Why so cheap?????
 

Wow, good question Ed, that price is way off, must be a miss-print. I don't have any idea what the going price is but must be in the neighborhood of $5000. plus?

Lon

Some thing smells in Thompsonville!!

Not such a mystery, maybe. I bought a new Thompson 1927A1 Deluxe last year( the all steel model), for about $1200. Some tout the earlier Auto-Ord. models as being superior, though there is dispute about this. Collectability may be a factor--obviously no more of the Auto Ordnance examples will ever be made. But I'd think, for shooting, a new gun may be the best bet, with current support from the factory--which it turns out I needed for issues mine had right out of the box.

I'm not seeing anything too out of line here, but don't keep up on the semi-auto stuff that closely.
It is unusual to see a top bolt gun with the military forearm, but that doesn't effect the value much.
It does look like a matt finish, which I'm also not familiar with.
David, you mentioned an all steel model. What is this one in the photo?
dju

This is about right for this version. This was Auto Ordnance's attempt to be "current" by offering a "Commando" model. If you look closely, the finish is a rough parkerizing and the wood furniture is painted black, rather than nicely finished.

As one can imagine, most people want to own a TSMG for the highly polished and blued metal as well as a nice, contrasting set of wood furniture.

The 1921 guns are some of the few that rival the fit and finish of the 1900 Lugers. IMHO of course.
dju

How about an original??
 

Are they still available and about how much??

I agree with Alanint. This price is o.k., if not a little high for it's condition. It does come with a hard shell case which adds to the value. The AO semi Thompsons that I have seen have been a bit on the crude side, comparing them to the original. The fit and finish was lacking to my way of thinking.


If this were an original Thompson 1927 Model, it would be priced through the roof, as there just weren't that many made.

The barrel makes this a later "1927", which is a closed bolt, semi auto only carbine, not an SMG.
The original 1927, although semi auto, was an is a correct Thompson, which can be restored to Full Auto by simply adding the corect internals. In fact, BATF considers the original 1927 an SMG, so if you owned a registered original, there would be nothing stopping you from making it full auto again.

Eric, full auto Thompsons range fron $15,000 for a transferrable later-made Auto Ordnance, (West Hurley, New York), through $60-$70 Thousand for a correct, pristine early Colt 1921.

I have always owned a semi and wanted an auto!
 

I can hardly hold it empty. Do you know how much the weigh fully loaded?

I have seen them 2 or 3 times for less than $1000 at gunshows

Everytime when I did not have an extra $1,000

and this was in the last 3 or 5 years

I paid $800 to a client who I charged a thousand!!!

In the end, they are neither fish nor fowl. The 16" barrel makes them look silly to a purest and the fact that they are heavy, do not point well in off-hand, do not sling well and are finnicky with ammo does not add up to the most desirable .45 carbine out there.

Eric,

Doug answered your question about availability and prices for SMG versions. He's right about the barrel length, a little silly-looking, but with current regulations (I can't own a SBR in New York State, now matter how much I pay in tax, etc.), I decided to get as close as I could. The grips on yours look a little cruder--with flat sides--than current or original. These have an unloaded, 'curb weight' of thirteen pounds, increased by whatever it's loaded with, e.g., a hundred round 'C' drum mag, which holds two boxes of shells. It's heavy for anybody, let alone a guy who's had a stroke and a coma! I think you did great in your accepting one as payment of a $1,000 bill.

Repeating what I suggested before, I don't think it will hurt the value of yours to run a mag or two of rounds through it, just to experience how it shoots. I think you could do it if you had help setting it up at a table at the range. That would solve the weight issue. They may not empty a hundred round mag in 3-4 seconds, be the most accurate rifle out there, and certainly not be the most user-friendly, but the semis let you feel what it's like to sling that slug out there. Then you can go on to something like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22BXs_C3GdQ This is a semi, and perfectly legal to use this shooting technique!

TKS Dave I never intended to shoot it! Debbie's familys are all Italian and love to pose with it. Its really a centerpiece and a holy relic to her relatives. Theres pictures of these small Italians shooting this loaded gun. How in heck they controlled it is a mystery to me! ps TKS