4 replies to this topic

[ftc3906]

I observed the following at the Chantilly VA Gun Show on Friday 11/18/05:

1) An 85% Colt for $30,000.
2) Two 95-98 % West Hurleys for $15,000 and $15,500 respectively.
3) A Colt 1921 allegedly from the Indiana PA-PD with the fore grip hurriedly attached in such a way that it sat approximately 3/8" to the rear and below the grip mount.
4) At a well known parts purveyor's tables a beat up Lyman
TSMG sight for $275 (no sight tension spring- loose as a goose) and a used West Hurley imitation Lyman TSMG rear sight identified as a Lyman for $175.
5) TSMG finned and smooth barreled parts sets that looked like overpriced junk thrown into a corrugated box. If you buy a parts set the wood is a throw away unless you want to attempt restoration. I can only imagine the condition of the metal underneath the wood. The photo of the parts set that appears on this purveyor's website is not the condition of what I handled at this show. Wood is rough, dirty, nicked up and saturated with oil. Underside of Cutts are pitted badly. Not worth $725-$825 to me. I suppose if you want to make a Tommy non-gun the quality is acceptable. If you want a restoration of a Westy or WWII, buy the lower frame from this source and use a Richardson barrel, and buy wood from the guy listed in FAQ.
6) Sales people poorly informed on the history and source of the parts sets that they are selling.

Edited by ftc3906, 20 November 2005 - 06:51 PM.

[colt21a]

don't you know they have all reached status of all knowing expert's...and the best colt they have ever seen.the day's of the roger cox table display of 25 or 30 colt's.or r.k.arms at a chicago show displaying over ten. with a few complete cased set's..and bill helmer sitting alongside signing his G.T.M.T.T.R.book's. are long gone!!

only "gordon" at s.a.r.show in phx. has brought life back into it..and tracie doe's not display at show's anymore.{or maybe i'm wrong}

have fun with it...while some good time's might last....take care,ron

[ftc3906]

Answers:

1) 85% Colt for $30K. Displayed on Ohio Ordnance's tables.

2) Possibly the assembler screwed on the fore grip in a hurry and did not take the trouble to securely seat it in its proper place before applying the screwdriver. I pointed this out to two older (than I) alleged Thompson connoisseurs admiring the piece. Their reply was that it was a 1/2" grip on a 3/4" gripmount. Knowing that 3/4" gripmounts are not correct for a Colt. I felt that either sloppy reassembly or a rebarreling with a replacement of the Colt gripmount with a 3/4" one were the reasons. I returned to that Colt
20 minutes later and the described condition had been remedied, with the 1/2" grip correctly seated and screwed onto the 1/2" grip mount.

3) This Colt with the cockeyed fore grip and both West Hurleys were displayed on Class 3 dealer Dennis Todd's tables.

[colt21a]

i am sure those gun's will be visiting the s.a.r.show in phx .in two week's.and marked up another $5,000.00 for all the collector's and expert's and dealer's to ponder...like last year when some dealer/collector was pushing his redone colt's and goodie's..and explaining the rarity of them....

ever notice how when a guy get's caught up in a bad deal on a gun or paid way too much...try's selling it for more then way too much over what he paid for it..and lie's about it!!

i now need pepto-bismall/barf when atteneding class three show's...the b.s. and the storie's get worse.most of the gun's are really krap!! and the one's that are actually nice.and one might consider owning.are priced about $10,000.00 more then you wanted to pay for one...and you figured you already had a good buy price on the table....

as more year's go by.sad i say.....f/them all to heck...i will try and stay healthy..and watch the heir's sell the overpriced b.s.

nice metal and wood.. but remember it's still metal and wood.nothing less nothing more....

only we the few make it more...
and i jumped that train awhile back...and glad i did. it's a trainwreck now!! wink!! have fun...

take care,ron

[colt21a]

QUOTE (pat k @ Nov 20 2005, 07:00 PM)

Hey, thanks, ftc. Is that O.O. Colt a 28Navy? What was D.Todd asking for 21's? I think Ron's trying to tell me something.

p.k never ,ever will you get a bad word from me,only humor.reality,the truth,respect, and a kind word....some or a few beg to differ with me here...


most have not seen 35 year's of this bizz.....talk to those that have,and been in the trench's of it all. and been around the block...not some star crazed dealer who bought his first colt.or lucked out on a post sample from some long lost p.d. in butt/plug u.s.a. or jerkwater a town close by.....or happened to rip off some widow of the old hubby's war trophy,because the son or daughter had no interest in pop's old stuff in the attic, barn or garage...

or the poor nam vet who needed money because the v.a. could not take care of him properly, and he stumble's to a gun show with his prized thing's...and some dealer offer's him 20% of it's real worth...{what's blood on a battlefield worth}?? and offer's to the vet a "real deal"

and i've seen it and been sickened by it...however i would not intervene on the stealing or be chatised and thrown out of the show..."chatised" i think santa ana said that to the alamo defender's!!

we have a good group here.glad i joined when i did.and you will deem some real info from some.and from other's nothing,and from me a joke and a shot from the hip...

do not be hasty in a purchase ever....and if you loose it. it's karma, something else will turn up.it always doe's...

the colt is out there for you.the question is do you want to part with sooo many hard earned greenback's....

remember most dealer's don't care, they ripped somebody off on something else. it's $$$$$

and i've been around it long enough to know all the detail's...i know how many skelton's are buried,however since all hall-o eve has passed..that will have to wait till next year..stay safe,have fun.take care,ron