Pawn shop aficionados: Look and be amazed!

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I am a Soldier and was in uniform and showed up at a pawn store near Fort Campbell, KY (on the TN side). I browsed the rifles. Found a beautiful SS Ruger 10/22 with scope in near new condition for $150. I pulled out the plastic. They wouldn't sell it to me because I had an out of state DL - despite the fact that I had PCS orders which will allow them to sell to me.

Who exactly is this law protecting again....? Heaven forbid a US Army Soldier gets his hands on a Ruger 10/22...
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For the record, I do agree with you. That was silly (I assume you showed them a military ID?).

But, that said, I'm not sure it was the fault of the law in this case. It was likely either a) the shop was ignorant; or b) the shop had been busted before and now was "gun shy" (pun not intended) about anything they're not 1000% sure on.

The law says you can buy. But it's up to the people to know the law. Ignorance is no excuse, eh? ;)


-T.
 
I've haunted Pawn Shops for gun (and guitar) deals for +30 years. The quality & quantity of those past "bargains" have declined substantially with the popularity of Credit Cards & Pay Day Loans as sources of short-term cash. Since the folks who can't access those (now) easily-available sources are at the bottom of the financial food-chain...their pawned goods don't represent as good a valve as they once did.
 
I bought a beat up Marlin 60 with a good crown for $90 at a pawn shop.

Little bit of trigger work, one 4x scope, and a replacement bolt buffer and the little booger puts 5 shots into 0.6" at 50 yards. Color me happy.
 
I picked up a Springfield XD in 40 at a gunshop. Funny thing was, the guy was trying to hock it and I offered $325 for it instead of the $250 the pawn shop was offering.
 
Pawn Shops?

It's not just pawn shops that are over priced, any one ever been to Gander Mountain. I have seen gun stores with guns priced $100 or more over the competitors down the street. This past Friday I was in a Cabelas and spotted a Mosin Nagant M44 priced to move quickly at $449 + tax.
 
some of my best guns came from pawn shops. i used to hit about 5 or 6 pawnshops a week or more. after they get to know you they will let you know whats in the back & even hold guns that they know you might be interested in.
the gunshows are starting to be similar to pawnshops, everything you have is worthless junk & everything they have is worth its weight in gold.
my best deals so far have been
a unfired papered type 2 national match garand for $1062 out the door,
a 1943 colt 1911a1 canadian lend lease for $795, a sedgley springfield sporter for $400
 
Keep looking!

S&W "lemon sueezer" hammerless, 32 S&W short, wih most of the nickel plating and pearl grips, $150

Norinco SKS Sporter, takes AK magazines $200

ParaOrdinance P-14/45 $435, with two Hich cap mags during the AWB

Excelent condition GEW-98 $129

RC K-98, with excellent bore $129

Swiss 1896/11, Alpine Sporter, but in Excellent condition $225

Missed:

Arisaka Type 99, with bayonet, monpod and AA sights, $300

Remington Sendero SS, 300 WinMag, with Canon scope, $400
 
Yes pawn shops were fun, sometimes you found a gem. But it seems that the deals and bargains are now far anf few between.
 
I agree, the pawn shops around here do not carry many guns & those they do are over either poor quality or are overpriced.
 
few and far between here

There's 2 pawn shops here that I know carry guns. One has old and rough looking pistols with the longguns consisting of mostly shotguns with a few 22's-older models mainly. Most of the pistols are beat up, but looks like he has a few gems in there. I'll be going back to check closer.

The other guy has decent guns but very few. Several 91/30 and M44 Nagants on his wall for $120-150, but the rest of his rifles are over priced; and pistol selection is old semi-auto's. They'd look good in a collection somewhere though. He does have a Hi-Point .380 with comp for $150 IIRC but that's the same price as a new one according to there site. His other new gun was overpriced also. His floor display rifle cabinet was empty, I shoud've asked what he wanted for that. :D
 
Few and far between is the norm

We hit a half a dozen pawn shops when we are near any of the better ones, and have a few minutes. Usually nothing is to be had but once in a while you find a deal on something you want or would like to have. I guess you could call it shopping as I have hit several shops dozens of times before I bought anything there. The well overpriced shops we just avoid unless looking for something in particular that has become hard to find.
Some are good guys and others are such liars and cheats they couldn't sell me anything and we won't darken their door.

Ya just never know what you might find though. I have several Leupold scopes that were on rifles I bought only to sell and keep the glass. One or two were free up to a $75 cost after selling the gun. Anytime I can grab a 3X9 Leupold II for that kinda money I buy it. Some how or another they always find a place to be mounted.
 
I’ve been able to luck into some good deals at the pawn shops I try to frequent. One shop has rarely had a “great” deal, but, I keep stopping by in the off chance they’ll have something interesting. :rolleyes:

In the other shops, I’ve picked up 1971 vintage 4” S&W Model 19 with a lot of “drawer wear” on the cylinder, no rust or other blemishes, and virtually unfired for $200. Also from them, a clean AMT/IAI (yeah, I like AMT 1911’s) 10mm Javelina (I haven’t seen another 5” Javelina). Another shop, a nice Bersa Thunder, 3rd generation S&W SIGME .40VE, Tula SKS (detachable magazine) with scope, and 6” S&W Model 686. At yet another, a very clean 6” S&W Model 586 no dash (I wasn’t looking for a 6”, but I couldn’t pass it up, but I really hated the vintage Rogers composite grips).

Since there aren’t many new guns I’m interested in, pawn shops are a great resource. I try to spend some money and show I’m not just “kickin’ the tires” when I’m there. On one recent trip, I was looking for a 4” Model 586/686 for a friend to use in IDPA. I was talking to the guys at the shop and they told me they had just sold one! When I lamented my bad timing, they told me they had another 4” 586 in the back that would be clearing their waiting period in a few days. They showed it to me and it was as close to 100% as you could get without the box and papers. I told my friend and he was there on the day it became available and picked it up for only $20 more than I paid for a well worn but tight LE trade-in 4” 586. :fire:

If you know what you’re looking for and spend some time establishing a relationship with pawn shop folks, it can be very rewarding.

Keep in mind, since Maryland isn’t a very gun friendly environment and the State’s largest newspaper banished gun classified ads over 20 years ago, it’s almost impossible to buy/sell FTF. Online forums help though.

Matt
 
I am the lord of my hood:) Anyways in my area pawnshops that sell guns are somewhat rare and very unproductive. Irefuse to reccomend or shop at my local one anymore due to high prices and generally shady stuff going on. The owner also, if you want to buy ammo, makes you give him a coopy of your DL! Not a requirement in his area.

I did get a Taurus PT38s .38super for $359 NIB last year at a pawnshop. I had to fill out a 4473 form in Spanish though as they ran out of the English ones! I wasn't happy about that but I can read/write/understand Spanish on a very basic level sometimes so I went ahead and did it.
 
I shop at the local (Austin, TX) pawn brokers all the time. My most recent purchase, I picked it up yesterday, is a Colt Combat Commander, 70 Series, sateen nickel finish. Gun plus 1 Colt magazine, no box, no papers, not NIB by any stretch. But certainly not abused either. Under $600.00
 
I have found many-a-deal in pawn shops. How could you possibly complain, if you do not like the price then don't buy it!
I do see the humor in the OP's pics though.
 
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