Pawn Shop Circuit: 38 Snub Quest

Today I set out on the pawn shop circuit on a quest. I needed to find a .38 snubbie, preferably a Smith or a Colt for $300 or less. The reason was simple. Cussin' Bob has a buddy who has a Sistema who wants to trade it off for a 38 snub. Now Cussin' Bob's buddy will sell the Sistema outright, but will likely want more than it is worth to me. He will also trade it dead even for a snub. I have several snubbies, but none that I really want to let go of for another Sistema, as I already have two Sistemas. Never the less, I would not mind owning an additional Sistema if the price was right. To keep Cussin' Bob hound dogging around for a GI 1911, it would be advantageous to try to at least look at the other guns he locates. Thus I will be heading up into the piney woods to meet up with Bob and his buddy on Sunday. It would be nice to have trade fodder. I hope that makes sense........

38 snubbies are hard to find on the open market here. It's the typical cajun carry gun. They are everywhere, but in people's pockets, not on the shelves. Dave still had his Ruger Security Six on the shelf for $189. It's a shame it's not a snubbie, it would be ideal. It might be a possibility, but I don't want to buy the Ruger and be stuck with it. Of course Dave does have a 30 day money back guarantee that he stands by. I would hate to abuse that though........

Neil had brought a Ruger P89 out, and had placed it beside the Sig P220 in the case. No snubs.

Amber's Walther and Glock were still on the block, but again, no snubbies.

I decided to hit a few shops that I usually pass by to see what they have. One had a selection of new Taurus snubbies for under $200, but I don't want to trade off a Taurus if I do not know the gun. Another pawn shop had a new Charter Arms Undercover under the glass. I felt the same way about it. I just don't want to trade off something I am unsure of, especially if I know the fellow is going to carry it.

I swung into one final pawn shop beside the college. This shop had a nice looking Colt 1903 Hammerless. It was priced at $199. Wow! I asked to see it. The pawnbroker smiled and pulled it out. Awwck! On the reverse side of the gun, somebody had apparently used a hammer and cold chisel to try to remove the thumb safety. I had never seen anything like it. It looked like a gopher freaking out on meth had gnawed the pistol all over. It was ruined. I handed it back to the proprietor.

I called Bob tonight and let him know I will make the trip out on Sunday, but I would be carrying cash instead of a snubbie.