Is my local pawn/gun dealer smoking crack or am I missing something?

[wideym]

For the past two days I've been looking for a M1 Garand after not buying the one I wanted sooner and was sold before I returned (along with a mint looking Norinco para SKS and a good looking Russian SKS).

So anyway I hit every gun and pawn shop in my area without success until I try a small out of the way pawnshop. They have a rough looking M1 in the rack and when I look at it I can't find the usual US/serial # on the end of the reciever and it doesn't look ground off either. As a matter of fact I can only find a small serial# and CAI on the left side. I though it must be the same CAI that imports AKs and the only thing good I can say about those are that they work and the price is usually reasonable.

Heres the kicker though, he wants $1250 dollars for it. He mentioned something about how rare M1s are since Prez Clinton had them all destroyed. I know all about the destruction of M1 Garands and Carbines during the Clinton era, but are slapped together M1s with questionable recievers worth $1250?

So is he on crack or am I just misinformed?

 

[Marion Cobretti]

Stay away!!

That is a CAI receiver-based M1. Not true "USGI"

Your best bet is to become CMP eligible and order one from them. That way you are getting an authentic M1 without questionable quality.

And no, not worth $1250..... You can get a Springfield rack grade for $445.00 http://www.odcmp.com/Services/Rifles/m1garand.htm

 

[maroast]

I seriously think these people are on crack....I troll pawn shops quite a bit and I'm amazed at the prices they demand.

A shop right up the road has a well used Rock Island 45ACP for $400 .....so I walk in with $200 cash and try to strike a deal...the guy wont go a cent below $375 OTD...oh well

 

[wideym]

I already have plans to go through the CMP and buy a service grade for $600.

 

[Marion Cobretti]

Good choice on the service grade. Here is my 1955 Springfield service grade from CMP

 

[1 old 0311]

Must be the one Patton used.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Yes, that price seems way out of line.

You can still get them from CMP.

Clinton destroyed several hundred thousand M14s and Garands, but not even close to the number in inventory (Garands anyway, he did a hell of a job on M14s)

 

[ROB ROY]

Tell this crook to get bent. I've seen M-1 GARANDS in shotgun news for less than a thousand.

 

[taprackbang]

Clinton destroyed several hundred thousand M14s and Garands, but not even close to the number in inventory (Garands anyway, he did a hell of a job on M14s)

Clinton should be imprisoned for destroying our beloved M14s.

 

[bogie]

You must look stupid.

Work on improving your looks, so that you impress the pawnshop guy.

Then he might sell you something cheaper.

Otherwise, just giggle, and move on. Because he isn't holding a gun on you to buy the damn thing, is he?

 

[taprackbang]

You can get a CORRECT grade from the CMP for that price!

 

[Gentleman Ranker]

IMHO, that item at that price is reasonable evidence that either he is abusing drugs or thinks that you may be.

What the other posters said.

regards,

GR

 

[sarge83]

I passed on a pristine International Harvester at the local pawn shop for that amount last year!

Let me guess Ike used this particular Garand to shoot hitler and arrest the Kaiser...

 

[MaterDei]

SOG is selling them for $695 to 01/03 FFL holders.

Tell this guy to pound sand.

 

[ilbob]

He can ask anything he wants for it. He probably has no more than a few hundred bucks in it and holding on to it for a few months in the hopes of getting a sucker in the door is a pretty good bet.

 

[musher]

If you don't want to go through the CMP, I've seen them go by in the classified section here for halfway reasonable prices on a regular basis.

By "them" I mean USGI garands. Not CAI fakes.

 

[Browning]

Yes, most pawn shop owners are on crack.

From the prices I've seen them asking for guns at most pawn shops (Bachmans Pawn and Gun in Dallas is the only exception I know of) I'd have to say 'Yes, they are definately on crack' and they've never even heard of looking in a firearms bluebook.

The guns they have are usually pretty beat up and that and the prices are why they stay on the shelf for up to a couple years. I guess they figure that any overpriced gun they sell is worth the wait and that eventually some dumbass will buy it out of sheer ignorance.

Those two reasons are why I never buy guns from pawn shops.

 

[threefeathers]

Good Lord, get your paperwork into CMP. I have two service grade M-1'a and they are both better than any I was issued as a young soldier.

I just got my second carbine also.