So, I go into this pawn shop looking to buy a Mosin Nagant...

[GigaBuist]

A couple of weeks ago I ventured into a pawn shop for the first time and found their firearms. I see a 91/30 there in "OK" shape. The muzzle is well, lacking rifling, the stock is beat up fairly good, but it's still shootable. I ask about the price and they're not sure what it's worth. Told me to check back in a week -- they'll have it marked then.

Ok, when you pawn something don't the pawn brokers know what it's worth BEFORE they hand somebody cash?

So, I go back in today with enough cash to buy it, assuming a reasonable price is placed on it. I'm thinking $75 (hey, comes with a sling and bayonet) or maybe even $100 if I'm feeling super generous.

No price on it, so I ask the clerk and he pulls it out. They refered to it as "the military rifle". He starts telling me about how their dad did some research on it and they figure they'll let it go for...

In my head I'm thinking "If he says $200 I'll try not to laugh. If he says $150 maybe I can get him to let it go for $100, $100 and I'll think about it"

"oh, 'bout 400 bucks" he says.

I maintained composure.

"Some people told us it might actually be worth $500 bucks."

Must. Maintain. Composure.

"Uh, I'll giveyou $20 for the sling." He can't do that of course. I asked him what made it worth so much and he said, "Oh, just the model -- that's what they go for."

Whoa boy.

1933 year markings, hex receiver, didn't bother checking which plant it was made in. Nothing special as far as I could tell. And no, they weren't selling a six pack of them -- just ONE 91/30.

 

[Cacique500]

Ask him what they'll pay for one in mint condition

 

[TheOtherOne]

1933 year markings, hex receiver, didn't bother checking which plant it was made in.

I dont' know alot about M/N's but I guess the hex receivers are worth a bit more. There is a gunshop close by that has a row of M/N's that they try and sale for around $100, one had a tag of over $200 on it and the only difference I saw was the hex receiver. Still, that is far from $400.

This place definitely overcharges for their surplus guns though. I paid $59 for my 91/30 from AIM with 400 rounds of Ammo and it was in better shape then the ones they were selling for $100.

 

[Greg L]

In general you can get a hex receiver for a $25 handpick fee above whatever the regular price is from Aim/SOG/Aztec/Centerfire/etc.

 

[ScottS]

"What? Oh, it's Stalin's M-N. Oh, well then..."

Scott

 

[Cosmoline]

Unless it's an original sniper with the original scope, I think not. Reminds me of the Buba Mauser hack job marketed as a "custom Mauser" for $800 at a certain notorious gun shop. Near the Police Positive Special tagged at $600. What's scary is people will actually buy these things sometimes.

 

[GigaBuist]

Ex-sniper? Nope -- straight bolt, no holes in the receiver for mounting a scope.

Maybe I'll stop back in in a month and offer him $100 for it

 

[Nathanael_Greene]

Waiting a month or so is probably a good idea. They may have it priced as "sucker bait"--after all, all it takes is one nitwit with $400, and their day is made.

A pawnshop near me has an Argentine Hi-Power, pretty beat up, and they're asking $600. Well, they can ask...

 

[bobs1066]

Not long ago I saw a plain-jane M44 in a pawn shop that wanted $300! Should have asked in there were two $100 bills stuck in the bore.

 

[RustyHammer]

Cacique500 ---> Ask him what they'll pay for one in mint condition

That's what I'm thinking !!!

 

[Treylis]

You know, I really should get into the pawnshop business myself. It seems like there's plenty of money to be made from idiots who don't know what the hell they're buying. ;-)

 

[entropy]

That's precious! I want to find the guy who told him, "it might even be worth 500 bucks", cause I have a few he might be interested in:

1899 Ishvesk M91 Finnish

1916 Sestroryetsk M91, but in plastic stock. That's how I got it.

193? to 4? Tula M91/30 that Bubba got a hold of!

These otta push $1000 with that guy, I figure!

 

[GD]

I walk into a pawn shop in Wichita and they have rifles marked in this fashion:

"Not a Mauser - $260" - It is a 1939 Finn capture Izhevsk M91/30.
"Not an Enfield - $100" - It is a 1940 M91 Tikka (amazing that they have this rifle below the M91/30".
"World War 2 German Mauser - $300" - It is a 1940 Turk Mauser.
They had quite a few Romanian, Hungarian, and Russian M44s for $250. Of course they were all Russian rifles to the seller. They did have these correctly marked as M44s though.

These guys really don't have a clue. I did get the Tikka since they had it under priced and I collect Finns. I told them about the Samco Finn capture M91/30s for under $80 and they just told me - "Those Finn captures are worth alot and some collector will buy this one". They have no idea that the SA mark on the rifle is one of the identifying features of a Finn rifle. They were just told by the previous owner that it was a Finn capture. Pawn shops are great places for an occasional good buy and for a laugh very often.

 

[cool45auto]

Must be the actual one Vasili used.

 

[M1911Owner]

...in the movie...

 

[41mag]

Gigabuist,Have you been to Dunhams in the old North Kent mall?They routinely have at least a few dozen mil-surp rifle types for sale.The prices aren't too outlandish & they always seem to have something on sale.
All long guns though.Ammo is $$$$.But I'm sure you can find that.
They had a K-31 there on monday.The first one I've seen outside of the deltaplex show.
Just a thought....

 

[GigaBuist]

41mag,

Nah, I haven't been there. I don't know why as there's a fellow I work with that was going on and on about the SKS rifles that they had there. He's sooo close to buying one I gather -- but not a firearms owner yet. He's a little worried about buying one I gather since he doesn't know diddly about how to work a gun with regards to cleaning and such. Maybe I should just buy an SKS from them to ease the transition for him

They've got K-31's there though? Hmm... since I'm too lazy to put in for a C&R I might have to check that out! Oh, and darn you for mentioning that. I already bought one gun this month! I'm going to have to switch to some really really cheap beer if I end up buying another

I think we need a Grand Rapids, MI THR get-to-gether though. I'm seeing more and more posters from the area on here it seems.

 

[Mulliga]

A lot of pawn shops are like this. They don't sell very many guns, so I assume they just mark up the stuff they do have. The local pawn shop was selling a Yugo SKS for $250 ! I just shrugged in disbelief and left.

 

[4v50 Gary]

You did good in keeping your composure

At $500 does it come with a Russian soldier who will also fight the Hitlerites at your doorstep and live on a mouthful of snow daily?

 

[gbran]

Big 5

Here in CA, we have a sports store chain named Big 5. I've bought many guns there for reasonable prices. Two years ago I bought an excellent M44 for about $139. It's a great and accurate shooter. Be careful, however, of aftermarket suppressors. I had one blow up/off at the range. Didn't hurt the gun, but a piece somehow came back and caused me a painful, but not permanant eye injury.

 

[Wildalaska]

Last week or so, sold a like new in box Colt Sporter 1 for about $1400...then sold one 90% for $799...

Both Fair Market Value..

Walked into a pawn shop on Sunday and saw what appeared to be a sporter 1...asked to look at it and it was hammered...I mean the entire 1st marine division dragged it around the Iron Triangle without cleaning it for an entire tour of duty.Charlie had SKSs that hadnt been cleaned since 1952 that looked better... Ive seen more anodizing on the bottom of a used Wearever Pan at a garage sale.

Imagine my chagrin when I looked at the tag and saw $1699!! I burst out laughing and handed it back to the dude...I then asked to see a mini 14..insulted he said.."why are ya gonna laugh at that too"..my reort..

"Only if an idiot is pricing that one too" (yes I know rude customer but hey, its a blatant rip off)..Insulted he replied that they priced them per the Blue Book..I didnt have the heart to tell him that hes got to read the first 50 pages on how to grade...

WildaneducatedconsumerisourbestcustomerAlaska

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

Didn't hurt the gun, but a piece somehow came back and caused me a painful, but not permanant eye injury.

were you wearing eye protection like you were supposed to?

 

[mattf7184]

Local pawnshop has a SAR-1 here for $500, just a normal SAR-1 with a wire stock. He goes on to tell me that romanian stuff is the best this and that, but this guy also doesnt know anything about AWB and then proceeds to tell me everything he just told me is what someone told him lol. Sometimes you will find a pawnshop that has a knowledgable person, like we have one here with an ex Marine Firearms Instructor as the owner.

 

[BluesBear]

I was in one of my local pawn where I used to have my transfers done. They don't have a lot of guns in stock but they usually have very decent prices.
Anyway I was there picking up my latest online purchase when I ask the clerk, "Is that a Smith & Wesson 1917 revolver laying back there?"
He turns around ahd goes, "Huh? Ths one?"
"No, the revolver," says I, "The one in the second shelf. Not the other second shelf, the one up from that shelf."
He picks it us and hands it to me saying, "I dunno."

By golly is it a S&W 1917. The barel is in very good condition. As it should be since it's a nice dark blue as opposed to the frame and cylinders faded/worn blue and the barrel serial number is about 50,000 newer.
It would make a good shooter.

I ask how much they want for it but the guy diesn't know. To be honest guns aren't his specialty but it was the gun guys day off. This is a little family owned shop and everyone there is a relative. Blood is indeed thicker than intelligence. He says to come back another day with the gun guy is there.

So I drop in a couple of days later to see what's what on the '17. I ask the gun guy about it and he says, "Oh I don't know, I was thinking about just hanging it on the wall." Like many shops here the upper walls are FULL of 100 year old Winchesters and ancient revolvers.
I ask "Well how much would you take for it?" He pulls out the Blue Book of Gun Values we all know how accurate they are. and after searching for several minutes I show him the page with the 1917s on it. He reads a minute or so, while I tell him it has a mismatched barrel and the lanyard ring is missing. He then looks at me and says, "Since you're a good customer I guess I'd let you have it for around $600." I lok at him, he looks at me, I look at him some more and trying not to laugh I ask him, OK how much do you really want for it?"
He looks at me and smiles and says, "$600"

I show him the line where it says about $125 in that condition.
He looks at it like I am showing him a Forehand & Wadsworth.
He says again, "$600." Da-yum, he's actually serious!?!
I tell him it'll look just fine on his wall.

And that's where it still resides. (I did tell him if he ever changes his mind I'll give him $200 for it.)

Since their prices are usually very fair I suspect they gave way too much for it.

But since they have raised the transfer price to $35 (from $25) and started charging 8.8% sales tax, the shop ½ mile up the road gets my transfer business now. They're $30 with no tax, so I am still looking for someone cheaper.