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1928 thompson opinion


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I am guessing...

Savage Thompson 1928A1 Full Auto on Form 3 - Machine Guns at GunBroker.com : 961565217

This gun has been discussed here a while ago.

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yes, that's the one.  I didn't know if it would violate rules to post the link...

I have a WH 28, which is OK but I want a shooting Bridgeport that is not so mint that I feel bad shooting it...

I would have sent my WH to PK for his treatment but well that's not an option...

I am looking for 

1. investment (all my guns are bought with this in mind)

2. to shoot and enjoy, (I would never buy a NIB MG for this reason.)

any further thoughts?

thx

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Gun heavily over buffed gun before plating, which has caused the loss of some markings and all of the original final surface milling. I don't think a knowledgeable buyer would touch the gun, but there's a lot of current craziness in the firearms market. 

Edited by TSMGguy
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4 hours ago, TSMGguy said:

>Gun heavily over buffed gun before plating, which has caused the loss of some markings and all of the original final surface milling.

Having had experience both using a lot of plating and working in a plating shop many years ago and also with stripping chrome, nickel and gold plating from a number of MGs, and restoring the finishes, I don't see any "heavy buffing" or significant loss of engraved markings at all on this particular '28. To the contrary, the markings look exceptionally well preserved for a plated gun. The plating prep looks to have been very light.
In my view, this gun could easily be stripped of the chrome and the metal restored to a very acceptable surface finish especially for parking and with care black oxide. The result will be very satisfactory and make a good looking and enjoyable shooter. Regardless of what happens to it it will increase in value anyway. At $25k, and as a representative example of the type, the gun IS a "collector" gun,  just not in the seriously fussy, high end category to which some people aspire. There are many who would love to have it.

With the usual considerable number of Thompsons on the market that have all sorts of problems, this is just another fairly routine example that has an excellent chance of very acceptable restoration for someone willing to do it. There are buyers who would be happy to do this at the stated price or perhaps with negotiating the repair costs as a deduction.

To paraphrase, "all MGs matter". FWIW

 


 

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Hmm. They picked it up at auction for 16K (plus buyer's premium), maybe paid no sales tax because they are a business, so they paid at least $18,800. They've been sitting on it for quite a while. Offer them 22 and see what they say. Unless they are hoping Suge Knight will get out of jail sometime soon and come pick it up, it's going to sit until a very particular buyer comes along lol.

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GEG, RLB, and ordnance bomb markings buffed off. Also, these guns were Blanchard milled and all external evidence of that is gone. Right, the gun could be pretty presentable with the chrome removed. 

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3 hours ago, BRMCII said:

In my view, this gun could easily be stripped of the chrome and the metal restored to a very acceptable surface finish especially for parking and with care black oxide. The result will be very satisfactory and make a good looking and enjoyable shooter.

I like this idea, it would be a beauty and a neat one to have at the same time!

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doc diel,

The loose compensator is an easy fix. I would be more worried about the inside of the barrel but that too is an easy and relatively inexpensive fix in the Thompson world for this particular gun. I like this Thompson because it appears to be a Savage 1928AC. It is the only one I have seen in 12 plus years of study. I would like to explore the past history further with the new owner. If money was no object or this was a long ago $1200 Thompson submachine gun, I would buy it, have it stripped and re-nickeled. A nickeled Tiawan L drum and GPC C drum along with a couple of nickeled 30 round magazines and I would have quite the shooter. Unfortunately, those days, at least price wise, are long gone. Most enthusiasts will only have one, possibly two Thompson guns because of today's prices. You already have a West Hurley. I suggest you really study the many variations of the Thompson submachine gun and then make an informed choice for your second Thompson. Start with a shooter grade Colt and work your way down the list.

Attending one or both of the Thompson Associations Show & Shoots this year would be a great start...and a lot of fun. 

Good luck!    

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All great comments and yes, this gun has been on Gunbroker for quite a while and discussed previously (see TD's link). I get to look at in person at every Dulles Expo center gun show, and I'll be seeing it again this weekend, I imagine.  I have looked at the barrel with a bore light and did not see any indications of it bulging or otherwise damaged.  I think the biggest thing that has made me scratch my head about this gun is that the FULL AUTO on the trigger frame is all on one line which indicates an AO built trigger frame and yet there is a Savage serial number stamped on it.  Also, as closely as I have looked at it, I cannot find any indication of US government arsenal inspection stamps of any kind - e.g., George Goll, etc ... this may simply be a Numrich crate gun that was assembled and sold after WWII and plated by its new owner ... maybe? 🙂 

TM.jpg

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This was originally a US marked M1928A1. The 1 has been over stamped with a C. The 1 is still easily visible. The US was ground out. This was apparently pretty common with such guns transferred to law enforcement agencies during and immediately after WWII. An FOIA request would tell most of the tale, but that can't be accomplished immediately. 

 

 

pix618180223.jpg

Edited by TSMGguy
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Here is the answer to your mystery. I purchased a large amount of Thompson parts from Numerich about 1981 or so. I had a LOT of marked and unmarked trigger frames. Had a small amount of AO trigger frames not marked AO but otherwise correct. same with the savage trigger frames. some were NO-S, others nothing at all. a lot had inspector marks some did not.  It was clear, when production was shut down, they QUICKLY packed everything up-finished or not, and shipped it out.

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1 hour ago, scotty1957**** said:

Here is the answer to your mystery. I purchased a large amount of Thompson parts from Numerich about 1981 or so. I had a LOT of marked and unmarked trigger frames. Had a small amount of AO trigger frames not marked AO but otherwise correct. same with the savage trigger frames. some were NO-S, others nothing at all. a lot had inspector marks some did not.  It was clear, when production was shut down, they QUICKLY packed everything up-finished or not, and shipped it out.

Do you have this documented somewhere that proves this theory? It sounds like a theory backed up with no documentation or proof. Can a board expert confirm this?

Edited by mbc230
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/17/2023 at 3:06 PM, scotty1957**** said:

No,  this is what i was told  32 years ago.  i did not feel the need to "document" anything because i was buying  crates of parts and nobody back then cared about that sort of thing. I still have some frames marked " Number and NAC" probably from when they were building guns out of parts..........

So I guess we are spending a fortune for your story then. In this market today you need provenance and documentation to back things up. If you are selling these items you speak of and you tell your story to an experienced buyer they might think twice from buying anything from you and even worse if you are demanding a high price for them based on your story. The source that told it to you could be lying through their teeth as well. I would not buy your story unless there is proof to back it up, but I would pay the going rate based on the item itself. I only buy stories or pay a higher price if it is documented and has some true history behind it. So you are selling false hopes to someone just so you can command a higher dollar amount, which to me is unethical anyway, but so be it. Just my two cents.

Edited by mbc230
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Well... I'm not trying to sell you anything!   Just answered some questions from my own observations. Parts i have sold over the years are based on current market price. as far as I am concerned  apart is a part.  Most have moved thru many hands over the years, and never documented except perhaps a  receipt or bill of sale. I have owned several complete NAC parts guns, and a lot of loose parts over the years,  So take it for what its worth.

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5 hours ago, scotty1957**** said:

Well... I'm not trying to sell you anything!   Just answered some questions from my own observations. Parts i have sold over the years are based on current market price. as far as I am concerned  apart is a part.  Most have moved thru many hands over the years, and never documented except perhaps a  receipt or bill of sale. I have owned several complete NAC parts guns, and a lot of loose parts over the years,  So take it for what its worth.

That is the thing I do not take it for what it is worth. I believe you like I believe unicorns exist.......You are giving an opinion and yes you can but please have the proof to back it up. That is how rumors get started. Take what I am saying for what it is worth......

Edited by mbc230
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