Is Thommygunparts.com a scam?

[Countryboy77]

Found this site , Thommygunparts.com and they have thompson parts however they havent been ppen long and i would figure anyone who woukd open a website named such with thompson parts would have eigther come out of the thompson community or would have flagged every thompson community soliciting their new store but I havent heard of them. On sturmgewer nobody knows yet.

[2ndArmored]

Hand-drawn artwork, prices in "numerals $" format, no physical address nor phone number.  I won't assert if it's a legit business or not but I wouldn't want to be the first one to send them money.

[reconbob]

     I agree - no address, no phone. Also the wording is obviously not USA/American.

("Buy with joy?" is this AI generated? This may be a guy who was on Gunbroker but got

tossed because he was in Eastern Europe portraying himself as an American

business. The fact that you can only do credit cards or electronic payments means

you can't mail him payment because he is somewhere overseas.

And of course "NO RETURNS" is always (at least for me) a no go.

Bob

[APEXgunparts]

I did a domain lookup:

https://www.godaddy.com/whois/results.aspx?itc=dlp_domain_whois&domain=Thommygunparts.com

Just follow the link to learn who the site is registered to and what country it is in.


Richard

[Outsider]

Yep. If you follow Richard's link the guy is in Georgia. Not the state, but the country in eastern europe.

[TD.]

Richard from APEX,

I assume APEX does a lot of import deals with proper permissions.

Is it legal for a civilian in the USA to purchase 3 USGI actuators from someone in Europe or overseas?  Or are you taking a chance it is a scam? Or the items may be seized by US Customs? And you also may get a knock on your door by someone you really do not want to speak with.

Any insight you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

 

[reconbob]

   I also would like to hear from an expert on this. Months ago I bought an actuator on GB. I sent the money to Idaho, but the actuator was mailed from Europe. I assumed that the sender was figuring that the actuator would not be recognized (if X-rayed) as a gun part. 
    But I think also that an actuator - a machine gun part - would technically be an “arm, armament, or implement of war” and require the proper paperwork. (ATF Form 6?) Or do they exempt one part? (I doubt it.)

   Hopefully Richard weighs in.,,

Bob

[APEXgunparts]

It is something that I do not normally comment on, because the answer is not what people want to hear.
Implement and articles of war is the phrase, ITAR is the regulation.
Most people that have their items seized by US Customs get a visit by Homeland Security agents, who show you the regulation in writing, have you read it, sign the document and ask if you will sign a surrender document so the item that has been seized can be destroyed.  Otherwise it set in US Customs bond for 5 years.
The presumption being that the person doesn't know they were attempting to smuggle controlled parts into the USA.
Sometimes it is export related, like the gent that sold / shipped a German WW2 98K stock to Canada and posted about the visit he had from Homeland.
It is rare that people relate this experience on web posts.
Locally a collectors shop got caught up with selling a world war bayonet to China.
Chinese customs caught it, refused it and shipped it back.
US Customs refused to pass it thru because it didn't have the proper paperwork required to import a military bayonet and contacted the shop who originally shipped it.
They had to refund the buyer, pay US Customs fees for storage and surrendered it for destruction.

Most recent changes is the 10% blanket tariff on everything imported, starting at dollar value 1.
Antique firearms, parts, everything, with no exception.  No more duty starts if the item costs over $100, it is any value.

US Customs also maintains a data base of shippers and receivers.
Any contraband found is noted and and any other packages to / from those addresses get scanned.
Just go to "WWW.Forfeiture.Gov" and read thru the categories.
It is amazing the amount of goods that US Customs seizes.

Using the form 6 for imports and knowing the US regulations is the way to go.
Do not export, its a different deal outside the USA and in some cases you can violate international law.
I know of a gent that was compelled to travel to the UK and face charges for the modified paintball guns he exported.
In court with the company that imported them from him.
All travel and court costs came out of his pocket.
He got off with a warning to never do it again, but the process was the punishment.
You do not want the US State Department looking at you because of a formal complaint lodged by a foreign Govt.

If you spend some time digging around on the web you will find US Gov't sites with records of successful prosecutions of export and import violations.
Some are what appears quite insignificant, like selling 3 Leupold scopes to Canada which got Brownells a $660,000 fine (they self reported the violation)

Another piece of advice, lying about the contents of a package on a US Customs (Federal) form is a federal offense and also shows intent.
Its why they have you sign them.

OK, I wrote more than I intended, its a lengthy topic.

Richard

 

Edited April 17 by APEXgunparts

[Motorcar]

Thanks much for the explanation. Not too lengthy and very understandable.

It reminds me of the EUC (End Use Certificate) paperwork you have to file for buying implements of war like an Army truck at government auction. Certainly wouldn't want to sell a 50 year old Deuce and a Half to a foreign national.

[TD.]

Richard,

Thank you for an excellent overview of what happens when trying to buy gun stuff overseas without proper permissions. Years ago, I used an ATF Form 6 to import a Colt era Thompson firing pin, extractor, hammer pin and several springs. I learned quickly these items were Implements of War! I was lucky in that these parts came from an overseas business. The US Custom forms wanted to know the identity and address and/or contact information of the shipper. I also had to check the box that these parts were not USGI and provide supporting documentation to that effect. If USGI parts, I believe State Department permission was also required, something I hear is very difficult or impossible to obtain. All in all, it was not really a difficult process to do things legally. 

I always thought gun stocks would be importable without special permission. I guess not if a WWII 98K rifle stock is not allowed without an approved ATF Form 6. Thank you David for this wonderful forum!

The signing of US Custom's document is serious business. Machine gun ownership is a privilege in the USA. I would not do anything to jeopardize this prized right. I will gladly pay Richard or APEX a little extra to know I don't have to worry about someone knocking on my door. 

+1

 

[Countryboy77]

Yea i thought it seemed a little off,thats why i came here to ask.I knew i woukd get an Intelligent answer.I will save my $.I wasnt trying to buy out of country they used $ for cost and was in english.Thanks again helping us keep our hard earned money to buy Real stuff we want and dont need instead of the ripoff

Edited April 18 by Countryboy77

[reconbob]

    Richard - thank you for the detailed reply.

Bob

[StrangeRanger]

https://www.sturmgewehr.com/forums/index.php?/topic/39363-thommygunpartscom-scam/#comment-139233

[APEXgunparts]

On 4/17/2025 at 3:40 PM, TD. said:

Richard,

Thank you for an excellent overview of what happens when trying to buy gun stuff overseas without proper permissions. Years ago, I used an ATF Form 6 to import a Colt era Thompson firing pin, extractor, hammer pin and several springs. I learned quickly these items were Implements of War! I was lucky in that these parts came from an overseas business. The US Custom forms wanted to know the identity and address and/or contact information of the shipper. I also had to check the box that these parts were not USGI and provide supporting documentation to that effect. If USGI parts, I believe State Department permission was also required, something I hear is very difficult or impossible to obtain. All in all, it was not really a difficult process to do things legally. 

I always thought gun stocks would be importable without special permission. I guess not if a WWII 98K rifle stock is not allowed without an approved ATF Form 6. Thank you David for this wonderful forum!

The signing of US Custom's document is serious business. Machine gun ownership is a privilege in the USA. I would not do anything to jeopardize this prized right. I will gladly pay Richard or APEX a little extra to know I don't have to worry about someone knocking on my door. 

+1

 

As I mentioned, this is an involved topic that can be a lengthy discussion.
You bring up the additional challenge of US origin surplus.
The Obama administration put in place a "ban" on the import of US Origin surplus.
The explanation was to prevent the import of the 92,000 M1 rifles that Century Arms had just purchased from South Korea (a deal facilitated by our own US State Department)
The language President Obama used in his "rose garden" speech and also the White House published "executive action" blocked the import of ALL US origin surplus.
Its been that way ever since, the executive action is still published on the White House web site..
It can be done with US DoS approval, but only in the confines of a very narrow set of conditions.

Richard
 

Edited April 18 by APEXgunparts

[jonnyjon88]

So if someone i know, say, ordered an m1a1 thompson buttplate from France recently, and it is currently en route, is this a no no?

[Autorotate]

Thank you Richard! I agree with Tom it’s best to pay a bit extra to make sure all “i’s” dotted and “t’s” crossed.😀

Along those lines, looking for a knurled selector and safety for a Savage Commercial ‘28 so when Apex has some please let me know!🤑 

[jonnyjon88]

Well, nevermind, the buttplate arrived.. and it arrived faster than if I ordered something within a few states of me in the US which was suprising

[mbc230]

Here are some items that got confiscated in Baltimore, MD. It opened up my eyes to what NOT to buy and well I am NOT buying anything gun related overseas. See below:

 

[APEXgunparts]

6 hours ago, mbc230 said:

Here are some items that got confiscated in Baltimore, MD. It opened up my eyes to what NOT to buy and well I am NOT buying anything gun related overseas. See below:

 

All this and more can be found at:

Public Notices of Forfeiture from the US Dept of Justice

AND

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) sale of the forfeited assets
 

Richard

 

[68coupe]

3 hours ago, APEXgunparts said:

All this and more can be found at:

Public Notices of Forfeiture from the US Dept of Justice

AND

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) sale of the forfeited assets
 

Richard

 

AKA the "Fool's list" or the "Jilted Buyer's list".

Some of these things, the buyers should have known better, yet others, the presumption was that the guns they were buying never were, or are no longer considered "implements of war". Obama's law cemented that kind of krap in time itself.

Whoever said that former presidents don't influence the present was an idiot.

Karl, 68coupe

[SP Sarge]

Welp, I'm about to see how difficult the process is. I submitted an ATF Form6 this morning to import as an individual a used H&K SL6 (civilian hunting rifle made for roughly 6 years in the early 1980's) wooden rifle stock from Germany. I called the import division beforehand, and they assured me, yes you need to apply for a permit to import. I'm a little confused though with Form 6A which from what I read is filled out after the approval is granted. I assume a copy of Form 6 and 6A both need to be sent to the seller to place inside the package before its shipped. Guess I'll find out.

[Rekraps]

So, all those MP38u40 parts that Bergflak sells are subject to confiscation? I've bought tons of stuff from him, all of which seemed to me at least as just "parts", like ejectors, firing pins etc, magazines etc. Not allowed anymore?

[SP Sarge]

Ya, a wooden hunting rifle stock is considered a "defense article", simply because its is a part or component for a firearm, and falls under category 1(a) on the 27 CFR Subpart C section § 447.21 U.S. Munitions Import List which ATF references in the Form6 application.

The MP40 parts you speak of would be category 1(b), Automatic firearms and all components and parts for such firearms to caliber .50 inclusive.

[mbc230]

9 hours ago, SP Sarge said:

Ya, a wooden hunting rifle stock is considered a "defense article", simply because its is a part or component for a firearm, and falls under category 1(a) on the 27 CFR Subpart C section § 447.21 U.S. Munitions Import List which ATF references in the Form6 application.

The MP40 parts you speak of would be category 1(b), Automatic firearms and all components and parts for such firearms to caliber .50 inclusive.

I really enjoy reading this post. Is there a price limit on the firearms to import? or is it still the $100 dollar limit? How difficult was the form to fill out? Do you need an FFL to do this? 

Edited May 12 by mbc230

[APEXgunparts]

Tariff's (at a minimum 10%) start at the first dollar of value now.
Or at least they did last I asked!
There are agreements changing with the EU and UK right now, so it remains to be seen what duty is charged on goods out of the UK or Europe.

Richard