Pawn Shop Prices

Gun store? GunBroker.com? Gun shows? Firearmstalk.com?

 

X2 The internet is an amazing resource

Also like pioneer said if you don't want to have them shipped and pay for the transfer or wait for 'em find a gun show in your area and do some browsing.

 

The internet, gunshows, the nickel ads, and Gunlist are about your only other options. Word of mouth sales are great if you know very many people. Co-workers sometimes want to dump a gun from their collection for a very fair price.

Nothing wrong with the right pawnshop either. A solid '06 or 30-30 can be had for $300 or less.

 

Get a c&r. For the price and pain of doing it,it is well worth it. There are loads of milsurp rifles you can choose from. You can pick up synthetic stocks,put scopes on em or whatever tickles your fancy. It's FUN to work on them also.The calibers are hard hitting too. All this, and at a fraction of the cost for some fancy$$ shooter from your local spots shop. BUT...to each his own.

 

I would think that there is a small-time privately owned gun shop in your area. Go to the pawn shops and see if they will tell you who they send their guns to for repairs. There are two gunsmiths/ salesmen within about 15 miles of my house. Fortunately for me, one of them in my grandpa. As for prices, you get what you pay for. Expect to pay $300 or so for a 30-30 and $400+ for a good 30-06.

 

caveat emptor

I grew up in an Army town where there was a pawn shop on every corner. You could get some great deals in the old days, but today the dealers are more knowledgable and generally know exactly what they've got and how much it's worth--and they're experts at covering up flaws and making a POS look good. You've got to know what you're doing and be very careful to avoid getting massively ripped off, let alone to get a good deal.

Pawnbrokers have to be cold SOBs to do what they do. No shame to it; softhearted pawnbrokers just don't stay in business very long. Go over the gun with a very sharp eye, and don't believe a word you're told about it. I was once told that a Smith 29 was "new and unfired"; it had a copper-plated bore and a scratch around the bolt notches you could hang a shirt on. Watch out.

 

I give up on pawn shops. In my experience pawnbrokers are not knowledgeable; they merely give little or nothing (40% of bluebook, on average)for whatever is brought in and then check GunsAmerica to find the highest price anyone is asking for the same or a similar gun, which then becomes their "baseline, based on research" price. I walked in and spotted a poorly maintained M-14 at a local shop; Springfield armory, heavily used, surface rust all over, stock replaced with a surplus model that had the selector cut out hole in the back and very little finish. $1900.00. Meanwhile a brand new SOCOM retails locally for $1350...All of my local pawnshops have used Ruger single actions in conditions varying from ok to dismal, and every last one of em is asking full NIB retail price for em(350-450)... and apparently they get it. If you ask if they have the box or the missing rear sight pieces (a lot of the blackhawks are missing the rear sight blade for some reason) you get a well practiced eyeball roll and little else. I go to the shows when I can, and I hit the pawnshops to kill time. The only way to get good guns at reasonable prices in a pawn shop is to own the pawn shop.

 

A C&R license WILL also get you discounts on things like ammo, scopes, mounts, etc from places like Brownells.

You may also want to try places like Gander Mountain, Bass Pro Shops, etc for commercial hunting rifles and shotguns.

Milsurps and C&R is a great way to go (and the way I chose) because having these older arms is preserving a bit of our history and serves as a lesson from those who have gone before us.

 

Agree with you totally, there is a time when pawnbrokers doesn't know more about pawing items but now they are well knowledgeable and know well what amount is to be given over the pawing item.

 

eBay ruined pawnshops for the buyer. a guy in Podunk Junction can determine the nationwide value of any obscure anything in seconds.

 

You can buy a brand new Ruger American in a hunting caliber on line for $300 or less including shipping. You will have to add for the transfer. My 308 was $310 including the $25 transfer fee.

 

Auctions and estate sales can be an opportunity for a good deal, however they aren't a well kept secret anymore.
Of course you likely won't get much background or history if the seller is the widow, but you can find rare and unique firearms this way.
I have seen pristine condition guns go for penny on the dollar, and when the last panic was going on, seen used rifles and handguns selling for over msrp.

 

Shop the actual pawn shops to find a shop that may actually know something about what they are selling. I found one at my last duty station that would indeed mark their guns with gun broker prices, but if you stopped and talked to them about the gun and pointed items out, such as wear or missing accessories, or even just asked them what their best price is, I found that they would come down to an actually fair or better price. They made money, I got a deal (or several). It helped that I returned frequently. They knew I wasn't going to ask super unreasonable discount prices, and I knew I'd still come out probably better than market value.

They don't want to hang onto inventory forever. Be reasonable and you can find some good deals.

Acquired a Marlin 336 .30-30 with nothing but honest field wear on it and a bright shiney bore for $285 from them. Helped a buddy get a Savage 110 in .30-06 from them for $375 (someone had done a super ugly spray paint camo job on it).

 

Pawnbrokers around here are mostly out of the gun business. Few shops still deal with guns. Those that do, ask insane prices. Be prepared to haggle and walk away. Many years ago I found some good deals:

Grendel P-12 and S&W 22A - $225 for the package deal

S&W Model 58, yes the .41 Mag - $165

 

Pawn shops around here are hit or miss. There are often gems hidden among all the hi-points.

 

Sorry, OP, there is no substitute for putting your nose to the grindstone,

and doing the time shopping for what you want.

I find great deals, but for every one I buy, I estimate I

look at 50,000 I pass on. And that's probably a very

conservative number, now that I'm down to a very short list.

Persistence and patience are key.

 

Face Book !..................

 

I use the Internet to do most of my shopping, with relatively little patience you can find a new firearm on sale for within $50 of a quality used price. Back to the OP's question, what's a good price for a 30-30 or 30-06? I've been contemplating a hunting rifle for a little while and it seems like Savage is the best bang for the buck right according to just about every publication. You can get the Savage Axis with a scope for just north of $300.

 

Gun stores with used racks. Gunborker.com. That said I have found some nice stuff in pawn shops. For instance, a very nice, peep sighted Browning 81 in .35 Remington I got for $80 less than a decade ago.