Bowman Parts kits

[Rekraps]

10 minutes ago, timkel said:

Lol...I'm sure I read your listing when it was published in Shotgun News. I too remember those days/prices.

I used to get shotgun news every month (or was it every week), and read every add and article. Best publication ever......

[reconbob]

Boy, I am old enough that I remember all that! 

[signal_4]

11 hours ago, colt21a said:

Yeah no junk all matching and no dewats or reblues  I sold five m1s to Earl for $2500,AND HE LIKED IT.. HA HA { MET HIM IN 1971}

SO RECON BOB CAN SAY YEAH THEY HAD BEEN THE GOOD OLE DAYS.I wish i could have had all that back for the guys on the forum. they would be happy. only really 3 or 4 guys did Thompsons at that time. And they did not like my pricing SAID TOO CHEAP. 

Did not care i was selling guns and buying twice as fast.GOOD TIMES.

Can I get one of those M1’s for $475 for old times sake pretty please ???? And I did say pretty ! 

[colt21a]

i would if i could. i would buy them from SAM {Interarms} for five or more $400 bucks shipped.with about a 20% profit margin. which i did not think was high. and on some other guns put whatever i would. i also would buy Colt Thompsons when found 5 or more at a time.

I rarely ever turned down any deals. And was buying all class 3 and also hundreds of semis. MANY WOULD NOT TOUCH SEMIS. HOWEVER THEY INCREASED pretty quick. so if it slowed down class 3 went and sold many a semi. and i bought them all. one time a big time guy wanted to off load over 100 pistols Sig. Beretta, Walther, COLT & Smiths. some guys passed i took them all. and after the deal was done we go into another room 100 ak's norinco.legends, took them all.. sold them the same week. $10 g profit. when you wheel and deal quick and guys are selling you just buy it. there are a few guys like that today. but they ain't buying 10 Thompsons $500g

 most that have that coin to flip that quick.are looking for steal a dea. the way of 2024

 

[johnsonlmg41]

13 hours ago, Rekraps said:

I used to get shotgun news every month (or was it every week), and read every add and article. Best publication ever......

I could only afford 1-2 copies a year at the grocery store.   1 shotgun news and a gun list or two a year.

[TSMGguy]

Loved Shotgun News. I'd flip through it while having a coffee at Barnes & Noble, back when they still carried such politically incorrect things. In about 1992, an SN issue had a two-line ad for an MP40 that had just come out on an estate.  I called the number listed, told the guy he'd just sold the gun, and hopped a plane to Las Vegas to have a look and pay. I still have the gun. Ah, the good old days! 

[pvt81pvi]

While Bowman Arms Thompson parts kits may be dirty/rusty, I can’t imagine there are that many Thompson still out there waiting to be found.  In a couple of years we might be wishing we picked up a set or two.

[colt21a]

I always waited for nice stuff. junk was always around. SHOTGUN NEWS EVERY 2 WEEK AND GUN LIST MIGHT HAVE BEEN MONTHLY. AND OF COURSE THE NEWSPAPER M.G.NEWS. AND  like a have dozen guys had paid monthly flyers. out of Indiana Colorado and Ohio. Lynn lugar irv kahn, roger cox,  fred rexer bill harris,even bill york would send you stuff.  and it was travel and phone calls and gun shows. with my other business and shows it was work 7 days a week. had a rolo dex with over 500 contacts. now 50 years later. less then a 100 are around sadly..I am sure a few did the same, but not very many.. police dept. and vet contacts always the best.most had been dabblers with a few guns. Like some are today.the kent lomonts reed knights and bob landies and many others are retired or someone else is doing it for them. heck Bob just had his 80th birthday. 

yeah fun times. even the knob creek tents back in the day. and a shovel and brass with Neal Smith.

[Rekraps]

7 hours ago, pvt81pvi said:

While Bowman Arms Thompson parts kits may be dirty/rusty, I can’t imagine there are that many Thompson still out there waiting to be found.  In a couple of years we might be wishing we picked up a set or two.

Plenty on sunken ships....and in attics.

[Bridgeport28A1]

I believe Shotgun News came out three time a month. One issue would have the big Sarco ad, one would have the Paragon Sales (Chicago, IL) with their neat WW2 cartoon style advertising. 
I sold a Winchester model 52A .22lr rifle to an east coast collector in NY. About 4 or 5 hours later I got a call from a west coast collector wanting to buy the same rifle. He said he frequently lost deals to east coast collectors due to the time difference on mail delivery of the Shotgun News.

The Gun List did come out monthly and was definitely more organized when it came to types and models of firearms listed. 

The pre internet days were a fun time to collect.

[colt21a]

NOT PARAGON IT WAS THE MILITARY GUYS ON THE EAST COAST SELLING ALL THE GEAR AND HELMETS. i.m.o. or mil forgot the name  they are still in bizz. also > HE WAS IN JOLIET,IL OUT OF HIS DADS BARN ON THE PROPERTY THERE.PROBABLY have a old issue like s.o.f. laying around. i took a bunch out and tossed them the rest i just gave away. too much poundage and too much room to stack away. heck i only kept the one sheets from my ads and threw the paper out.when i cleaned out storage locker i had ten boxes.I like kept 3 issues. YOU CAN PROBABLY BUY THEM ON EBAY NOW.ALONG WITH ALL THE REST.fun times for the reader...

 

Edited August 29, 2024 by colt21a

[Rekraps]

I bought stuff from Vollmer? A beautiful H&K 51. $750. 

[Frank I.]

14 hours ago, Bridgeport28A1 said:

I believe Shotgun News came out three time a month. One issue would have the big Sarco ad, one would have the Paragon Sales (Chicago, IL) with their neat WW2 cartoon style advertising. 
I sold a Winchester model 52A .22lr rifle to an east coast collector in NY. About 4 or 5 hours later I got a call from a west coast collector wanting to buy the same rifle. He said he frequently lost deals to east coast collectors due to the time difference on mail delivery of the Shotgun News.

The Gun List did come out monthly and was definitely more organized when it came to types and models of firearms listed. 

The pre internet days were a fun time to collect.

IMA ads had the cartoons, aka International Military Antiques in NJ (of all places).  They even had a television show for a brief period—one of the companies from the good old days that is still in business.  https://www.ima-usa.com/  

You might enjoy this article from SAR about the "Good Old Days." The ad for the $73.00 S&W 76 SMG was provided by our site host David.  

https://smallarmsreview.com/the-good-old-days-2/

[Merry Ploughboy]

On 8/29/2024 at 6:46 AM, pvt81pvi said:

While Bowman Arms Thompson parts kits may be dirty/rusty, I can’t imagine there are that many Thompson still out there waiting to be found.  In a couple of years we might be wishing we picked up a set or two.

I speculate that there are about 200 or so 1921 or 1928 Navy Thompsons in private hands that are passed down generation to generation without ever being in public use or making either the Roger Cox or Gordon Herigstad "Numbers".  I doubt that the guns are ever fired.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

[timkel]

Some other names from the good old pre-internet days.

Don Thomas, Quality Arms? or something like that

Joe Miller

FAKTS

Phoenix Arms

Doug Offinger, DLO Arms

I know there is more.

 

Edited August 30, 2024 by timkel

[colt21a]

four are deceased from that list Doug is getting long in the tooth.{nice guy} did bizz with him. In fact did business with all of above.

Ron RUDIN FROM VEGAS gone also. they found his head in the desert, sad story. a real nice guy i did bizz with also. Dominic Tuminello east coast guy and Tom Clinton VERY FEW KNEW. BUT WAS A BIG BUCK GUY. ALONG WITH JOHN BLACK OUT OF TEXAS.THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES Bob Hope.... 

 

[timkel]

Some Shotgun News ads from the old days

 

Edited September 14, 2024 by timkel

[reichstall]

So just another thing I just remember I use to deal with a guy who worked the docks in i wanna Norfolk but could be wrong. When the Gi came back a lot had stuff they were not supposed to have or didn't want to stand in line to clear it paperwork wise so they would have these drums there they could throw the stuff in for disposal. Well, the guy I am talking about his job as to get rid of it. He had so much stuff. he showed me pictures of his rooms in his house stacked to the ceiling with everything you could think of from overseas. I asked was he not worried he get caught he said nobody really cared the war was over everyone wanted to go back to normal.

[2ndArmored]

What are the dates on those ads?

[bug]

Before we went to zip codes...

[timkel]

6 hours ago, 2ndArmored said:

What are the dates on those ads?

I will have to look for that issue. I think it was dated in the 60's.

[Bridgeport28A1]

The one ad for gun cases has a two digit postal zone Brooklyn 17, NY

5 digit codes established July 1, 1963

Edited September 18, 2024 by Bridgeport28A1
Addition

[colt21a]

Anybody buying in that period would be hitting around 82 today. figuring over the age of 20 looking. a few at 82 still dealing...tho probably not many. WE HAVE ANY 85 YEAR OLDS ON BOARD?VIC WOULD HAVE BEEN 95 NOW.