Colt Thompsons

[sten guy]

I have looked at several Colt Thompsons over the last few years.

 

I have seen about as many refinished as not.

 

And the ones that were original have ranged from looking like they were dragged behind a truck for a 100 miles (50%) to 90%. The closest to perfect I saw were at the display in the NRA museum.

 

I would venture a guess that the average Colt thompson would be in the 80% range or less... If it hasn't been refinished... I've seen a few that have been re-done that would look like a museum piece to some..

 

I just wanted the opinion of someone more knowledgeable than I am as to the condition of an average Colt gun..

 

And for the most knowledgeable --- How many have been re-finished????

 

STEN

[colt21a]

well let's see if i can help just a little.

 

DISCLAIMER:however some here and in the thompson field feel i'm a washed out has been,like a old fighter pilot who shot down his last mig,and can only function at the ace's high bar.{hope thats not a gay bar<>not that there is anything wrong with that wink!!

 

anyway's after looking at over 1,000 colt's or that number as close to it in 35 year's...and all the major collection's.{which held over ten colt's} hey that was a big deal then.... my personal best owned at one time was 20. {owned and past on 125} and every one was 95% or better... i have the past sale's to prove it..

 

of course some dealer collector's have owned more at one time.irv kahn,curtis earl,perry, terry william's had some nice one's.a few guy's in pa.and a few i knew in texas, and a few in mn. the difference was the grading and cond.was all over the planet...50% to 90%

 

and in my travel's i always did bring a higher grade to compare to. i once had a collector come up from another state. and he brought four of his colt's with him to compare.he was willing to trade two for one...

 

also remember you have history to value also.then sometimes condition go's out the window.

 

most run into the 85% range. and also i had checked out all of freddie's gun's in bloomington.and bought ten of them,i think out of the sixty he had at that time in stock...

 

wow we had some fun with those deal's!!

 

as far as redo's and restoration's it's hard to put a number on it.since they have increased so much in ten year's alot of people want the perfect thompson... i know of at least ten in collection's now that are totally restored to new cond.{ and they look great}n.r.a. museum is sitting on #894 replica>done from my old gun by the same number..a 100% restored piece.it was a ira and bootlegger gun.great history gun... however the shape warranted the restoring of it..along with #103 also number #98 which i sold as all original,it's about a 60% some graded it far higher..they might have been on that mind altering drug..{beetoffthetrackasin}which gave them better grading skill's.. however a big fat freakin lie to condition...

 

the mileage may vary with every dealer and collector out there... remember sten there are not too many left still around who have done this stuff for 35 year's,and still kicking to talk about it..

 

most now are in there 60's or later or dead!!

{i have the list of 15 that are.}

 

everybody will have a thompson war tale on a gun....if they are honest great...thats the problem,twenty year's from now who will care?because the rest of my list will be gone!!

 

so look and buy the best you can afford. and check it out real close. i at one time graded gun's for guy's who wanted to buy one. and would ask for my help. however sometimes the seller would hear my name and not want anything to do with the sale...maybe they just hated me.{ man" hate. thats a bad thing when life is so short...} some youngblood's will find out later when more of life bite's them in the rump.

 

remember a good thompson man can never be all thing's to all people,{because there are a lot of crook's out there..

 

and as far as me coining the phrase"thompson greed" and a few complaining about it...

 

let's just say some buddy of there's got a nice 99% thompson for $5,000.00 from the widow winnie.and said hey joey i got in a real nice one!! come over and look...and i only paid 15,000.00 for it. however you can have it today for $20,000.00 a REAL BUDDY DEAL!!

 

if that is not t.g. then call me a monkey's arse..yep we all have bill's to pay..but as a real estate agent once told me

or maybe i said it to him... you don't have to retire on one sale bud!!

 

keep everybody happy...

 

some cannot or will not live by that!!

 

for them... they catch it later..... it all turn's around..

we all die!

 

so keep looking at those thompson's. be fair in a offer. and if it look's like you are getting the hose.move on.remember this, collector's pass away, move on to something else,buy boat's car's summer home's whatever.... or just get bored with all the jazz after awhile!!

 

and sometime's sick of dealing with whiner's.... asking me>find me a thompson cheeep!!!!!!!!!and make it 99% and wrap it in wax paper for me why don't ya!

 

2006 is my year of freedom from the thompson fever!!

 

no sleepness night's,no cold sweat's,no missing the gun list or shotgun new's,or somebody who went to a show and got a deal...

 

guess what we all live in the greatest country on the planet... that is our "deal"

 

everybody enjoy what you have while you have it..

 

more thompson's...nope more of healthy long life to enjoy "the deal"wink!!

take care. ron

 

p.s. this is no way reflect's in the long post's that ohio phil puts out..he has more moxy in his. more words with meaning."word of iron"and better speeeelin's then me!

[Eagle3]

Colt 21a, That was the best damn commentary that I have ever read on this board. Thanks for the insight, it is a pleasure to hear stories from those who were in the collecting business for thirty plus years and know what they are talking about. Any other words of wisdom I would gladly read, If you do not think it would be appropriate for the board, drop me a line.

 

Thanks

[full auto 45]

I think ron says it all. But I have looked at a few pony guns. Some guys said they were 90%+. When I saw them, they both were rusty and had very little blue left on them. Pitting on the side up. One was on the left side and was was sitting on the right. I rated about a 75% or less as far as finish.I asked how they thought that was a 90+ gun, answer, "it's got all the original parts." Go figure.

[Lancer]

QUOTE (colt21a @ Jul 8 2005, 04:27 PM)

well let's see if i can help just a little. DISCLAIMER:however some here and in the thompson field feel i'm a washed out has been,like a old fighter pilot who shot down his last mig,and can only function at the ace's high bar.{hope thats not a gay barnot that there is anything wrong with that wink!! anyway's after looking at over 1,000 colt's or that number as close to it in 35 year's...and all the major collection's.{which held over ten colt's} hey that was a big deal then.... my personal best owned at one time was 20. {owned and past on 125} and every one was 95% or better... i have the past sale's to prove it.. of course some dealer collector's have owned more at one time.irv kahn,curtis earl,perry, terry william's had some nice one's.a few guy's in pa.and a few i knew in texas, and a few in mn. the difference was the grading and cond.was all over the planet...50% to 90% and in my travel's i always did bring a higher grade to compare to. i once had a collector come up from another state. and he brought four of his colt's with him to compare.he was willing to trade two for one... also remember you have history to value also.then sometimes condition go's out the window. most run into the 85% range. and also i had checked out all of freddie's gun's in bloomington.and bought ten of them,i think out of the sixty he had at that time in stock... wow we had some fun with those deal's!! as far as redo's and restoration's it's hard to put a number on it.since they have increased so much in ten year's alot of people want the perfect thompson... i know of at least ten in collection's now that are totally restored to new cond.{ and they look great}n.r.a. museum is sitting on #894 replica>done from my old gun by the same number..a 100% restored piece.it was a ira and bootlegger gun.great history gun... however the shape warranted the restoring of it..along with #103 also number #98 which i sold as all original,it's about a 60% some graded it far higher..they might have been on that mind altering drug..{beetoffthetrackasin}which gave them better grading skill's.. however a big fat freakin lie to condition... the mileage may vary with every dealer and collector out there... remember sten there are not too many left still around who have done this stuff for 35 year's,and still kicking to talk about it.. most now are in there 60's or later or dead!! {i have the list of 15 that are.} everybody will have a thompson war tale on a gun....if they are honest great...thats the problem,twenty year's from now who will care?because the rest of my list will be gone!! so look and buy the best you can afford. and check it out real close. i at one time graded gun's for guy's who wanted to buy one. and would ask for my help. however sometimes the seller would hear my name and not want anything to do with the sale...maybe they just hated me.{ man" hate. thats a bad thing when life is so short...} some youngblood's will find out later when more of life bite's them in the rump. remember a good thompson man can never be all thing's to all people,{because there are a lot of crook's out there.. and as far as me coining the phrase"thompson greed" and a few complaining about it... let's just say some buddy of there's got a nice 99% thompson for $5,000.00 from the widow winnie.and said hey joey i got in a real nice one!! come over and look...and i only paid 15,000.00 for it. however you can have it today for $20,000.00 a REAL BUDDY DEAL!! if that is not t.g. then call me a monkey's arse..yep we all have bill's to pay..but as a real estate agent once told me or maybe i said it to him... you don't have to retire on one sale bud!! keep everybody happy... some cannot or will not live by that!! for them... they catch it later..... it all turn's around.. we all die! so keep looking at those thompson's. be fair in a offer. and if it look's like you are getting the hose.move on.remember this, collector's pass away, move on to something else,buy boat's car's summer home's whatever.... or just get bored with all the jazz after awhile!! and sometime's sick of dealing with whiner's.... asking me>find me a thompson cheeep!!!!!!!!!and make it 99% and wrap it in wax paper for me why don't ya! 2006 is my year of freedom from the thompson fever!! no sleepness night's,no cold sweat's,no missing the gun list or shotgun new's,or somebody who went to a show and got a deal... guess what we all live in the greatest country on the planet... that is our "deal" everybody enjoy what you have while you have it.. more thompson's...nope more of healthy long life to enjoy "the deal"wink!! take care. ron p.s. this is no way reflect's in the long post's that ohio phil puts out..he has more moxy in his. more words with meaning."word of iron"and better speeeelin's then me!

Ron,

Great post. I don't think I'm going to let you delete this in a week or two. I'm saving this one.

[Ron Mills]

The Respected One's writings remind me of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, who wrote countless letters and observations nearly every day of his professional life. Ol' colt21a has had tons of experience, and so many great stories. Vollmer's in Bloomington was indeed a Thompson paradise. Did some hoss trading there myself.

 

I add my applause to that of Eagle3. I know we can tick each other from time to time here (I've done it); Ron is right, we live on the best country on the planet, and it's fun+informative to have a forum like this.

 

The other Ron

 

PS: Has everybody kicked in their share to Nick???

[colt21a]

thanks for the kind word's..however i will end it at that...right now the lurker's and other board member's are planning a blanket party.soap in the sock...and just waiting to beat the t.g.out of me...for posting the truth...

 

we all sometime's hate it.even hardrede i think has that in his post's about the import stuff from time to time..and we need the truth on that stuff for sure.

 

should i ever hang my head or be ashamed in any gun show??

 

nope not really.because i never intentionally messed over anybody in the deal's over the year's..

not lily white...{ and always tried to make it right}and whatever grudge or problem i had with a few dealer's/collector's in the past we worked it out...sad to say most are now gone!

and i miss those time's.." the art of the real deal"

 

i am sure a few more will chime in with condition rating's..listen to them all.there is no grand master in all this..just someplayer's with the magic. well versed in the human want.....a tommygun.wink!!

 

and remember don't ever get too caught up in it.

 

it's all supposed to be fun!

 

havea good summer.and good hunting for that all elusive thompson.colt military wes-hurlee or a semi model. they are all good.and fit every wallet size.

 

i never downed anyone on that.heck i started with a mattel black tommy and a commado arm's myself..

{ wish i still had the mattel}

 

my mom is sufferin with lung cancer now,and lost my father,mother-in- law.and brother-in law, and grandmother,and two good friend's..thats why i'm not as active as before..

 

anyways e-nuff of the laundry..and ya-da ya-da..this is the thompson board...take care,ron