be converted to M1A1 compatibility.

[Z3BigDaddy]

QUOTE (Bridgeport28A1 @ Jul 30 2005, 04:10 PM)

Around 1991 IMA sold WW2 L drums around $190-210 range prior to any type of magazine ban. I think the $100 per drum price is wishful thinking and I hope it happens. I think the bottom end is likely to be closer to the $200 range with that only happening if Sportsman Guide import thousands anbd runs out of drum buyers at their current plus some substantial shipping charges, even if one lives a short diastance from their wharehouse in So St. Paul, MN.

How much was shipping on your drum/s?

[Bridgeport28A1]

Shipping was 18.99. I live within 6 miles of their warehouse and company headquarters. Also ended up paying the 6.5 % MN sales tax. I am taking a wait and see attitude if they ever arrive.

[Lancer]

QUOTE (msfhotrod @ Jul 30 2005, 05:51 PM)

PhilOhio Doyou know of any reason why sportsmansguide will not sell drums or ammo to us in ohio. Do we have a new law that I don't know about?

I think the problem stems from secton 2923.11, paragraph (E) of the Ohio Rev. Code.

Here is the problem line,
" "Automatic firearm" also means any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than thirty-one cartridges without reloading,"

I think that their (SG's) interpretation is wrong because further on in the code it says that "Automatic firearms" purchased under federal guidelines are exempted. It does'nt really matter because SG is not interested in debating the issue.

[msfhotrod]

Thanks Lancer and PhilOhio Phil do you know of any reason spg will not sell ammo to us in ohio , because i have bought from them in the past. Thanks

[Lancer]

QUOTE (PhilOhio @ Jul 31 2005, 10:19 AM)

msfhotrod and Lancer, I double checked again with my local firearms law experts and they insist that there is an obscure passage of Ohio law which specifically defines the over-30-round mags themselves as machineguns. I cannot personally cite such a passage of code, so it's informed hearsay. It's not too new...more than several years old, at least. Lancer's concept is correct, as applied to semis with big mags, but it appears there's more to it than that.

Phil,
After reading your post I reread the firearms section of the Ohio Rev. Code, the only line I can find in regard to over 30 round capacity is the one I cite in my previous post. If there is another passage dealing specifically with mags perhaps you can get your firearms law experts to cite the specific chapter and paragraph. I'm going to do some more checking but at this point I have doubts another passage exists.

[HK91]

QUOTE (deerslayer @ Jul 29 2005, 11:49 PM)

I was at their factory outlet store in the twin cities today and about 5 p.m. Said they didn't have any. They didn't offer to see if any were coming in either. I'll have to say the people working there were not the most ambitious looking bunch of people I've ever seen. Dan

Yeah they have some strange people that "work" at the outlet store.

Chris

[Ron A]

I ordered two drums - now lets see what happens

[Lancer]

Phil,
I had an informal conversation on this subject with the local Municipal Prosecutor/ Law Director who happens to be a close friend. I say informal because I don't want anyone to construe this as legal advise in any way.

He read over the passages in the Ohio Rev. Code that I had highlighted but did not do a though intensive search of the code on the subject.

My take on what he had to say was this:
50 rnd. drums are legal to buy, sell and own in Ohio, however, if you insert the drum into a firearm, that firearm, if not already a machine gun, becomes a machine gun. Sooo, if your gun is a legally registered machine gun, you're ok.

Interestingly, he seemed to have more concerns about passages further on in the code alluding to applying for and having a license from the state to own an automatic weapon.