Sheriff Swaps Tommy Guns

[FC]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/08/sheriff-swaps-bonnie-and-clyde-era-tommy-guns-for-new-arms/?intcmp=obnetwork

How neat is this? I remember the police showing us Cub Scouts their Thompson.

[karlunity]

It is good. Far better than seeing them dewared or melted.

karl

[FC]

That sheriff got a heck of a deal.

[AzRednek]

A friend of mine died last year leaving his Thompson, a few drum mags, violin case and numerous other Tommygun collectables to his son. I was told his son was asking $45,000 expecting to be beat down to 40. A few months later my friend's wife passed. I lost contact with his son and don't know if he got his price. His son also received a vintage 427 powered Vette. Shooting that Thompson sent a real thrill up my leg. At best we could only get him out with the Thompson once a year. He also had a legally converted M-2 Carbine but it was like child's play compared to what my friend called his "T". I never did get a chance to drive his Vette.

[karlunity]

You know I never shot a smg. I did get to hold a M3 and a MP-40 but that was the closest I came.

Auto M16 and M-14- Ak-47 M-60.etc yes. .But never a real SMG.

 

karl

[AzRednek]

The early pre-war Thompsons were like shooting a slick, well oiled machine. With the heavy drum and Cutts Compensator it stayed right on target. I came so close to buying one in the early 70's but my life priorities were chasing women, faster cars and trucks. At the time pre war Thompsons were in the $700 range and the later WW2 version that would only take stick mags were 500 or less. Money I stuck aside for a Thompson went for an Edlebrock manifold and a Q-jet 4 barrel. I saved again only to get caught up in the Dirty Harry craze buying a S&W 44 mag instead. Another friend bought a genuine new in the box Colt M-16 A1 for a few bucks short of a grand + 200 ATF fee. He recently declined a $25,000 offer. The most fun I ever had shooting a machinegun was a belt fed M-60. The friend that sold it made a $30,000 profit over his original 1970's cost of about 2 G's.

[FC]

At least you got to shoot a machine gun. Sounds like fun. Bet you could kick yourself for buying the manifold and 4-barrel!

[AzRednek]

At least you got to shoot a machine gun. Sounds like fun. Bet you could kick yourself for buying the manifold and 4-barrel!

 

Kick myself every time I think about it. 6 months or so later I got bored with the truck and traded it in.

 

During the period from 1971 until the Cater created energy shortage I was earning a lot of money and spending it nearly as fast as I made it. I was working a commission job selling service station equipment and auto parts. During that period there were 2 or 3 gas stations at every major intersection. My company were considered the whores of the business. I could destroy the competition having the lowest prices in the state. I could sell auto parts to a gas station for less cost than an auto parts store's cost. We offered lease-purchase plans on expensive equipment. Everything from tire changers to diagnostic scopes. I'd easily sell a service station owner better equipment than the guy across the street had for anywhere from 500-1500 per month. After the deal was cut I'd let the guy across the street play keep up with the Jones. My balloon burst when oil companies refused to re-new leases and converted the mom 'n' pop stations to a company owned operation. It ended the era of being able to get a flat fixed, a battery charged, minor car repairs and they pumped the gas at nearly every intersection. One of my co-workers nearly went to prison over working worth competitors fix gas prices. I had enough sense to avoid the bar room meetings.