Deavis Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 A local dealer has one on a form 4. The gun is like new (but has been fired) and comes with a few XX and XXX mags and a L drum. Price is $15.5K . I am trying to pencil out if it's worth it when you add a trip to PK for the treatment / parts replacement and removal of the gaudy Commemorative crap. While waiting for my M1 to clear NFA, I have developed an interest in a drum capable shooter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brazos609 Posted November 23, 2016 Report Share Posted November 23, 2016 A refinish is going to run you at least $1000 plus an additional $1000 in parts if you want to put a GI barrel, bolt, actuator, guide rod, recoil spring, trigger frame internals... and you'll probably also want to replace the resting bar too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wwiifirearms Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 Might also factor in the wait time to get PK to work on it. My M1A1 is at PK's now. I was on the waiting list 5 1/2 years. I was more than happy to wait to have the best work on my gun, but if you are going into a deal with plans to have it worked on, you may want to find out how long the waiting list is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim c 351 Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 You could always pretend you are British and spray paint the gun with Rustoleum flat black stove paint.If the gun works you'd have a nice shooter at a good price .Otherwise you should keep looking until you find a gun that meets your approval as is.Jim C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mohawk64 Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 John Andrewski is more than capable to do the work. Fast too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Dudley Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 (edited) The Commemoratives were pretty low production. I passed on buying them in the $3500-5500 range and wished I hadn't. At the time they were the lowest priced transferable Thompsons--most in like new condition. They probably still are. By the time it's transferred you might have a better idea what to do with it. Maybe just enjoy shooting and collecting. U D Edited November 25, 2016 by Uncle Dudley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted November 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2016 Still contemplating. A US mil M50 Reising can be had for a 1/4 of what this project will cost me and much faster. It would also fill another slot in my US collection. So many guns, so few funds . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 (edited) John Andrewski is more than capable to do the work. Fast too I hired him to do some gunsmithing for me. The work was not done properly and I had to pay another gunsmith to re-do his work. I asked him for a refund and got none. That was my experience with him. Edited November 27, 2016 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 If you already own an M1, there is no real reason to buy a 28 model just so you can use drums. There are drums out there that have been modified to fit in an M1 or M1A1, so just get one of those and you're all set. I own both a 28 and an M1A1 and from a shooting standpoint there really isn't much difference. Regarding the commemorative, the thing to do would be get a realistic price for a make-over of the gun and compare the total cost to a similar USGI 28A1. If you need the "full" PK treatment to blueprint the receiver, my understanding is that you are looking at around $5000 and a LONG wait. So the final tab on the commemorative would be $20k+ and you could probably find a USGI 28A1 for $25k. I would buy the WH only if it ran 100% already and I could just get a re-blue on it and call it good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brazos609 Posted November 27, 2016 Report Share Posted November 27, 2016 The $2000+ parts and labor I was estimating would be for Philadelphia Ordnance to do the work with a pretty quick turnaround but that would just be swapping in GI parts. I have gotten West Hurleys to run and feed by just swapping out the bolt, actuator, guide rod, and recoil spring but I'm not saying they would have the long term durability without welding up and re-cutting the Blish slots. Unless you really want this gun you're not going to be getting into it at good price. If this was a gun being offered to you for $12,000 it might be worth dropping the additional $2000 just to get it in minimal working order, but even then I wouldn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted November 29, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2016 Feeling more of a Reising on my horizon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2017 Thread resurrection. Sounds like a possible price drop may occur on this gun. What price would you pay for a WH '28 Korean Comm? At what point could you not say no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) duplicate Edited July 21, 2017 by buzz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 Thread resurrection. Sounds like a possible price drop may occur on this gun. What price would you pay for a WH '28 Korean Comm? At what point could you not say no? Can you find out if it runs good? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 I do get the opportunity to shoot before I buy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
full auto 45 Posted July 21, 2017 Report Share Posted July 21, 2017 What is the dealer asking for the gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 The gun has been on consignment for 2-3 years and hasn't moved at 15.5. It would likely sell for a few K less. I went and looked at it today with my untrained eye and tried to shoot it. The gun FTF on full and semi. It stripped a round off the mag and into the chamber but no mark what-so-ever on primer. I dropped a known GI '28 actuator/bolt/Blish into it and same result. I added a complete known GI '28 trigger frame assembly and same result. I would like to think that the issue lies in headspace /really deep chamber. The extractor on both bolts failed to grab the case and extract it. The gun has other issues. The blish cuts have the WH genetic defect and odd chattering marks. The bolt also has odd chattering on engagement surface. Photos to follow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giantpanda4 Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Wow. Figure that needs a PK treatment for sure. And then after that $$$, you still have a commemorative. Maybe not so good of a deal - explains why it is still at the dealer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 I've been known to take on turd polishing efforts in the past. And, this gun exists, someone should do something to make it serviceable. As it sits, it's a waste of a tax stamp, and Form 4 guns don't grow on trees. I was thinking PK treatment on the receiver and put a full 28 parts kit on it. I e-mailed him but he hasn't yet responded. I was wondering about a precision surface grinder to take off the Commemorative stamping. I did an Ithaca 37, scrubbing the game scene off for a trench mock up that came out great. I don't know if it could be done and leave the necesssay nomenclature though, or without visible ledges. Other options? Fill and mill? *Note: I think I erred in posting. The third down on the left is a different gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merry Ploughboy Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 From what I've read, many owners don't bother with the cosmetics of the Commemorative WH 28s. As the guns are considered "shooters", so long as they shoot, the owners don't waste money on aesthetic niceties. Out of spec internal machining is another story; those who know what they're doing get it fixed. I actually owned a KW 28 Commemorative for a while. Bought it unfired essentially as an estate sale by the widow of the original buyer. My plan was to put WWII G.I. parts in it and see if it worked. As it turned out, I did buy one of those WWII 28 parts sets, but I never installed them in the KW 28 and never shot it. I sold it unfired a couple years later at a break even price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 I'm not thinking this WH is ever going to look correct or be a thing of beauty, but I would like to be able to look at it and not see all that bling and gaudyness. I know this is backwards, but another thought I had was to make a re-weld, splicing the serial number into a Richardson perhaps? Is that an NFA ok thing to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD. Posted July 22, 2017 Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Deavis,Regarding moving the serial number from one receiver to another. Others on the Board are much more knowledgeable than me on this subject, but I don't think this is something you should consider. I seem to remember some people going to jail for doing this. These Commemorative WH guns are ugly. Offer 10K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deavis Posted July 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2017 Definitely NOT interested in jail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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