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L Drum Serial 120 On Evilbay


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Under Ebay rules, you can't list a magazine with a capacity over 10 rounds. You have to state "Complies with Ebay Rules, and has a capacity of 10 rounds." Not to mention, you can't list Assault Weapon parts anyway.

 

If someone reports it, they'll take the listing down. Then, unless someone noted the address of the seller, there is no way to contact him. If any of you are interested in this item, its listed by

 

"toysorretire"

 

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But the back plate is not a matching number, nor a non-matching number, nor a "NO" marked, so it is a third type. Looking at the condition in the pics, at least worth $1200-$1500? It is amazing how all one needs is a Chicago address to automatically connect a TSMG accessory to an integral part of that city's 1920'/30's gangland history. Maybe the back drum cover was owned by Frank Nitti?
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QUOTE
It may be that everything is exactly the way it is supposed to be, for that variation.

 

Phil,

It no doubt will fetch some silly figure approaching $2.5K, but that doesn't mean that a low numbered front cover L drum, without the matching rear plate, in the OK condition as represented on ebay, is worth that amount. If it had the matching rear cover, or at least another low numbered cover, it might be worth that amount. It was not shipped out from Auto-Ord that way. That is for sure. As far as the question regarding how could it acquire a totally different cover over the last 80+ years maybe a matter of speculation, but hardley an unusual occurrence. Hell, I got a Colt L drum with two diffferent low 3-digit numbers also. So it aint that unusual.

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Where is the doohickey that holds the rotor to the drum in the ebay pix?

The doohickey I am referring to looks like "U" with a tail. The arms of the 'U" fit in a slot in the rotor axis. The tail of the "U" fits via spring tension in a slot in the outer surface of the drum.

 

My original Bridgeport L drum has this part.

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I think that eBay banning AW parts, etc. will calm some of the "Thompson greed", at least on parts and accessories.

 

The prices that some stuff on eBay brought in would never fly on gunbroker, auction arms, and othe gun auctions.

 

If the ban sticks, drum will shoot the moon!

 

Honestly, I did not notice that the drum on eBay has two mismatched cases. I doubt if any of the people who bid on it noticed either. They all thought the same as me - "man I like to have that drum." the only difference is that they were a little looser with the wallet than me.

 

Just my $.02

 

Norm

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QUOTE (colt21a @ Jun 9 2004, 07:47 PM)
hey guys i went to the ad. its a mismatched good cond drum,worth about 1,000.00 nothing special and probably not owned by rio burke or her boyfriend or anybody gang related...........its in yorkville,il.a little ways from chicago.i think they put that little story to sell it,i am sure.

if i had it in front of me i would pay probably 800.00 real quick,since its a shooter drum,early manufacture.mismatch................if it go's for $1,500.00 or above...then i guess i will have one to sell in exc.matched cond...............for $3,000.00.......wink!!!

but don't expect the idiocy of thompson buyers to go crazy.............OH!!wait!! they will!! they will just gotta have it no matter what any sad shape!!!its in.......

heck it might have a dog turd stored inside it from "highball".....wink!! sorry i just could not pass that one up.......

take care,ron

http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif Good one Ron.I really enjoyed the highball turd joke.

I know it's probably true about the Chicago gang spin to it.But isn't it nice to dream?

 

Best to you my friend!

 

Mario

 

 

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I wonder if the guy was hoping just to get $300-$400 for the item and now look at the price. Its up to $1,680. Watch it hit $2K and the guy freak out when (and if ) E-Bay pulls it. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif
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Ron,

In my humble opinion, you are correct, it is definatly a mismatched drum but it is,I believe, a Colt 1921 numbered front with a 1928 Colt, without "no" rear

I have a Colt 1921 numbered drum and also a 1928 Colt without "no".

Often confused also with the 1928 Worcester drum but in this case it is definatly a 1928 Colt rear as the "N" of "PATENTED" lays directly underneath the "N" of "NY" in the line above.

I would love to see the inside, a look at the rotor.

Value; $1000 to $1100. I paid $950 for a very similar mis match last year from a gun shop in Prescott but not so nice a finish.

Regards

Murray http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/smile.gif

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I questioned the seller, by e-mail, about the rotor, the missing spring clip and several other issues with the drum. His quoted response:

 

"Hello -

 

I am not an expert on this unit, therefore I have made no attempt to disassemble it.

 

I can tell you that looking at the throat of the drum, there is no wear nor evidence that it has ever been disassembled. There are no tool marks indicating that anyone attempted to disassemble the unit. There is no rust.

 

Again, please look at the pictures. I have done my very best to show you the near mint condition.

 

This was a first production unit. There was no clip.

 

John"

 

 

 

 

Do yall smell that smell? Comments anyone?

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The Moor,

Is it possible that the leading bidders "rashabra" and "mrlhkmp5kpdw" were satisfied with the pics and continue to overbid, or did they email the seller and get the same response you did and again were perfectly satisfied? Could these guys continue to bid on a drum whose functionality is up in the air? If these guys were true TSMG collectors, would they not be hip to the rudimentary characterisitcs of the Colt numbered drums, or any TSMG drum that requires a retainer?

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Arthur,

Well one would certainly think that they would possess such knowledge. But maybe they do and for some reason that aspect of the drum does not lower the value to them. I have seen some replacement retainer clips advertised somewhere recently, I just can't remember where.

 

The larger issue with this drum is the unknown internals. I think the seller knows more about the drum than he shared in his e-mail to me. Therefore, I have sent him another question or two to hopefully either get additional information about the drum or to "throw the covers off the seller".

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The comments about this drum are interesting as drums are a favorite subject of mine but what is more interesting is our, and note I say our reaction to prices.

 

 

I have always held a view that such price hikes are a combination of a number of things rather than any one thing such as greed.

 

In the last five years I have noticed the following.

 

A almost logarithmic increase in the interest in all things Thompson and the growing number of collectors.

 

The corresponding lack of Thompson collectable items in the market.

 

The increase in real Thompson research, study and thus Thompson knowledge and accordingly appreciation of some of the "rarer" items.

 

Accordingly. an exponential increase in prices, market driven.

 

An example of this down under here has been two recent auctions I attended.

 

In the first auction, one rather poor quality 30 round seymour stick mag sold for just on $200.00 ( US$130.00)

 

In the second auction, a few weeks later in a different part of the country, two lots of 3, average quality 30 round stick mags sold for just on $1000.00 per lot. and the bidding was very fast.

 

A WH 39 round drum sold for $1000, which is a record here for such a drum.

 

Some people cannot afford to by a second gun (Thompson) so they will spend thier money on Thompson accessories instead, which are just as attractive.

 

"Thompson collecting and research is is surely God"s work"

 

Kind regards

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Crap the bed there Murray, at those prices I'll send you a bag of my old 30's and you get me that kind of money and I can afford "another" Thompson. Or at least I'll have the money when these pop up as available here that I've been working deals on.
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This particular one never used a retainer clip. It used a cotter pin. It's 2" long, chrome plated, and comes in a plastic bag marked "Made in China, Taiwan, or Korea" http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/tongue.gif No, I assure you, it's quite original. Yes, that was Sir Kenneth Clarke. Don't go, you'll miss the end of the interview. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/laugh.gif
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Seriously though guys,

I down loaded the rear view photo, enhanced it and then enlarged it by 250% and what do you know, but you can see the slot for the retainer clip and an indent around the hub. Have another careful look and you will see for your selves. Note that the slot seems to been filled with oxide, possibly when it was refinished.

 

Retainer clips.

Mearle gave me some really nice retainers that he had at the SAR show and they were perfect. I dont know where he got them from. They were not expensive.

 

Mike and ODS9091,

You are forgetting something about the 30 round mags,

You cannot export parts of a machine gun, including magazines from the United States unless you have all the correct BATF licences and to get the licence you have to have a licence to import them back home.

How ever, still bring them to the show. I would like some for myself, if you are serious about selling a few. I do want some 20 round mags also for my British 10 mag Metal carry box, although, I cannot afford those prices I quoted earlier. http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/sad.gif

 

I have been issued with the nessasary licences to export and import a few for my self on this next visit.

I will trade them for jars of Marmite! http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

Kind regards

(PS I jest not) http://www.machinegunbooks.com/forums/invboard1_1_2/upload/html/emoticons/rolleyes.gif

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I am very sorry guys but I was being dead serious with my prior post.

 

If we are in any way going to improve the quality of this forum, please take on board seriously what I have previously posted.

 

Photos of 45cal bullets are not really realative in this thread.

 

I will not criticize those who have followed my last post, but. Please have a close look at what I have said.

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