robbo Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 on the Bowers board a nickel and gold plated M1 recently sold for a very decent price. I was trying to get the wifey to let me pull the trigger on that one but no dice. I have seen a nickel plated 28 from one of our members here but never an M1. Anybody know how many of these beauties are out there? Any info about the M1 available, just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ineverlistentoFM Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 id be interested to know, too, they are unique... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 No clue, but cheap enough I was tempted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z3BigDaddy Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Under 10K? Just says SPF... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 (edited) Ok, I plead guilty to those charges. I didn't initially post it because I was afraid people were going to think I'm crazy for buying 2 Thompson's in just over a months time. The gun wasn't made that way, it was a GI bring back that was amnesty registered, and then sold to a PD where somebody blinged it out with nickel plate all over, and it looks like somebody painted the wood too. I'm going to change it back to GI status, give it a deep blue appearance, and get rid of the finned barrel and compensator, replace it with a standard M1 barrel. I plan on selling the barrel and compensator. Comes with a case and some mags and a few other extras. Edited March 4, 2013 by Dolphinvet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z3BigDaddy Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 What were the charges? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Pictures of the M1 that weren't posted, before I make it back to the way it should be.http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN1007.jpghttp://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN1008.jpghttp://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN1004.jpghttp://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN1003.jpeghttp://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN0996.jpeghttp://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j331/Dolphinvet/DSCN0995.jpeg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 $12k total. Not bad really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piep Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 If you can afford to buy two in one month more power to you!Way to go. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reconbob Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 The first thing you should do with this gun is have the plating stripped with cyanide.Yes, its dreadfully dangerous but most good sized plating shops will have a cyanidestrip tank to be able to strip plating if they make mistakes - which of course, happensall the time. The cyanide is mixed with other chemicals but the beauty of it is it willdissolve the plating and have no effect at all on the underlying steel. And you maybe very pleasantly surprised at what you find! Back in the day when we did a lot of parkerizing we got quite a few nickle andchrome plated M1911's, M1917 S&W and Colts, and M1903A3 parade rifles. I wouldsay of the approx 50 guns we did 1/2 of them were in perfect conditon under theplating - by which I mean they had not been polished and the original machiningmarks and stampings were there. When parkerized they looked new. If you arenot lucky they polished and buffed the gun before plating, but maybe not. Theymight have plated it, then buffed the plating. Nickle and chrome plating is appliedover copper plating so the two layers can be pretty thick. The cyanide dissolvescopper and nickle, but not chrome. The under-lying copper dissolves and the chromehas nothing to stick to and it comes off in flakes. The only problem is the gun will need to sit in the cyanide stripper over-night atthe least. I don't know how you could work that with the paperwork end. Maybe youcould get them to put in the tank first thing in the morning and hang around all dayuntil closing so the gun is never out of your control. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billatlanta Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 "Reverse" plating would be cheapest, easiest, and safest and 100%They reverse the annode and cathode and the plate is attracted off, just the reverse of putting it on.Finding anyone with cyanide these days might be tough.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I'd leave it the way it is,, an anomaly in the Thompson world, it is what it is?? I came very close in buying a nickle plated Colt 21A several years ago,,butthe deal fell apart due to a less than truthful seller. In hind sight :banghead: I wish itwas in my collection. -Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bridgeport28A1 Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 the ultimate BBQ firearm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 I have talked to a local Class III gunsmith who is going to do a reverse plate with electricity and strip off that dreadful Nickel plate. I'm considering talking to the person I'm purchasing it from and seeing if he can have the barrel removed now, and ship all the parts less receiver so I can start this project while I wait for ATF to sign the forms. My dad carried an M1 Thompson in the European theater of operations so I kind of want it to look like what he had. A shame he didn't smuggle his back home after the war and then get it registered later but oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reconbob Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 No! "Reverse" plating is not safe. The steel will be eroded where the plating is thinner. The plating is thicker in corners, etc. You would have to closely monitor the whole operation. Thats why the cyanide is used. It requires no supervision and is truly 100% harmless to the steel. You put the parts to be stripped in the tank and forget them. Most plating shops use this because it is by farcthe safest best way to strip small parts. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphinvet Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Really? I definitely don't want my armory marks, etc, being etched. I will talk to the guy I'm considering taking it to. I want the gun NOT damaged (it's already been screwed with enough) but I don't want that receiver damaged. The lower and wood isn't a big deal since the numbers don't match. I'm going to sell the finned barrel and compensator as is with the nickel plate. I just need it removed harmlessly from the receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnew Posted March 4, 2013 Report Share Posted March 4, 2013 Take it to a Bumper (Car) plating shop. Talk to them. Make sure the shop does show chrome, they are alittle more careful.Good Luck.I wouldn't do the reverse plating either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deerslayer Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Since you are going to take off the barrel, you have an experimental part potentially. If you can't find a place to do as bob suggests, then you can see how the reverse process works on the barrel or lower, make up your mind if you want to try harder to find a cyanide tank... Sounds to me like cyanide might be the way to go.... Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Dr. Dolphinvet- For 12K, I'd leave it the way it is, buy a non-cobbled one for your collection. If anything, just have Deerslayer Dan restore the wood. That would shake em up at the range, pulling that thing out.Good job, getting it. OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo Posted March 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Why on earth 'restore' it. M1 thompsons are a dime a dozen. Er, maybe 12k or more a dozen. You want a tommy like your ol' man carried, there are bazillions of those. This one has character, class, bling, whatever. There probably isn't two of those in the whole world. Besides, imagine the stories you can dream up like 'this was owned by Gen. Patton, or once owned by Saddam Hussien. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy it as is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Willie, "The Actor" Sutton was know for his bank robbing flare and escapes. There's a good bar story for it while having frosties with the Buds.robbo is saying the same thing as I was . Go out and buy a perfect M1 , keep this for the Willie stories etc.Bottom line, it's your gun. That's my 1,200,000 pennies worth OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 I too would keep it nickel but do away with all those gaudy gold parts! If it were mine and I was determined to change the finish, I would pay great attention to the posts by reconbob. He has a lot of experience in this area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1921A Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 I too would keep it nickel but do away with all those gaudy gold parts! If it were mine and I was determined to change the finish, I would pay great attention to the posts by reconbob. He has a lot of experience in this area. TD Are you talking about the M1A1 pictured in this thread or another nickeled M1A1? I don't see any gold on the gun pictured. Years ago, I sold s/n 751484 to Kent Lomont. It was nickeled with gold plated controls, trigger, pivot plate and front sight. The gun was in excellent original condition except you had to wear sun glasses to look at it! It came amnesty registered from a Florida PD and the story goes it was donated to them by a retired general officer's family. The PD quartermaster said he remembered that it came with an engraved plate and had been presented to the general at retirement. For many years it hung on a wall in the chief's office. The plate disappeared and the story could not be confirmed. It may have been true. General James Gavin lived nearby and the M1 Thompson was used extensively by the 82nd Airborne Division. I often wondered what Kent did with it. It would have made a great hood ornament! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giantpanda4 Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 Most of the parts of that gun should stay as a plated gun. For the hassle of un-plating it, get a parts kit and only un-plate the rec. If both receivers are marked with the same s/n, then do both of those only. A parts kit would be fine for the rest, and it is the wrong barrel anyway. My guess is you certainly would get your $$$ back when you sell your bling parts kit on. Put a chromed dummy rec and it is a perfect parade gun. remember all you are really buying is the receiver - the rest costs chickenfeed buy comparison. Even at your good price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanemono Posted March 5, 2013 Report Share Posted March 5, 2013 You should do some serious research in that gun including contacting the PD that owned it before you have it stripped. You might be surprised at what you find. If there is no history you haven't lost anything but a little time.Dick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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