Which Thompson for a first time buyer?

[Smnagao]

I Have video of him test firing it. Seems to be running well. Edited May 3, 2021 by Smnagao

[Smnagao]

In the description it mentions a likely armory refinish and rebarrell.

[Hopalong]

A few members have mentioned that the M1 wasn't designed to fire drum mags. However, Dan Block modifies drums to work in the M1 and M1A1. Just food for thought should you ever want to try one in your gun.

[Colt Chopper]

There was a PK'd West Hurley on the board for $20,000 or best offer just recently.

[Rimcrew]

This ^.

[Ryo]

I couldn't justify spending 20k for a PK WH. Way too much for in my opinion. I picked up a WH last year, but it was way less than that (though not PK, but was videoed test fired when purchased).

[Smnagao]

What does PK mean?

[Rimcrew]

Paul Krogh (PK) reworks WH Thompsons to make them run well. He re-machines the upper receiver, among other things, so the specs are what they should have been from the factory.

 

His work is very well regarded, and there is something like a five year wait for him to work on your Thompson. He is not taking new orders at this time due to the backlog.

Edited May 3, 2021 by Rimcrew

[huggytree]

Your over paying $7,000 on the WH and $4500 on the m1

 

A m1 wasnt $25,000 at Thompson market peak and right now maybe Thompson market bottom of recent times

[Smnagao]

I haven’t found any M1 or M1A1 that isn’t a WH for less than 23k or so

[huggytree]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/896969419

 

 

Not a a1 but was a good deal a month ago

Edited May 4, 2021 by huggytree

[NFA amnesty]

25k does seem high but I also went on some of the major dealer sites and No Inventory. They were selling in the low 20's just recently. USGI Thompsons are not rare regarding the world of registered machine guns. If you are not locked in on that M1 with your dealer, could post you would like to purchase a M1A1 or 1928 USGI and see if anyone on the board has something for sale. You could also go on Sturmgewehr.com and state you would like to purchase a USGI Thompson and see what response you get.

 

However if you really like that weapon and willing to pay 25k, then that is what it is worth and prices for Thompsons could be on the upswing.

Edited May 4, 2021 by NFA amnesty

[83Baron]

I paid 22k for a nice USGI Thompson M1 back in 2018 and I didnt think I was overpaying. 25k now seems reasonable.

[Ryo]

What does PK mean?

Paul Krogh, a member of this board who does awesome work on making WH run right, or restoring Thompsons. His work looks clean and great from all the photos I've seen of his stuff. Top notch stuff. He does charge a quite a bit, but considering he puts a lot work into it, it is worth it. I tried asking him if he could look at mine.. and he isn't accepting any more work. He said he had 5 years worth of work booked! Good position to be in.

Because his stuff is top notch and he does charge quite a bit to get a perfectly running Thompson, usually people like to bring up PK when selling WH SMGs. Problem the unknowing doesn't understand why sellers want more for PK WH than one that does not. There are other great Thompson gunsmiths, but less than a handful I know of.

 

I haven’t found any M1 or M1A1 that isn’t a WH for less than 23k or so

 

It's a waiting game for opportunities. Online there are risks so you do have to do more research to determine if the dealer or individual selling it is legit. There are scam artists out there. Some people pay the overpriced premium to feel more comfortable knowing they are going to a reputable dealer. Midwest Tactical is one dealer I feel is overpriced, but safe to purchase from.

I recommend you to look on http://sturmgewehr.com for people selling. I bought mine from there for a better price that huggytree suggested, but maybe I was lucky.

 

Right now I saw Rock Island Auction has many Thompsons for sale.. maybe try buying one from the auction. Just note there is a 18-20% premium to add to the final price for the sale so decide early what you want to try buying and how much you are willing to spend, factoring in that buyer's premium. Just note that sometimes it does get crazy there.. and other times people just get lucky because they held back for something else, or they spent their cash already. I've bought 2 or 3 items from there and price was soso, one was bit on the higher side, but the SMG was in great condition.

 

I'm looking there so I hope I don't get outbidded by you guys.

Edited May 4, 2021 by Ryo

[Smnagao]

I’ve been working with Ruben who I trust. He seems more expensive but goes the extra mile to make sure it’s a good working firearm.

[jpw43]

I'll second PK's work. He made my WH run like a sewing machine, and I had him do some '21 mods, too.

Edited May 4, 2021 by jpw43

[TD.]

Smnagao,

You are dealing with a very reputable machine gun dealer. Yes, his prices are on the high side, but he has a brick and mortar store and inventory to match. You can send Ruben a $25,000 check and sleep at night knowing you will receive your Thompson gun upon government approval. If I am not mistaken, I believe Ruben sends all his Thompsons to Dan Block to inspect, correct any deficiencies and test fire. When you finally receive it, it will go bang and continue to go bang until you run out of ammunition or release the trigger.

 

You are the perfect buyer for Ruben because you do not know the product. Anyone that asks the difference between a USGI and West Hurley Thompson has not spent much time learning about the Thompson submachine gun. You want a Thompson gun and you have the money to spend. That can be a recipe for disaster. There are many enthusiasts that have contacted me about my book, An Amateur's Guide for the Colt's Thompson Submachine Gun, and told me they wished they had bought my book before spending much more money than you are going to spend on a Colt's. Buying machine guns is a buyer beware market at best. And then you have to navigate all the scams. A difference in price of 2 or 3 thousand dollars versus having piece of mind after mailing the check for a quality product is peanuts. You are in the machine gun community. Nothing is cheap. Period. If you put in the time, make the right contacts, join the Thompson associations and attend the shows and shoots, you will be in a position to make the best purchases based on your personal knowledge of the product and the people involved. You are far from that place. With Ruben is the perfect place to be if you have the money and want the gun. All that learning of what you purchased can come later.

 

Good luck!

[Smnagao]

Purchased your book on Amazon today. Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Im sticking with the M1.

[Smnagao]

Purchased your book on Amazon today. Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Im sticking with the M1.

[ppgcowboy]

Good choice, I have a colt and want an m1 too. Edited May 4, 2021 by ppgcowboy

[cbmott]

If I am not mistaken, I believe Ruben sends all his Thompsons to Dan Block to inspect, correct any deficiencies and test fire.

 

He does, that happened because I bought my WH28 from Ruben and it did WH things that Ruben then made right by having Dan fix it. Since then it’s been given a clean bill of health from Dan and John Andrewski. Ruben went out of his way to make sure he got me a good product, the downside is you PAY for it.

 

The average person doesn’t know the difference and anyone who busts your chops for having a WH over WWII over Colt can suck it. Buy the one you like that calls to you as long as it functions properly.

[maxfaxdude]

I’ve been working with Ruben who I trust. He seems more expensive but goes the extra mile to make sure it’s a good working firearm.

PM sent.

[JimFromFL]

I’ve been working with Ruben who I trust. He seems more expensive but goes the extra mile to make sure it’s a good working firearm.

 

He is in the south FL area.

Are you dealing with him remotely or locally?

[Smnagao]

Remotely, i live in Utah

[ranger1385]

In my opinion, the key word is Patience! I check the boards daily and every once in awhile I will see a good deal that I want. I waited over two years for the right GI Thompson to come along. I have seen better deals, but they get snapped up pretty quickly.