Pawn Shops.

[ts76]

Anyone buy a firearm from a pawn shop?
I've always wondered if they are a place where you can find a good bargain
that someone didn't know was worth something... or...
The crap of crap.
Would you?
If so, what's to look out for so that you're buying something safe?
Or... would you bother?

Anyone find anything good?

 

[firtree]

When I lived in the south I would often peruse the pawn shops,
hoping for a steal. I saw a few but they were pretty far between.
I bought a Norinco sks for $70 and kick myself all the time for
passing on a real hk91,mint, for $1000. These prices were 4 years
ago, but still pretty good.


F

 

[Producer]

I was at a few last year in Longview Tx. It was alot of fun, and I saw great deals, but mostly on handguns. I saw a nice old Smith and Wesson revolver that was excellent, but couldn't get it with my mass ID. They actually suggested that I go accross the street and get a Texas license and this all could be done within an hour. They said people do it all the time.

 

[FPrice]

More than a few members of the smithwessonforum.com have posted threads about great finds in pawn shops. Most firearms found there seem to be average to beat-up (from what I have heard - I haven't lived in a place that allows pawning of firearms in years) but sometimes someone pawns dad's or grandpa's old gun that is really a gem. The trick seems to be to know the particular gun(s) you are interested in and be able to identify good specimens without alerting the clerk that they have a fish hooked.

I try to hit the various stores in my area on at least a semi-regular basis to see what has come on the market.

I saw this at the March Big E gunshow and was lucky enough to be able to get it at the April Marlboro show. It appears to be a S&W Model 1905 4th Change Military & Police (est. 1940) (with a desirable post-war gold S&W box) that appears to be unfired.

Keep looking and know your subject - that's the best advice i can give you. Hope it works for you.

 

[C-pher]

Pawn shops in the South are of a different breed than they are up here.

There are a lot of Pawn Shops that are large chains and really nice. And some you can shop at online....

Cash America for example. I can't tell you how many video games and CD I bought and sold at one of these places when I was a kid.

My uncle owns a shop in Knoxville. He's really into guns, and is always getting a find from someone that just wants to get rid of something for short cash. And because he gets first dibs, as it's his shop. He gets some really nice stuff pretty cheap.

I've always wished that the pawn shops up here were as nice as they are back home...

Though, as I know that none of them here in MA sell guns. I still go into them every once and a while to look for some good deals on tools and what not.

 

[ts76]

Some Pawn Shops in NH sell guns.
I know of one in Manchester, there WAS one here in Plaistow though I don't know where it went.
Check the phonebooks and call if you're interested I guess since they're usually pretty small.

 

[EasyD]

Thank g0d mass law makes it illegal to pawn (or use as a guarantee against a loan) guns in this state. Well, maybe you could actually do it if you had a 02 FFL(Pawnbroker in Firearms), but you couldn't get a Mass Dealer of Firearms license, and could never transfer the gun back to the person that pawned it.

Think of all the children that law saves!

--EasyD