Ever Buy A Gun At A Pawn Shop?

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Hey everybody, new member but I have been reading posts for awhile. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone has purchases a handgun from a pawn shop before. How were the prices and how did the gun fire?



I am thinking about checking them out. I live in Nebraska and see plenty of gun ads on pawn shop buildings out here.



Thanks

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I purchased a Taurus 689, blued, with a 4" barrel from a pawn shop in VA about 15 years ago when I lived in Fairfax. I got a very good price on it, it was in nearly-new condition, and it functioned flawlessly for the 8+ years I owned it. I later sold it for a slight profit (still kicking myself for letting that one go!), because I'd taken very good care of it, put better grips on it, and had a gunsmith do a REALLY smooth trigger job on it.

But these days, it seems that most of the pawn shops are charging near-retail for used guns. I've been looking for a snubbie S&W revolver and a "black rifle" in .308 or .223, and most of the ones I find are as within 10% or 15% of the price of buying new.

Back in the day (like in the 1980's) there were a LOT of bargains to be had on firearms in pawn shops, but these days, used firearms in good condition seem to have become a commodity, and aren't discounted much at all.

The funny thing is, if you go to SELL a gun at a pawn shop, they give you the same amount of money they would have given you in the '80's (which is always low-end Blue Book value, usually less than 50% new retail if it's in very good condition). But then they'll turn around and sell it for retail or sometimes more (especially if it's a "black rifle" or a particularly "popular" pistol like a Glock or a KelTek)

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Yes, small .38 ruger ($200+tax) and 870 wingmaster pump ($170 +tax) Both great deals, but usually pawn shops are crooks...Find something you like than bargain hard if you go with a pawn shop thug. I recommend checking out gunbroker.com and calculate shipping/FFL transfer fee, and you will usually still be ahead of a pawnshop... Gun Shows are also great places to get great deals. Dealers are easily compared and often times, you get someone who wants to move a used good gun cheaply...Good Luck

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National Pawnbrokers in Arlington. VA is a very reputable pawnshop with a fair-to-middlin' selection of firearms. And they will dicker prices.

I got my Ruger 10/22 there for $100. With Taco Pronghorn scope; and the rifle will drive tacks at 100 yards.

On the other hand there was a place in Baltimore where I looked at a Chater Arms .32 and remarked that the cylinder lockup was loose. The pawnshop manager, who looked like the guy in the Godfather who strngled Carlo, snatched it away and said that the "Cylinder man" was coming tomorrow. ("The cylinder man"? Isn't that the title of a James Taylor - oh whoops, that's "candyman")

Really obviously the idiot did not know the first thing about firearms. At NPB they have an experienced guy at the counter at all times. When you deal with a pawnshop you have to build a relationship on trust AND be prepared to jettison that trust if need be. Even at NPBVA, "Trust.....But Verify"

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So maybe you don't watch "Pawn Stars" and therefore don't understand the "pawn game?" :lol:

Actually, like Damiansar-15 said, Gun Shows are a good place to find a decent price on guns. Be sure you KNOW your prices, have a set limit on what you will spend. Also, when comparing prices and doing your research, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Especially on the AR-15 clones ... heavy-barrel vs. standard barrel, type & number of rails included, etc.

With that said, I got a DPMS heavy barrel in .223 with collapsable stock,3 rails, top handle, and 2 30-rd mags, then added from other dealers at the same show: the top rail scope mount, NcSTAR 3-9 x 42E scope, 6 30-rd mags, a strap,and a hd padded tactical case allfor right at $900.

Believe me, I can "reach out and touch" with this baby

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Another good place to pick up nice used guns is at an auction ... as long as you know what the current NIB price is and don't get into a bidding war :lol:

When all was said and done, I end up generally going straight to the gun shop and buying NIB for maybe $20-30 more than what you see in a pawn shop and/or auction ... and you get the factory warranty.

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Just go for it ive bought so many at pawn shops no problems as of yet,one shop even had new guns cheaper than the chain store dealer...everybody should be able to afford self defence...give me a $80 single shot 12 gauge over nothin anyday..

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okboomer wrote:

So maybe you don't watch "Pawn Stars" and therefore don't understand the "pawn game?" :lol:

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Actually I do watch that show. It's an interesting insight into how the "game" is played...

But then again, one of my best long-time friends (know him for nearly 20 years) is a manager at a large Pawn shop in MD. He frequently calls me when he gets in high-end audio gear--sometimes to see if I'm interested in buying it, and sometimes to ask my opinion as to what the market will bear for the more obscure or esoteric units. I've got some nice jewelry from him too. and he sold a mutual friend a mother-of-pearl and diamond Tag Heuer ladies watch last week for a song. He's been telling me for years that I should get a job in the pawn business, because of my near-encyclopedic knowledge of stereo gear, firearms, jewelry, and electronics. I would take his advice now that I'm a full-time student again and need a part-time job, if there were any pawnshops out here that were hiring...

But it's good to have friends on the "inside" when you're looking for something exotic and don't have a lot of money to spend on it.

Unfortunately, (or fortunately for my bank account) his shop does not handle firearms, or else I might have to get my own FFL to handle the transfers...

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Funny you mention it. My local gun shop has a Maverick (Mossberg) 12 Ga. pump new for $206. I checked three pawn shops in the area and all theirs USED were over $300.

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boomer- that's a sick piece man

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You should check those Mossbergs at the more expensive store, and be sure they are "Mavericks", and not "500s". There is about $100 difference on average (the 500 is more), and there is a reason.

The Mossberg 500 has a steel receiver.

The Maverick has an alloy receiver, a trigger-guard safety (instead of a receiver-mount safety like the 500) and the action bars are riveted to the one-piece forearm, instead of being welded to a steel tube that is fitted into the forearm.

The Maverick isn't a bad shotgun. It's quite serviceable for light use, and casual shooting.

But it's not a 500...

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Dreamer wrote:

You should check those Mossbergs at the more expensive store, and be sure they are "Mavericks", and not "500s". There is about $100 difference on average (the 500 is more), and there is a reason.

The Mossberg 500 has a steel receiver.

The Maverick has an alloy receiver, a trigger-guard safety (instead of a receiver-mount safety like the 500) and the action bars are riveted to the one-piece forearm, instead of being welded to a steel tube that is fitted into the forearm.

The Maverick isn't a bad shotgun. It's quite serviceable for light use, and casual shooting.

But it's not a 500...

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And it's definitely not an 870...

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I have only purchased one gun from a pawnshop, it was an off-brand single-action exposed hammer .25 caliber pocket gun. I got it for $30.00, I justcouldn't pass it up at that price.

The shop was in downtown Milwaukee, And I think 99% of their clientele was prohibited from owning firearms so it was sitting for a while before I got it.

Just like anything else you are buying used, Check prices and know what you are buying. Many times pawn shops will ask a price higher than N.I.B. retail, and just as many times they find a fool ready to part with his money that pays that price for it.

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Hendu024 wrote:

And it's definitely not an 870...

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As far as quality and reliability, the 870 and 500 are pretty much dead even these days. Maybe the Remington gets a slight win on finish though, and the easily changeable mag tubes on Remingtons is also a "win" for Remington that Mossberg falls short with...

The main reason I went with the Mossberg 500 over a Remington 870 was also one of the main reasons I didn't buy a Maverick--the safety...

I mean the 870 is in all other aspects a brilliantly-designed gun. But who in their right mind would design a shotgun that makes you use your TRIGGER FINGER to operate the safety? Who was the rocket scientist who decided to put the 870's safety in the lower back of the trigger guard?

Nope, give me a safety I can operate with my thumb, up on the top back of the receiver--the way God intended it...

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No but I did buy a pawn from a gun shop. Now my chess set is complete.

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Dreamer, although this topis has strayed from it's original path, I agree with ou on safety placement, Make it a thumb safety so both lefties & rightites can use it the same. I prefer rifles made by Savage Arms becuase of the thumb safety placed in the centerline of the gun, even though I order them in L-H configuration.
The same goes for Mossberg (I got 2 Mossberg 500's, a 12GA & a 20GA)

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Bill in VA wrote:

Dreamer wrote:

... who in their right mind would design a[gun] that makes you use your TRIGGER FINGER to operate the safety? ...

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John C. Garand, John Moses Browning, and David M. "Carbine" Williams are a few who come to mind.

HTH

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Who says you need to use the safety...My finger is the safety I have never shot a Mosseberg, but I know many friends who have broken 500s. My pawnshop Wingmaster 870, I completely overhauled, e.g. chopped barrel, parkerized, Hogue stocks, Wilson Combat extension, Surefire foregrip, etc...It runs great and has never given problems. I just purchased one of the new Tactical 870s with the entry claw, and I can definitely tell a quality difference. The old wingmasters were great shotguns...

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Hendu024 wrote:

boomer- that's a sick piece man

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That's WOMAN thank you very much It shoots like a dream. And with the adjustable stock, I can do without the BullPup at $800.

I thought I might have made a mistake by not waiting for the .308 cal, but I am happy with the penetration demonstrated at my outdoor range where I can use any target I want.

Back on topic, I have a friend in the pawn business who is an avid gunner also. He was buying AR15s all through 2008 as he figured the Dem's would take the presidency and he was betting that there would also be more gun control in place during their adminstration. After the election, he also raised the price on his shop AR15inventory by $50!

On one hand, I hope his hedge makes him money, but OTOH, I hope it doesn'tbecause of stricter gun regulation.

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Damiansar-15 wrote:

Bill in VA wrote:

Dreamer wrote:

... who in their right mind would design a[gun] that makes you use your TRIGGER FINGER to operate the safety? ...

Click to expand...

John C. Garand, John Moses Browning, and David M. "Carbine" Williams are a few who come to mind.

HTH

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Who says you need to use the safety...My finger is the safety I have never shot a Mosseberg, but I know many friends who have broken 500s. My pawnshop Wingmaster 870, I completely overhauled, e.g. chopped barrel, parkerized, Hogue stocks, Wilson Combat extension, Surefire foregrip, etc...It runs great and has never given problems. I just purchased one of the new Tactical 870s with the entry claw, and I can definitely tell a quality difference. The old wingmasters were great shotguns...

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I own mossbergs due to their low price and highreliabilty, I really do not need any entry claw for grouse , turkey, and waterfowl hunting, and I do not need nice engravingon a gun that is laying in the bottom of the boat or laying in mud while sitting in the duck blind getting snowed on.

I have heard some stories that the earlier 500's only had a single lever from the forearm to the action, and some people bent those and disabled the gun, both of my 500's have dual levers from the forearm to the action.

I also have a beautiful Rem700 BDL custom deluxe from remingtons custom shop, it sits in the safe and has not been fired in almost 10 years now, because I really like my savage rifles functionality and accuracy so much better. I could have bought 2-3 savage rifles for what I paid for that POS remington. But hey, that jeweled bolt sure looks pretty when it sparkles.

So I saw get a gun that functions best for you, and you are not worried if it looks like a beat up piece of crap.