Pawn Store Guns

[ctdemolay0405]

Has anyone bought a gun from a pawn store? I saw an M1 Carbine at a pawn store and i will go back to look at it again. Anyone have any good or bad experiences with this? i plan on asking to see their FFL to make sure its legit to buy a gun from them.

Also, i notice that the M1 had no bayonet band, but i didn't handle it, anything else i should look at to see if its real or a kahr/auto-ordnance copy (aside from a roll mark that says kahr, etc)?

[holescreek]

I used to hit the pawn stores regularly in the '80's and '90's. Generally speaking they are heavily regulated. I know in Dayton the police department has 2 officers dedicated to pawn shop detail. That gives the PS guy a direct number to call with incoming serial numbers so they are not receiving stolen property, and gives the department a list of what the pawns receive in case they are reported stolen later. Your location may be different.

[okie shooter]

could be any number of things, I would check who made it, there are the USGI makers, then Plainfield and any number of other post WWII makers then universical and the later players to include iver johnson. Now the modern guns by kahr and IMI to name two. Thus many variants to think about.

I have one from a pawnshop, it was a plainfield. Was half of USGI priceing from what they are getting now. Thus I got it as a shooter. YMNV for sure on the guns and such. There are plenty of websites to look up info on these things too. We have a link to a good site here some where.

Unless they are stupid, they have to have a pawnbrokers FFL which then allows them to take them in and out, and resell them too. Thus they have to be legit, you will have to fill out a yellow form and all the good backround checks.

As for buying from them, My local shop looked up my gun transactions on the computer just to see how many I have bought in time, it was over thirty guns in the past ten to fifteen years. The two pawn shops in town here are the only games in town besides wally.

[M1 Tanker]

ATF has a specific FFL for pawnbrokers...FFL02...so yeah, they are legit.

[Optimus Prime]

I've simply never seen a gun at a pawn shop for anything but a laughably high price, so I've avoided them for the most part.

[hunter_la5]

Like Optimus, most guns I've seen in Pawn Shops have been ridiculously overpriced ($800 WASRs, $500 Yugo SKSs, $450 for a heavily used and abused Glock, $400 for a CZ82, etc). Same with accessories ($50 romanian AK mags, $40 aluminum G3 mags, etc).

However, I did buy my K31 at a Pawn Shop, and for $200 I don't think I did too bad, it was in immaculate condition. Sometimes (albeit rarely) you can find guns that aren't too badly priced.

[19Charlie_84]

I got my rem 1100 and .17HMR, at pawn shops. Maybe a few others. I used one in Killeen as a transfer FFL. just look for deals and you'll find them. My uncle owns a pawn shop in IL, always new stuff in there, never know what you'll find.

[okie shooter]

To shop pawnshops for guns, I find you have to keep looking constantly. When I was in Kansas, I made the local rounds to the gun/pawn shops, most days I didnt see a thing. But I got my first russian sks at 200, and my second CETME for 300 out the door in the day. Thus many things do come out of pawnshops for sure. My Yugo 308, ak came from my local pawn shop, never thought I would see one here for sure.

Thus you have to keep looking and looking when you find the gems you buy.

[Anthropy]

I am sure what it depends on the pawn shop. As others have stated, prices can be extreme to reasonable.

[Evilblackgunsrfun]

yea,it depends on the pawn shop, i got a unfired mossberg 500a for 128.00 about 3 years ago at one , there was no box or extras, but hey, right place,right time.
but there is another pawn shop in my area that things are priced so high i dont even go in anymore

[DAA1]

I had pretty good luck with one in WI, got some good deals there and over time was able to get an even better deal or two then the average customer. A good shop likes repeat bussiness and for me that paid off a time or two. Like the other posts, some are hit and miss.

[ctdemolay0405]

they had a Walther P22 for around 220, which isnt too bad, so when i get a moment, i'll stop back in. might find a gem they don't know/care about

[weasel_master]

I picked up my first AK ever for $100 out the door. Bought an sks model m, or whatever takes AK mags, for what cheap Yugos were going for.

[Arkane]

I've hit paydirt a couple of times here locally. A DR200 for under $400 during the height of the scare, SKS-M for under $250, a colt revolver for $100, and a Remington 597 for $75. My "inside" conenction has moved on so now it's getting harder to find good deals.


LT, if they are charging you for transfers let me know. I have a connection that will definitely hook you up for less.

[pigpen]

I found an New England Westinghouse M91 with Finnish capture marks on it @ a pawn shop in the town I work in. It had seen better days and was missing the hand gaurd. I got it and found a hand gaurd for it.

[97th Signalman]

As all the posters above said, Pawnshops are legitimate FFL licensed sellers and buyers of firearms. Pricing at pawn shops varies all over the map. You can get anything from great deals to rip-offs.

If you have no experience with M1 Carbines get youself a book like U.S. M1 Carbines, Wartime Production by Craig Reisch. A good book like the one mentioned will tell you what you need to know to identify and evaluate M1 Carbines.

If you really want one from a reliable source that everyone trusts, take a look at the CMP store. Everything they sell is authentic, and their prices are more than fair.

[19Charlie_84]

Arkane (and anyone in the Ft Hood area) 19th Hole Pawn & Gun charged $25 a transfer, as does JT Sports in Copperas Cove. Action Pawns do not do transfers anymore, I heard Guns Galore charges like $80 or some outrageous price. I am all ears to a secret squirrel hookup. PM me details.

I have been looking for a PSL; AIM surplus has them for $579 but with shipping and the transfer fee I am looking at $650. All the pawn and gun stores around here have them for $800-1000. I told one store about the online deal, but they are greedy as hell and still think the obamaina is still going on. Goes for everyone, keep watching and they will go down. Even the greediest shop owners get tired of seeing the same things collect dust.

[Noskov]

I'm kind of tempted to see what kind of firearms are available at the Pawn Shop featured on the History Channel. Though every weapon they feature is an antique which is avoids the need for an FFL right?

[Evilblackgunsrfun]

the 2 pawnshops i mentioned are less then 2 miles from eachother and the prices vary by alot, probley why one always has people in it

[Mortal_Wombat]

guy i know got a webley mk1 at a pawn shop for under 500 pretty nice condition too.

[Schultz]

I'm kind of tempted to see what kind of firearms are available at the Pawn Shop featured on the History Channel. Though every weapon they feature is an antique which is avoids the need for an FFL right?

Not necessarily some still require at least a C&R. Your not talking about pawn stars are you? I wouldn't walk in that place for nothing that bald headed moron knows nothing about firearms and charges six times what their worth.

[Allwater]

I was told most pawn shops inflate the prices on guns to keep the "browsers" away. They spend too much time playing museum currator to the ill-informed - and so the price you see should be considered a "starting-off point" to a serious buyer - bring cash and work 'em for the price you want to pay.

Now, with that said - I've had both good and bad experiences walking into a shop with this knowledge - some places say prices are FIRM (nothing is firm...) - but when the stars align, and you find something you really want, and a store manager willing to haggle - it can be REAL good!!!

Happy Hunting!!!

[Sapheit warrior]

I bought a 6.5 Carcano for $70.00. That was a long time ago. Now rounds cost more then the rifle.

[Airmedic6]

Just adding my 2 cents... as repeatedly stated my pawn shops have very high prices, but that is the starting point as they have no money in the gun except what they gave for it and generally that wasn't much, use to buy and sell regularly in the 70's but things have changed markedly and you just need to watch and see and be willing to bargain...HARD

[M1 Tanker]

Arkane (and anyone in the Ft Hood area) 19th Hole Pawn & Gun charged $25 a transfer, as does JT Sports in Copperas Cove. Action Pawns do not do transfers anymore, I heard Guns Galore charges like $80 or some outrageous price. I am all ears to a secret squirrel hookup. PM me details.

H&F Pawn on Veteran's near 195 charges $20. They did several transfers for me.

[okie shooter]

As stated on priceing above, all the shop has in the rifle is its payout for pawn, plus the required interest for the length of the contract. In oklahoma that would be the loan value + 40 precent(two months interest maxium, it does go down the larger the loan). Thus they useally will put top dollar on stuff, I always take it up and see what the price will be out the door, some times I get more off than others, but my local shop useally isnt over priced, thus even if I just get tax off I am useally happy.(heck here thats almost 10 precent).

I will useally barb with the owner/manangers I know personally when negnotateing that they are loseing the interest each month(in ok as said its 20%) of what ever they have in the gun or what I am offering.(money on the street earns them twenty precent thus in the store for five months, they lost more money than what they wanted for the thing) Many times that thought alone gets the price down.

As for transfers it seems to be 20 bucks here is standard, and twenty five is high.

[Planning]

when i first got started in the gun business i found an old pawn shop in south houston. the guy that owned the place had been there since WWII. the first time i talked to him he said he had a bunch of old rifles that he never got around to putting out, single shot 22's, old shot guns, a couple old m-1 carbines, lots of old military rifles. we talked for about 4 hours about the gun business, then he asked me how much money i had. i told him i had $500 cash ( that was a lot of money back then for a new gun dealer to have). well he went to the back and started bringing out rifles. lots of rifles. 30+ rifles. i started to ask him what he wanted for each one of them. he looked at me and said "ALL OF THEM for $500" i thought he was kidding, but he said no. we loaded the truck up and i handed him the money and he reached over and pulled out a m-1 garand and said here take this one, no body wants to buy these old military rifles.. so about every six months i would go by his shop and bring $500 cash and we would load up the truck. i did this 4 or 5 times and then the old man died. they closed up the building and i never did find out what they did with the stuff that was still there.

i learned early to not bring an attitude and things work out much better in life.

spend a little time just BSing sometimes brings good things in life.

most pawn shop owners are some old guy and his wife trying to make a living. what i have found is that they will usually take about 1/2 of what is on the ticket and sometime less. i usually don't haggle much and just ask the bottom price. if it is to much i just tell them i will pass this time. i keep going back and sooner or later i will find a deal worth buying. most of these guys don't have a real clue the value of guns and usually over estimate it. they use a blue book or something like that to get a price.
some pawn shops only put a high price on the guns because they really don't want to sell the guns, they use them to draw people into the pawn shop.
many pawn shops sell there guns to dealers, less hassel for them, or they just do gun show with the guns.

ron

[nevada]

Big and small pawn shops in Vegas. Some have good reps with guns and acccessories, others think junk is gold. One even had a gun sale a bunch of years back. I picked up two .22s for $50 and refinished them when I got bored last year. I've never been in the Pawn Stars store, don't think I would want to now.
Any time we've gone on vacation I've looked for pawn stores. They are all different and usually interesting, especially in rural areas.

Here is the site for commercial made carbines:
http://www.m1carbinesinc.com/

[tanstaafl4y]

I worked part-time at a pawn shop for about 2 years. Like others mentioned, firearms are a big draw, but also take up alot of staff time with people wanting to finger up the merchandise with no intention to buy.

Prices are definatly negotiable, but be reasonable and bring CASH. The credit card clearinghouse charges ~3% for credit or debit card transactions.

The longer a firearm sits on the shelf the more likely you are to get a better price. Common pieces like Rem-chester/Win-emingtons bolts are going to be easier to negoiated down than ARs and choice Milsurps. Argueing with the seller gets you nowhere...especially about price, While it is true many pawnbrokers have no idea what a firearm is woth other than searching gunbroker selling prices, some do know what they are talking about (including yours truely).

It helps to build a relationship with the seller. I had several "regulars" that were good customers. I knew their interests and when something in their niche was about to hit the floor I'd give them a call.

[chili]

I have had pretty good luck, when I was serious about the purchase. I once picked up a 3 screw 30 Carbine Blackhawk for $275 from a pawn shop in Omaha. It was in about 90% condition. At another shop I found a 50% S&W M10 for $120. Deals can be made.

Cash is king. Once you make your final price known and are ready to bust out the Benjamins, they will want to deal, especially when you are heading for the door.

[mojo00]

Pawn shops are the only place (other than the net) to find interesting firearms. Gun shops are ridiculously over priced and all have the same WASR's and AR's....some of my best finds have been from the pawn shops.

Cant speak to yalls location but out here prices arent too out of whack, I was just looking at a "RE" marked 1944 Beretta just the other day for $280

[landtoy80]

I've simply never seen a gun at a pawn shop for anything but a laughably high price, so I've avoided them for the most part.

Guess I am lucky. The pawn shop I go to sells all new guns $10 over cost. Doesn't matter if its a $120 Saturday Night Special or $10,000 Barrett.

[cwo4uscgret]

my gun pimp is called The Hock Shop/Sporting Center a combination Pawn Shop and Gun/Archery Store. I've spent close to $30K in the last 6 years on guns, ammo, and accessories.

I've never been ripped off by them nor got a bad deal. One of my recent trades was them giving me a $900 trade-in allowance for a Browning High Power that I paid $600 for...there!