montanaslots wrote:The whole mechanism is reproduction without a doubt. The castings may have been mills at one time , but the wood case , mech, and escalator are reproduction. The only unusual thing about this machine is that it is a nickel and not a quarter. In 30 years of doing slot machines and repairing them, I have seen only one legitimate Golden Nugget slot machine. A good rule of thumb is to be very wary of quarter mills machines which have one silver color mech and the later high top style timing lever areas to the left of the clock. One last thing to look for is that most reproduction machines have a higher than normal silver sword handle. The problem with reproductions machines are that the metal is too soft and therefore they are constantly breaking down if you use them very much. I can honestly say that you are far better off to spend a little more money and get an original factory machine that has the mechanism that came with it. A reproduction machine or a machine that is a mismatch mechanism made from parts are a never ending frustration.
I agree Lou!
I love working on antique slots but I hate working on ones that either somebody else has gotten into and totally messed up or one with reproduction parts that never quite work and need filing and grinding, definitely a nightmare to get right if at all and the customer never understands why they are so costly of a repair!
I too have only seen one REAL Golden Nugget in my shop in 35 plus years of restoration work!
Take Care!
MONTI