I watched a bunch of the previews. From a pawn perspective, I don't see much that is out of line. It is TV and they are not going to spend a lot of time on the unexciting stuff. So you will see an unrealistic cross section of what is really going on in the store.
Like the other pawn shows, I don't doubt that they actually have a good amount prescreened customers that they have coached on behavior to make the transaction interesting or at least such that they know to cover the transaction with multiple cameras.
In the first transaction, a guy comes in with a H&K G36... not a SL8 cosmetic conversion, a real G36... a post 1986 ban, select fire weapon. There was no discussion about who he was or how he happened to come by this gun... just an "I want to sell it, you wanna' buy it?" kinda deal. Was he a SOT? Chief LEO? Who knows.
From an educational perspective, I found this odd. People who have no understanding of class 3 - title 2 - pre ban - post ban, may believe that these post '86 guns are somehow... available to Joe Shooter. Perhaps they thought the details of it would bog down the entertainment value of a half hour show. I guess that makes sense.
Pawn transactions are not about the education of the general masses. If you want a show about pawning, don't expect a show like Pawn Stars where there are cuts to a fat bald guy who apparently knows way too much history in the cut away compared to dealing with the customer. It is interesting, but if you are worried about reality, we don't do that in the pawn business.
A transaction for a S&W top break "lemon squeezer" revolver was conducted.
Pricing for these guns is all over the map, so without inspection, I don't know if the $250 offered and taken was fair.
I didn't see a single transaction where I could determine if the amount on the gun was actually proper. The detail truly wasn't there to determine it.
Man bought Glock for wife... had it laser engraved that day. Drama with laser engraver functionality. Drama with recent gun death of wife's Father. Sad and slightly weird.
Weird, stupid, nonsensical, unrealistic, etc. stories are not uncommon in pawn shops for pawns and you can find all sorts of weirdness in any profession where a person is purchasing a gift for a spouse.
They apparently shoot every gun they buy... or at least all the guns they bought in this episode.
We didn't have a gun range to do that, but every other item we could test out before loaning on or purchasing we tested. The specialize in firearms and so having a range to test them makes sense. I would not do as they did in one case and let the customer run the gun. The downside there is that the customer can nurse the firearm along, compensating for flaws.
Other than the guns, it's kinda dull. I assume there will be more interactive drama as the show builds a following.
At least, so far, they don't offer to turn grand-dad's old Remington 870 bird gun into a tactical shotgun for only 4-5 thousand dollars.
I didn't see this, but it does sound pretty stupid.
The thing that really disturbs me about some "reality" shows... such as this one and Top Shot, is seeing people I know behaving in ways that are nothing like the way they've ever acted in my experience.
I think some of the stuff is enhanced. No doubt there are issues between people. However, it is that very aspect, real or not, that drives me away from shows like Top Shot, American Guns, that show with Red Jacket, and showing up in Combat Pawn. It is the stupid interpersonal interaction. Talking about the about to kick and employee's ___ (butt) simply is not appropriate behavior in a business. It was done in Combat Pawn but shows up similarly in several shows.