Question Regarding My M1a1

[Red9]

I own a mint M1A1 Auto Ord. Tommy that I purchased from a local ClassIII 28 years ago. It originally came from the Virginia Beach Police Dept., and still has the inventory tag under the trigger guard. The furniture is in excellent condition, with no dents, scratches, etc. The S/N's on the frame and receiver do not match. Is this common and does it detract from its value? I'm not selling it, nor have I thought about selling it, but a friend has offered me $15,000 for it. Is this a realistic price? All my mags are marked Seymour. Is this a desirable maker or are the Auto Ord. mags more desirable?

[jim]

It's probably worth more than 15k. Having mismatched upper/lower means it has been rebuilt at least once in it's life(or the department had more than one and mismatched lowers). If it had never been rebuilt you could probably get closer to 20,000 for it right now. 30 rounders are all worth about the same, no matter who makes them.

[Roland, Headless Thompson Gunner]

Red9, Welcome to the board.

 

It is not unusual for the SN's to be mismatched on the WW2 guns. Matching numbers will add to the value but nothing much detracts from the value of a Thompson these days. If the gun is truly in mint condition, and with the provenance of the PD I would say 17k is a closer to the going rate. The Seymour mags are quite common and yes Auto Ord mags would be more desireable.

[Red9]

Thanks for the info fellas. I do remember the Class III dealer telling me not to remove the Police ID tag, which he said that it adds value to the weapon. I will try to post some pictures as soon as I can. She is really a head turner at the range.