Randy Lish

Colt 1921 AC Serial #289 and Urich copy of a A.O. M1 Serial # 823

Murray, good to hear that you'll be going this year! Are you going to fly up front with the pilots again ??? Steve and I will be flying in on Thursday and we'll be sure to look all you Thompson Madmen up at your booth on Friday!!! See you there........... Randy

Murray, You never cease to amaze me!!! First, you tell me a few years ago about the IRD incident and how you took them to task; you take them court and win ( virtually unheard of in the this country regarding the I.R.S ). Second, I see you walking on cloud nine at the 2004 S.A.R. Show after having just made the purchase of the century. You ask if both drums are originals ( which they were ) and you tell me what you paid for them; you really should spend some time in Las Vegas, you''d make a bundle with the kind of luck you have! Third, you get this fantastic award ????? Murray, just please remember us little ol' folk when you get knighted and are granted a country all your own. Congratulations my friend, it is well deserved and couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Looking forward to seeing you and Jan at the 2005 S.A.R. Show. Best Regards & Good on ya' Mate! Randy

As Murray said, I'll be there and so will Sid Crandell ( Normandy 123 ), John Morrison ( Field Editor for Guns Magazine ) and Steve Barlow ( owns a gunstore here in Utah ). We all have rooms at the Travel Lodge Hotel in Phoenix from Thursday Dec 2nd - Monday Dec 6th . Looking forward to another great time at the Small Arms Review Gun Show!!! Randy P.S. Looking forward to those beers Murray!!!!! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif

Damon, I just don't know what has gotten into these Utah politicians. I think they just don't care about being politically correct; the nerve of some folks! Randy http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif

Thanks for the updates LIONHART & Virginian!!! I wrote to my Senators ( Hatch & Bennett ) and my Congressman (Cannon) and I received this e-mail from Rep. Cannon yesterday: Dear Randy: Thank you for your letter regarding the expiration of the so-called "assault weapons ban passed in 1994 during President Bill Clinton's first term. I appreciate your input on this important issue. First, I would like to emphasize my support for the Second Amendment as a protection of the right of individuals to own firearms. Since I arrived in Congress in 1996, I have always worked to ensure my constituents' right to bear arms, and I will continue to do so. The 1994 ban on a variety of semi-automatic weapons was-and still is-a futile attempt to curb violent crime. Our efforts should focus on criminals. Prohibiting guns will not solve the problems facing our society. For example, despite a near-total ban on guns, the District of Columbia has one of the highest crime rates in the country. The solution is likely to be more difficult, including a retrenchment of moral standards and family values, and enforcement of existing laws. Unless new legislation is passed in both the House and the Senate, the "assault rifles" ban will expire. House leadership has said that they will not allow a bill extending the ban to reach the floor. Rest assured that I will work hard to defeat any legislation that would reinstate the assault weapons ban. Again, thank you for taking the time to inform me of your views. Please write me again in the future if I can be of assistance on this or any other issue. Warmest regards, Chris Cannon Member of Congress Senators Hatch and Bennett usually take a little longer to respond, but it is by U.S. Mail and always a very personable letter from each; not a typical generic fomatted rubber stambed letter. We in Utah are very lucky to have the pro-firearm people that we have in Washington D.C. !!!! Best regards Randy

Mario, Sounds like they all had a rough road to hoe for the rest of their lives. Being the son of a famous or infamous person can create a whole set of problems that most of us would not want on our backs. Sounds like Albert Francis can finally get some rest from his unique lineage......................... Best regards Mario and I really enjoy your website, top notch all the way!!! Randy

Mario, Were there any write-ups in the paper regarding his death ? What did he change his name to in latter years to avoid the " Capone stigma " ? Thanks Randy

I could not think of anyone else to send you to other than P.K. in Colorado. If you look at a previous post entitled: " P.k.'s Metal And Dan's Woodworking " you'll see what I mean. Best Regards Randy

I saw this ad on Bowers Board: WTS-Thompson Mag Anvils Posted By: Glen Whittenberger glenhwhittenberg@aol.com Date: 6/30/04 10:05 I have magazine anvils that will put the correct radius on the feed lips of 20 & 30 rd Thompson mags. $50 + $5 shipping . Hope this helps! Randy

Just an additional note as to the quality of P.K.'s and Dan's work. A few weeks ago I took the "P.K. '21 Special " out to do some shooting with some friends. We used only 20 rd mags and one West Hurley 50 rd drum ( cleaned up & tuned by Merle Bitikofer ) and the weapon performed flawlessly. Today I took it out to the range with 500 rds of ammo, (2) West Hurley 50 rd , (1) West Hurley 100rd ( cleaned up & tuned by Merle ), (1) Colt 50 rd and (1) Colt 100 rd drums. I wanted to see if this particular firearm was sensitive to certain makes and model of drums and I found that it is not. That gun ran like a Singer Sewing machine and did not miss a beat once! After each full run of the 100 rd drums, the outside of the barrel was just a tad bit hot and smokin' like an expectant father. Prior to sending my West Hurley to P.K., it was a very sensitive gun that would do o.k. with West Hurley Drums ( even after they were tuned by Merle ), but preferred Colt Drums and only certain 20 & 30 rd mags. While I was at the range several shooters came by to see what was making all that racket. They commented numerous times as to the smooth metal finish and how beautiful the wood looked. Even after all that range time today it still looks great! I am now in need of two things, a digital video recorder to share this fun with you all and a Dillon 1050 press to keep up with all this fun range time! Best Regards Randy Lish

Ron, You betcha on keeping that Colt '21 hidden away; it's money in the bank! Chris, Thanks for bequeathing the honor of the " Most Beautiful West Hurley " I will do my best to keep it unsullied, it is a beauty! Jack, This beauty may belong to me now but the work and honor goes to P.K. and Dan. The pictures are courtesy of normandy 123 ( he posts here occasionally and took the picures for me at the gun store I work at on my days off from my real job ) and Nick Iannamico. Without Nick's help, I wouldn't have been able to get them on this board. Thanks to all you folks! Mike, Get the Westy now and have P.K. give it a '21 makeover, I know you won't be sorry!!! This nifty auto resides in a Greg Fox case with a Herigstad '21 cleaning rod and metal parts kit ( filled with all the original springs, brushes, etc.,etc. ) and all together it's just the cat's pajamas!!!! Best Regards Randy

Mike, Sounds like a great weekend! That's exactly how I was able to expand my Thompson & BAR collection; refinance the house. I did it a couple of years ago and I don't regret it at all considering how much everything has jumped skyward in the past couple of years. Looking forward to seeing you at the SAR Show in Phoenix this December! Best Regards Randy

In the fall of 2003 I sent my West Hurley 1928 A-1 to P.K. for some changes that I wanted done. Although I own a 1921 Colt serial # 289, I wanted a 1921 style gun that I could shoot the hell out of and not cry too much if something happened. Other than squaring up the frame, welding up and then recutting the blish lock slots ( a real problem with West Hurleys ), I had him make some other changes too. He cut ( 2 ) 1928 actuators into the '21 style actuators ( one as an extra for backup ) and installed a Diamond K Hybrid 21/28 pilot. A Colt '21 buttplate and slide assembly were installed on the buttstock. A Lyman rear site, Savage knurled selectors and a Colt ejector were also installed on the gun. The lower internals were all NOS A.O.C. parts that I aquired just for this project. The barrel is a Doug Richardson 1921 style barrel and the front sight was made by P.K. for this particular gun because the point of impact was too high. The drum slots were also reshaped & contoured into the 1921 style. The metal was finished & blued well beyond what West Hurley had originally done. The wood was completed by Dan Block and it also was finished in the 1921 Colt configuration. I will say that after many trial and error ( because I am an anal retentive kinda guy ), Dan was up to the task and his customer satisfaction guarantee is 5 stars!!! The gun shoots as good as it looks ( approx 925 rpms ) and it is the most accurate Thompson that I own. I was expecting a difference in muzzle climb because of the lack of a compensator and it's faster cycle rate, but that was not the case. A slight push back and up a couple of inches and it stayed still. I have sent my Class III work to others in the past, but P.K. has my business for as long as he's around. His work is just incredible!!!!! Best Regards Randy http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/1.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/2.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/3.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/4.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/5.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/6.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/7.jpg http://mywebpages.comcast.net/iannamico/mgbsite/lish/8.jpg

Murray, I whole heartedly join in with the others and encourage you to stay with us. I think it is your firearms knowledge, quick wit and the photos of your great weapons collection that keeps many of us entertained on this board! Speaking as one who has had the pleasure of meeting you on several occasions, I know that you are a gentleman of the old school and many of those that have attacked you would not make a pimple on your butt. If you do leave us it is understandable, but most regretful, and it will be a great loss to this board. The experience that you have gained and shared with us from years of collecting Thompsons outside of the United States cannot be replaced and I hope that you'll pop in now and again. ( At least once a week is good ! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif ) I look forward to seeing you, Gordon Herigstad, Merle Bitikofer, Mike Hensley and many of the others from this board at the December S.A.R. Show in Phoenix. We can all have a large container ( or two http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif ) of a dark brown frosty carbonated beverage ( that covers a lot of choices http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/wink.gif ) and share some great times as in the past. Until then.................. Best regards from your friend Randy P.S. Illegitimi Non Carborundum

PhilOhio My posting was not directed towards you, it was just a summation of my feelings regarding several posts that I read about this issue. However, since you've singled me out, I'll address your points: #1. No I've not gone off the deep end or flipped out. Actually, very happy! #2. No, the personal attacks on this board toward Gordon are very obvious. #3. My personal yardstick is very much in tact and has been for a long time. Pretty black & white in my view of things. #4. All of the statements I made are very applicable and are not just a collection of words thrown out there. Not good at making stuff up. Just because I do not agree with you and take a firm stand does not make me a bad guy and you the good guy or visa versa. Contrary to your argument about this being a one sided issue, there are always multiple points to consider in all issues and this is a good example of such a case. I do know Gordon Herigstad and as such, I will stand up firmly when I say that he completed this project with the utmost honesty/integrity and had no ulterior motives while doing it. Just as you disagree with my arguments, I disagree with yours and personalizing the issues will not justify or strengthen your position. I do not think that Gordon's boxes will cause forgery anymore than buying a car creates drunk driving. In both cases it is what the individual owner does with those items that is either good or bad. I bought two of these boxes and I plan to put one in my Dillinger case ( made in the 1970's ) and the other in my Greg Fox Thompson case ( made in 2003 ), which by the way is EXACTLY like the original Thompson case I own; Infact the original key fits the new case and the new key fits the old case..............how's that for paying attention to detail and his case isn't marked either? Now I have two completed replica cases with all the internal gizmos ( full length cleaning rod, parts kit boxes with all the accessories, etc., etc. ) and that makes me happy. I wish you a happy Memorial Day weekend.............peace be with you! Randy

Geez, with some of the lynch mob mentality being expessed here toward Gordon you would not think that some of these members owned fully automatic firearms. If all of the CLEO's that have signed off our forms to own these weapons suddenly adopted this " What If " attitude, we would be S*** out of luck when it came to getting that formed signed. " I'm sorry Mr. Smith, you might commit a crime with this weapon or someone might steal it from you and commit a crime with it, etc., etc........." It's that " What If " mentality that has caused so much chaos for gun owners in this country and to apply that belief system to someone like Gordon Herigstad for the spare parts boxes is one of the most bizarre things I have witnessed on this board. To make personal attacks by attaching drug dealing, forgery and fraud innuendos is something that could be expected from Hillary Clinton and that crowd, but from this group? One can only hope that cooler heads and reason will prevail on this issue. When John Thompson's weapon was first introduced, the press had a field day with him. His original intentions for this firearm were honorable, good and true, yet the press labeled his design as a " Diabolical engine of death " and persecuted him for making such a terrible thing. Typical " What If " thinking and yet this board, which holds the Thompson Submachine Gun and all it's related items on a pedestal, have some who would apply that belief system towards Gordon Herigstad and his little metal boxes......................? How sad. Randy P.S. I agree with you Murray............... http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/mad.gif

Murray, I won't be able to make the NRA Show in August ( too much work keeping the world a safer place to co-exist you know! ), but I will be at the SAR Show again in December; I schedule vacation a year in advance for that one. It is hot and humid back in Virginia/Washington D. C. during that time so try to stay inside of that nice air conditioned NRA Museum as much as you can! My only mode of transportation while staying in Washington D.C. is my feet and the Metro Subway because everything is so close. Enjoy your trip to our Nation's Capitol, it is always a memorable experience! Best Regards Randy

Murray, I can help you on this one as I have traveled from Washington D.C. to the NRA Museum several times. Click on the following link: http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfm You'll need to a taxi-cab driver drop you off at the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station ( the orange line on the map ) and it is a 20-25 min ride into downtown Washington D.C. from that location. The Washington D.C. Metro ( subway ) is a terrific and inexpensive way to get around Washington. It takes you to the Pentagon, the U.S. Capitol the Smithsonian Museums and the Arrlington National Cemetary, just to name a few interesting places to see. Washington is truly a wonderful place to visit! Best Regards Mate! Randy

Roland, There is an ATF website used to verify the status of a FFL licensee. If you go to : http://199.196.145.75/FFLeZCheck and fill in the information that is needed, this site can verify the current status of the FFL dealer you are looking at. I hope this helps! Best Regards Randy

I'll share something that personally happened to me. One day while at the range shooting my Savage 1928a1, I noticed that I was almost out of practice ammo when I spied a left over box of Remington .45 + P 185 gr JHP in my shooting bag and thought " let see what this will do ". So I loaded up a 20 rd mag and let'er rip. It sounded like one very long shot ( kinda like a mac 10 ) and the gun stopped. I thought it must have jammed, but I found the magazine was completely empty and I was now being showered by falling brass. Later in the week while I was talking with Stan Andrewski on the telephone, I shared my range experience with him. I asked if that Remington .45 + P ammo would accelerate the RMP's my Thompson exhibited and his response was " Sure it could and it'll crack the back of your receiver if you keep using that ammo " Based on that sound advise, I only use factory practice type ( Federal red box, etc., etc. ) in all of my Thompsons. Best Regards Randy

Murray, Do you happen to know if the parts kit boxes he talked about at the SAR Show are ready for delivery? Best Regards Randy P.S. It's still snowing here in Utah, can you spare some warm weather?

Ron, I'll be going also! I had to miss the past two S.H.O.T. Shows because of work, but this year I plan on doing a lot of walkin' and seeing all the new guns and gizmo's that'll be there. Also going to get some fine dining time in at a few of those great restaurants there in Las Vegas! Best Regards Randy

John Jr. As of a couple of months ago, the following information was still good: GlenHWhittenberger@aol.com Glen Whittenberger 5540 Wright Dr. Troy, Mi 48098 (248 ) 879-5511 20 & 30 Round Magazine Anvils Makes feed lips the correct radius and distance apart. $50.00 each $ 5.00 S & H Hope that helps............. Best Regards Randy

Although Gordon's book lists him as being the current owner of this lower, he may have sold it to someone else recently since the guy selling the Colt lower lives in Illinois and Gordon lives in California......................who knows! Randy