Best/Most Interesting Pawn Shop Find...

[mk70ss]

What is your best or most unique/interesting score you found and bought at a pawn shop? Mine was a 1921 S&W Nickel pre M&P .38. I told the employee it had grips that were not factory and it was dirty. He said, yeah no one wants them old revolvers anyways. I stole it for $200. It’s a great gun and a terrific shooter.

 

[kozak6]

Last year, I picked up a 6" stainless (Monson!) Dan Wesson 722 for $250 cash OTD. Almost no turn ring. The cylinder stop is welded in place, which is acceptable for the price.

It came with a strangely modified 1911 holster. I think the previous owner carried it with the hammer cocked, as that's really the only way the added strap fits .

 

[Cheapshooter]

Well, not a pawn shop, but LGS.
Thompson Center stainless G2 Contender. Super 14 35 Remington barrel, 14" 22 Long Rifle Match barrel, Burris 2-7 scope, and Boyt soft case.
All for $250!

 

[T. O'Heir]

No firearms in pawn shops up here. Government made it not worth the effort. Everybody selling firearms and the owners must be licenced to possess a firearm in order to do anything with 'em.
Oh and that 4" revolver is illegal up here.

 

[aarondhgraham]

That would probably be Libby:

Plain Jane Model 36 with a 3" barrel and square butt.

Poor girl had been rode hard and put up wet,,,
But a little cold blue and new grips,,,
She's a fine shooter.

All for $299.00 out the door.

Two years ago I had the pleasure of taking 7 Canadian visitors to my rifle-pistol club,,,
I took a variety of handguns for them to shoot and play with,,,
They all were very interested in my smallest guns.

Libby, my Taurus 22-PLY, Bersa Thunder 22, and my snub-nose Model 36 all got quite a workout.

I wonder if it's because they aren't available in Canada.

Aarond

.

 

[ThomasT]

Best deal I got was a Marlin 883 22 mag rifle stainless steel and laminate stock for $130 OTD. I went with a friend who had found a Taurus model 66 357 mag and wanted me to check it out for him. The gun looked good but when I opened the cylinder it fell out of the gun and onto the floor.

I told him don't buy this gun Jon, its broke. The shop said right then they would take a $100 OTD. So he bought it. When we got in his truck I asked if he had a small screw driver. He did. So I tightened the screw that holds the crane in and that solved the problem and that gun was a fine shooter.

 

[hemiram]

Best pawn shop deal was in Vegas about 1979, when I found a nearly mint Dan Wesson 15-2 with a bunch of accessories for $225 or something like that. I already had a 15-2, but it wasn't as pretty as the one in the pawn shop was, so I grabbed it up. By the time I moved back East, I had 4 15-2's, ranging from near mint to pretty sad looking. I carried the sad looking one at work in a casino, and didn't care if it got banged up, and it did.

 

[10-96]

The best deal I ever got myself into, as far as handguns, was a S&W 25-2 that the shop owner swore had been parts-swapped into shooting .45ACP's "Because he just knows all 25's are supposed to shoot .45 Long Colts!" Came with the wooden presentation case, screwdriver, and cleaning rod. $300.

 

[J.G. Terry]

This was years ago. Went into local pawn shop looking around. Left with a Smith 624 for 185.00 OTD. Gun had spots of corrosion on top strap and cylinder Otherwise, the gun was in otherwise excellent condition. We were out shooting some of the pawnshop finds yesterday. There was also a five screw S&W Combat Masterpiece for $135.00.

 

[laytonj1]

About 8 years ago at a gun shop I found a Dan Wesson 6” model 40 Supermag (357 Maximum) in like new condition with all original packaging including an extra barrel, tools and even some ammo. $399.

Jim

 

[deadcoyote]

I picked up an old Winchester semi auto in .22 short only with the brass magazine tube in the stock. It was $89.

 

[veprdude]

2 years ago I got a WW2 production numbers matching Luger for $600.

Honorable mentions are:

Bi-Tone XDM-9 without a magazine (oh no!) for $225
1911A1 US Army for $550
Waffen Marked Occupation Hi-Power For $550
Beretta 92FS INOX with Crimson Trace laser for $363

 

[darkgael]

i have never been in a pawn shop. Maybe I should find one and look.

Pete

 

[Mike38]

Two years ago I found a new, yes new, Ruger MkII in a pawn shop for $250. Still had the inspection sticker on the frame and the long yellow stickers on the mags. If memory serves me, it came from a collector's estate. They could have very easily asked $350, and I would have very gladly paid it.

 

[veprdude]

Rule #1 for Pawn Shop Guns: Caveat Emptor. You are likely the most knowledgeable one in the room so don't expect them to address or find any issues for you.

 

[mk70ss]

Rule #1 for Pawn Shop Guns: Caveat Emptor. You are likely the most knowledgeable one in the room so don't expect them to address or find any issues for you.

^^^^^^^^^^^
This is 100 percent true. Buy on several occasions, the employee had no idea that the gun he sold me was worth twice as much because he had idea what it was.

 

[jetinteriorguy]

I've also noticed the opposite. Back when the big scare saw high gun prices a couple pawn shops I visited had ridiculous prices on every piece of junk gun in the place.

 

[jmr40]

I have a couple of Marlin 39 Mounties picked up from pawnshops.

You never know what you'll find in a Pawnshop, or how it will be priced. A high school friend of mine used to own one. Sometimes people pawn a $500 hunting rifle for $50 and never come back for it. When it goes on the rack for sale he might well ask $500 if hunting season is coming up.

But if hunting season just ended he knows it will sit there for 9 months. In that case he might take $250 for it. That way he makes $200 profit right now, and he has an extra $250 that he can use to pawn other items and charge 20% interest/month. In 9 months he can make $450 profit on the interest instead of having the gun just sit on the shelf for 9 months. On other items he has much less room to work with.

And if you hang out in pawnshops long enough you figure out that different owners like certain guns and don't like others. And price them accordingly. I once found a Beretta 92 priced right from a guy who I knew hated Beretta, but loved Rugers. I drove across town and paid $175 for a Ruger P90 from a Pawshop where I knew the owner disliked Ruger. Went straight to the shop with the Beretta and traded the Ruger +$50 for the Beretta.

 

[DaleA]

Hmmm...I don't go to pawn shops anymore but my main memories are going to a couple of them when I was young looking for a portable radio. I dickered with the clerk over one I liked and got it at what my dad found out later was practically the same price I could have got it new at the big box electronic store.

Another experience was when I was with a friend that had just got a new Nikon SLR camera from a friend overseas. His friend got it for him for $500 when it was selling for about $800 locally. I pushed the pawn shop owner and he grudgingly offered $125 for it. My friend was mad at me for the rest of the day for just asking what the camera would bring.

You guys that have gotten real deals, I compliment you on doing your homework.

 

[the45er]

Ever since the internet became widely used, pawn shop shopping for guns has ceased (at least for me) to be fun. In the past I've made some amazing deals. Remembering:

Browning BSS 20 gauge "mint". Bought for $450. Sold 12 years later for $1450.

Smith & Wesson Model 25-2 45 ACP "mint. Bought for $250. Sold later for $450 (regrets!)

Browning A-Bolt 22 - Deluxe model. Stock was scratched up but bluing perfect. Bought for $150. Refinished stock to like new. Still own.

Remington Model 870 Wingmaster 410 "mint". Bought for $250. Still own.