Anyone ever used one or have any experience with them. I've been offered one up in trade for a shotgun I have listed on the EE, and from I can tell from the Blue Book, the trade is a good one for me.

The question is, do these things actually work?

TIA

To start with, it's not really a clone, which you probably already know. It's just sort of a "kinda looks like" piece.

These pieces have been made at various times over the years, and the word I get is that some of them work ok and some don't work at all. My recollection is that they use M3 mags, which is a potential feeding problem all by itself. Only fired one once; about a half dozen rounds one day at the range when the guy next to me offered me a try out. I wasn't impressed. It fired every time I pulled the trigger, and that's about all I can say.

I got a few more details.

The owner of the gun is active on a car list I'm on that has a guns sub-list, and I had posted the ad there. He tells me that the Commando runs fine, is fun to shoot, has a red dot on it on a mount he had custom made.

he wants to get rid of it because he lives in a place that doesn't allow firearms like the Commando without registration. Since the gun isn't registered it needs to go out of state or be destroyed. He isn't willing to flkout the law, so he'll trade it for my shotgun, even up, despite the fact that the Commando with a bunch of mags and the red dot are worth ~$150 more than the shotgun.

He's not sure if he can send the gun directly to my FFL, so he's checking with his FFL. We'll see what happens or if he back out.  C'est la vie.

Have you actually seen a Commando up close?  They are rough.  They look like Hi-Point's first foray into a pistol carbine before they perfected their 9mm rifle.  

Everything about a Commando Arms "Thompson" says "crap." From the awful trigger to the pistol grip so small that a 10-year old would be uncomfortable, to the front sight (which is secured by a set screw, and may or may not fly away upon firing). Ugh, what a terrible gun......I would truly rather have a High-point.

Personally I enjoyed my "commando".  It was reasonably accurate (hit what I was aiming at), and fun to shoot.  Is it a high quality, no, but if you want one, why not. John

ps I traded mine straight across for a brand new glock 19, kinda felt bad since the guy is a friend, but he wanted it.

I handled a couple of the Commando's at a gun show over the weekend. Nothing incredible, fit and finish was OK, so I guess it's just a function issue.

Considering that of the four I saw over the weekend the cheapest was $595, the most expensive $795, it seems like its a good deal for me trading a shotgun I don't use, that I have less than $200 in.

Jammomatic

Quoted: I handled a couple of the Commando's at a gun show over the weekend. Nothing incredible, fit and finish was OK, so I guess it's just a function issue. Considering that of the four I saw over the weekend the cheapest was $595, the most expensive $795, it seems like its a good deal for me trading a shotgun I don't use, that I have less than $200 in.

don't know what gun shows you go to but I only saw one in the past 4-5 years at the shows I go to... and it was mine.  Took forever to dump it for $350.  It was unfired in the original box and I just couldn't sell it.  You can buy an AO or Kahr AO Tommy for $600-700... why blow the $$$ on something you'll never find spares for if you need them?  

That said, $200 looks like a great deal anyway...