Pawnshop Revolver Finds
- Thread starter flcjinflorida
- Start date
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
Ditto about that here.
patty jones
Inactive
Can anyone tell me that buying revolver from pawn shop will be beneficial or not?
Can anyone tell me that buying revolver from pawn shop will be beneficial or not?
Patty,
if you do your homework you can get a great deal at a pawn shop, if you don't you can get skinned alive. If you find a revolver you like, don't show a lot of enthusiasm for it, but give it the revolver test posted as a sticky in this forum. Then look around various places, including posting a price check on here or other forums and look for a fair price. Just remember the shop is after profit which is fine but don't let them make it all on you, but they need some.
Go to the shop prepared to negotiate and to walk if the price is too high. For example if it's a S&W model 19 4 inch barrel that checks out mechanically and the price is $450 on the tag, always ask what the Out The Door price is, meaning tax included. If they come back with the $450+ tax you can make a counter or walk. But if you make an offer be prepared to pay up. Laying down $375 in cash might get you the gun, might not, you might have to go to $400, depends on what Model 19's are going for in your neck of the woods. You have to decide what is a price you are willing to pay.
Late last year I managed to snag a Model 19 with target grips in 95% condition for $325 OTD at one of the pawn shops I frequent.
You also have to size up the person behind the counter as well. Whether they know about firearms and prices or are just a clerk trying to make a sell of another piece of merchandise in their eyes.
Good hunting!
Patty,
if you do your homework you can get a great deal at a pawn shop, if you don't you can get skinned alive. If you find a revolver you like, don't show a lot of enthusiasm for it, but give it the revolver test posted as a sticky in this forum. Then look around various places, including posting a price check on here or other forums and look for a fair price. Just remember the shop is after profit which is fine but don't let them make it all on you, but they need some.
Go to the shop prepared to negotiate and to walk if the price is too high. For example if it's a S&W model 19 4 inch barrel that checks out mechanically and the price is $450 on the tag, always ask what the Out The Door price is, meaning tax included. If they come back with the $450+ tax you can make a counter or walk. But if you make an offer be prepared to pay up. Laying down $375 in cash might get you the gun, might not, you might have to go to $400, depends on what Model 19's are going for in your neck of the woods. You have to decide what is a price you are willing to pay.
Late last year I managed to snag a Model 19 with target grips in 95% condition for $325 OTD at one of the pawn shops I frequent.
You also have to size up the person behind the counter as well. Whether they know about firearms and prices or are just a clerk trying to make a sell of another piece of merchandise in their eyes.
Good hunting!
The last several handguns I've purchased were purchased from pawn shops.
Pinned SW Mod 38, ~90% $325.00
Ruger Super Blackhawk, stainless, pristine, $300.00
Ruger Mark II pistol, LNIB (seriously, I don't believe it had been shot, with box, spare mag and lock) $200.00
Ruger Security Six, good condition ~90%, $225.00
When you buy from a pawn shop you've got to know what you're looking at, whether that be antiques or firearms. If you're buying a revolver, it's good to have learned Jim March's checkout. Ditto for semi-autos. It also helps if you're a repeat customer, because the price on the tag isn't the price you're going to pay. Pawn shops are places where price can be negotiated. If you're a good customer, they're more likely to steer you to good deals.
For example, several years ago I told my pawn shop guys that I was looking for a bolt action rifle as a gift to a nephew and if they found anything decent I could get on the cheap, to let me know. He told me to wait a couple of weeks, something was coming off pawn I might be interested in. I dropped in a couple of weeks later and he showed me a really nice Howa 1500 that he said he could give me for $125.00. I wrote him a check immediately. The nephew got a great rifle that he's been hunting with for three years and I introduced a kid into the shooting sports. Not bad for forming a relationship with a pawnbroker.
Pinned SW Mod 38, ~90% $325.00
Ruger Super Blackhawk, stainless, pristine, $300.00
Ruger Mark II pistol, LNIB (seriously, I don't believe it had been shot, with box, spare mag and lock) $200.00
Ruger Security Six, good condition ~90%, $225.00
When you buy from a pawn shop you've got to know what you're looking at, whether that be antiques or firearms. If you're buying a revolver, it's good to have learned Jim March's checkout. Ditto for semi-autos. It also helps if you're a repeat customer, because the price on the tag isn't the price you're going to pay. Pawn shops are places where price can be negotiated. If you're a good customer, they're more likely to steer you to good deals.
For example, several years ago I told my pawn shop guys that I was looking for a bolt action rifle as a gift to a nephew and if they found anything decent I could get on the cheap, to let me know. He told me to wait a couple of weeks, something was coming off pawn I might be interested in. I dropped in a couple of weeks later and he showed me a really nice Howa 1500 that he said he could give me for $125.00. I wrote him a check immediately. The nephew got a great rifle that he's been hunting with for three years and I introduced a kid into the shooting sports. Not bad for forming a relationship with a pawnbroker.
engineer88
New member
Several months back, I got about a 95% S&W four inch double action perfected in 38SW for $200 from a local pawnshop. Have had it to the range a few times and everyone wants to shoot her. She is a beautiful old gal. I may even have a holster done up for her.
What Sarge83 and Pawpaw said.
Don't buy anything used unless you know either the item or the seller really well.
Some revolvers I've gotten good deals on:
S&W 19 and 66 (different times, don't remember prices but remember that they were good deals)
Ruger Speed Six ($200 OTD), Security Six ($200 OTD).
Lots of not-revolvers. Most recent good deal: High Standard Citation (Hamden gun)($375)
Ya hafta like the process, however: I guess I go into a pawn shop 10 times for every one time I find something worthwhile.
None of the Pawn Shops in my city are scary places. Most of the people are good guys and, with the exception of one chain which has lousy customer service policies, willing to deal.
My favorite gun of all time and the last I'd part with, was a pawn shop purchase.
Will
Don't buy anything used unless you know either the item or the seller really well.
Some revolvers I've gotten good deals on:
S&W 19 and 66 (different times, don't remember prices but remember that they were good deals)
Ruger Speed Six ($200 OTD), Security Six ($200 OTD).
Lots of not-revolvers. Most recent good deal: High Standard Citation (Hamden gun)($375)
Ya hafta like the process, however: I guess I go into a pawn shop 10 times for every one time I find something worthwhile.
None of the Pawn Shops in my city are scary places. Most of the people are good guys and, with the exception of one chain which has lousy customer service policies, willing to deal.
My favorite gun of all time and the last I'd part with, was a pawn shop purchase.
Will
There is a small local pawn shop around here that I occasionally go to. It is a nasty place and guns are usually over priced. They had a stainless S&W snubby in the case for $229. They had it tagged as a Model 661. I asked to see it and it was a 2 1/2" Model 66-1. They didn't see the dash, I guess, and they couldn't find a 661 on Gunbroker, so they pulled a price out of the air. They knocked off the amount of the tax and I got it for $229 OTD.
I've picked up a couple of what I thought were good buys in the last couple of weeks. The first was a Colt Trooper III in prolly 90% condition just a lite ring and some holster wear on the bbl for $500 OTD. Today I found a S&W 29-2 83/8" bbl blue in prolly 90% as well for $649 OTD. Dropped by another PS that a friend owns and he said I did good on the S&W. I think this is my first S&W I've ever owned. Have tons of other guns and sold or traded tons more but I don't think I've ever had a S&W. Will post pics later.
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My family and I have gotten some fairly decent deals at pawn shops over the years. I got all three of these at pawn shops:
S&W Model 28-2 $250
S&W Model 66-2 $360
Ruger Redhawk $350
While I don't have a picture, I also got my extremely nice (barely a turn line on the cylinder) S&W Model 36 no-dash from a pawn shop for $400.
Additionally, my brother got a stainless Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum with the 2 3/4" barrel for $270 and my dad got a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum with 2 1/4" barrel for $250 and a very nice blued S&W Model 29-2 with the 4" barrel for $420 all from a pawn shop.
While not revolvers, other good pawnshop finds include my S&W 1076 for $300, my dad's Savage 720 12ga for $250, and my dad's HK P7 PSP for $500.
S&W Model 28-2 $250
S&W Model 66-2 $360
Ruger Redhawk $350
While I don't have a picture, I also got my extremely nice (barely a turn line on the cylinder) S&W Model 36 no-dash from a pawn shop for $400.
Additionally, my brother got a stainless Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum with the 2 3/4" barrel for $270 and my dad got a Ruger SP101 .357 Magnum with 2 1/4" barrel for $250 and a very nice blued S&W Model 29-2 with the 4" barrel for $420 all from a pawn shop.
While not revolvers, other good pawnshop finds include my S&W 1076 for $300, my dad's Savage 720 12ga for $250, and my dad's HK P7 PSP for $500.
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Doug Bowser
New member
S&W Model 10 MFG 1972 w/5" barrel. $200 Out the door. The most accurate Model 10 I have ever owned. 5 shots just over a Nickel at 25 yards iwth 148 gr Lyman 358495 and 2.7 gr Bullseye
Doug
Doug
Since I bought the Model 64 Smith, I have gotten a Smith Model 41 for $350.00, an old model Vaquero virtually NIB with .45 ACP cylinder $250.00, 9mm Star BM $75.00, and a 1991A1 Commander for $350.00 from the same place. Unfortunately, the guy retired and sold the place. The new owners are just the opposite; everything is MORE than new retail now.
Jbar4Ranch
New member
A lightly engraved, pinned & recessed 66-1 that I paid $375 for in 2005 at a local pawn shop. Not a screaming deal, but not bad.
