Advising pawn shop guys?

[ID-shooting]

So, you walk into your neighborhood pawn shop and you spot a rifle in the flavor you have particular interest and experience in. You ask to see it and upon inspection you notice it is an unregistered SBR and the guy recorded the wrong number as the serial number on the tag not to mention they were way off on make/model.

Do you kindly advise them or simply walk away hoping the ATF dude doesn't shut them down?

BTW, Rifle in question is a kit built VZ58 on a ORF receiver with the original 15.5 inch barrel and a non welded flash hider. They used the number from the gas block (which are the same on every ORF) instead of the receiver number by the mag well and they are calling it a "CZ 7.62x39"

Oh, and they had marked for the low, low price of 2.5 times current retail

 

[FROGO207]

If they used that "serial number" to look and see if it is stolen there might be yet another problem as well. Do you like them and want them to stay in operation? Then tell them. Or MYOB and let them learn the hard way. Legal is the thing here. I would at least ask them, is this thing legal for you to sell as set up if it were me. Everybody makes mistakes at times for whatever reason. The answer to that question would guide my further response. YMMV

 

[BADUNAME13]

Wipe my fingerprints off, tell them, and walk away.

What they do is on them.

 

[jerkface11]

If you don't tell them and some unknowing person buys it they will be the one facing federal prison time.

 

[bannockburn]

Yeah I think I would at least make mention of the fact that some things on this rifle don't look quite right and let them take it from there, if they are so inclined.

 

[gpb]

I would tell them.

However, I would be ready to hear the following from the pawn dealer:

“Look, I’ve been in this business 30 years and I don’t need some idiot telling me how to conduct my business.”

With that, I would smile and walk away.

 

[morcey2]

With it being a non-welded flash hider, they probably just don't know that it doesn't count as part of the "barrel". If it were me, I'd inform them. I don't know the legalities regarding if they can send it out to have it welded or blind-pinned/welded. I've got good relationships with some of the pawn shops around here and I'd definitely tell them if they had something like that.

Other places, not so much. One pawn shop kicked me out because I told them that their prize "Mosin Nagant" (Remington-made M91) that was completely butchered wasn't worth the $500 they had been asking for over the last 9 years at least. There's a reason it hasn't sold.

Matt

 

[No Quarter]

It is never the wrong thing to do the right thing. Helping others that are presumably innocent should be our default setting.

If they are jerks about it, well, at least you took the high road.

 

[jerkface11]

If they are jerks about it, well, at least you took the high road.

No if they refuse to take it off the rack call the ATF. That would be knowingly selling an illegal SBR.

 

[medalguy]

^^ In that event an anonymous call to BATF might not bee too far out of line. I'd hate to be the one buying that thing and later having to explain to a federal jury why I owned it.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

I'd tell them - to suspect that someone is doing something criminal unknowingly and not tell them (if they are someone I know/do business with/am concerned with) is on me. That's not the way I conduct myself - If I know it's possible for harm to come and someone else does not it's in my code to enlighten them if I can. Kindly and courteously of course.

If they get belligerent and abusive about the enlightenment or I suspect they know it's not right/legal or simply don't give a dang? Sorry, I'd have to make a phone call or tell someone that this is illegal and may have serious consequences.

If the gun gets sold and goes into circulation improperly registered or as an unregistered SBR it ends up on gun owners and becomes a stat that anti gunners might use against law abiding SBR aficionados. That's not right.

VooDoo

 

[Midwest]

Whether the SBR is properly registered or not....does the pawn shop have a SOT 3 ? A regular Federal Firearms License won't be enough to sell NFA items.
.

 

[AlexanderA]

Anybody in the business of selling guns (including a pawnbroker) should know the rules, especially anything having to do with the NFA. I'd mention my concerns to the guy, and if he didn't have an explanation and/or do anything about it, I would report him to the ATF. Wouldn't bother me in the least.

 

[BSA1]

Wipe my fingerprints off, tell them, and walk away.

What they do is on them.

Ditto.

Anybody in the business of selling guns (including a pawnbroker) should know the rules, especially anything having to do with the NFA. I'd mention my concerns to the guy, and if he didn't have an explanation and/or do anything about it, I would report him to the ATF. Wouldn't bother me in the least.

Why anyone would want to get involved with a honest, transparent, law abiding, non-entrapment, ethical agency that doesn't supply illegal guns to drug dealers and gun running across the border like the BATF?

 

[jerkface11]

Maybe because this pawn shop is going to sell that gun to someone who doesn't know it's a felony and that poor guy is gonna get screwed.

 

[dogtown tom]

No Quarter It is never the wrong thing to do the right thing. Helping others that are presumably innocent should be our default setting.

This.

Nomad, 2nd Wipe my fingerprints off, tell them, and walk away.

What they do is on them.

Not this.


Taking the MYOB approach is fine until some unsuspecting buyer walks into that pawn shop.

 

[Twiki357]

I would definitely inform them. What I would do next would depend on how they responded.

My biggest concern would be for some unsuspecting person who might buy it. But on the other hand, the only way it would probably ever be checked after it was sold would be if the buyer did something to cause it to get checked.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Tell em, tell em soon!

If some poor bloke buys that rifle and takes it to the range and it gets spotted... HE could end up in prison!

 

[evan price]

I might ask the proprietor if they wanted to know a few things about the rifle and point out the concerns in a low key, conversational tone. Come in babbling about batf 922 (r) and they will probably ignore you.
However if they are like most pawn shop proprietors I have met, they will tell you a couple choice words (the second one will probably be "off") and ignore you.
There is one chain shop here that had- even auctioned on gunbroker- a handgun with the serial number scratched off- they even mentioned that fact in the auction. I personally know of a couple people who tried the gentle approach and were rebuffed. Finally someone called the city PD pawn squad and the auction was pulled in a few hours.

 

[Mp7]

Tell them to get it off the rack and either weld it or hacksaw it instantly.



Protecting them or an unsuspecting buyer is the only HIGH ROAD
thing to do.

 

[jlucke69]

I would want to be sure it is not sold as is. Several reasons
1. New buyer could be booked with Felony charges.
2. With the wrong serial number recorded, the gun could be stolen (another charge on the buyer.)
3. Any shop selling illegal guns is more fodder for the gun control crowd. If you ignore the problem, or do nothing, you are feeding those who would shut gun ownership down.

If they do not want to listen, I would hand it over to law enforcement.

 

[BSA1]

Just a passing thought to those of you that want to turn the owner into the police, put them out of business, bankrupt them and put them in prison...

What if you are wrong?

What is your attitude going to be while they undergo a unnecessary police investigation and audit by the BATF?

 

[simonstough]

Tell the pawn shop your concerns, if they get lippy with you tell the local police. Not because the anti's will have more ammo against us, or because it might be stolen but because the new gun owner down the street from you might buy it and end up in prison, if gun owners dont look out for each other who will?

 

[jerkface11]

If the barrel is under 16" we aren't wrong.

 

[Sunray]

These clowns should know the law, but I'd tell 'em anyway. What I'd do after would depend on how they treated a customer. Well, how much they PO'd me.