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Not into Class III items what-so-ever, so I have no idea of the value.
This can was specifically designed to carry/store 10 20 rd. Thompson SMG mags. Inside the can, you can see there are slots along the wall in which the spine of the magazine slides down and locks into place. I have all 10 mags (which are Thompson marked) with one removed for clarification. The swivel handle and lid both work as designed.
What's it worth?
Attachment 128939Attachment 128938
I think that box with the Thompson magazines is British issue, are any of the holes soldered up on the magazines ?
Early 1921 patent magazines are worth $100 to $200 each but very difficult to find, standard used Auto Ord magazines run
from $30 to $50 each depending on condition
Ask the Thompson crowd over on Forums - MachineGunBoards.com Forums
Interesting..... That little box started its life out as a 1940's Army protective radio valve box. It was soon being converted to take the 20 round magazines. In the 60's and early 70's they were used for all sorts to little storeage boxes for all sorts of things, getting more battered by the day. In 2005 or so I saw one in a store being used to keep odds and snds so took it and restored it, se-stencilled and put in on display with a Thompson SMG at Warminster. The manufacturer was (As I recall), BELLING and Co. who still existed until a few years ago.
I bet that there are many hundreds of old timers who have these boxes on their garage shelves full of old brass nuts and bolts/screws.
Someone in the UK could do with making a dozen or so............... Talk about a simple job!
I knew that magazine box was British issue, believe some were imported years ago
to the US and the Thompson collectors bought them. The early Thompson 1921 magazine with the incorrect patent date is also in demand by the Thompson collectors too. The value is determined by condition with prices anywhere from $85 to $200 US Attachment 129008Attachment 129009
I had one of those here for years. Just sold it a few years back... You can't really get much for them here though, like a early hardback Carbine mag. Nothing special to these guys.Quote:
Originally Posted by RCS
Does anyone have the radio valve box in it's original, unmodified, form, referred to by Peter, that they can post pictures of, please, or knows which valve box was used? There were a number of "spare valve boxes" around of varying sizes produced for the British army.Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Laidler
HD-Ghost are you able to give us the basic external dimensions of the box, please? I assume that the lid has some sort of closure catch?
The radio valve boxes - so far as I recall - were all the same size fitted with little acmpartments made of thich yellow stained felt for protection. BUT the inside walls were not lined with the mag holder bits. Once again, the old signals sections in the various battalions had them on their shelves during the Clansman era. Redundant and used for keeping odds and sods. Wish I'd got a few now.....
The outside dimensions are 5 3/8" x 4 5/8" x 6.5". The is no latch to the lid, nor any indication that there was.