Pawn Shop Circuit: A Combat Masterpiece
It was a dreary rainy day today, and I spent the first half of it not doing much at all. I had planned on getting in touch with Cussin' Bob and taking him his gun, but he wasn't answering his phone. 
Finally, cabin fever set in, so I set out into the rain to hit a few pawn shops.
Dave's shop was first, and he had added a couple of pistols to his display. One was a Glock the other a Ruger MKII stainless with a tapered barrel for $199. I did not need another MKII, but that pistol will be a sweet deal for somebody.
As I entered Neil's place, I spied a new black revolver in the case beside the reblued and bobbed .455 Hand Ejector. I asked Neil pull out the new arrival. It was a pristine S&W Model 15-3 wearing the original magnas. This revolver had apparently fired less than 50 rounds.
The trigger was smooth and sweet as a fudge sundae. The cylinder locked up tight and the chambers aligned perfectly. The barrel was pinned. I flipped the tag over to reveal a $199 price. That was to much to bear. I asked for a 4473 form.
Neil laughed, he said he had placed the revolver in the case this morning, that it had only been out of hock for three hours. He went on to say that if it had been a .357 magnum, it would have been his.
The Model 15 is the descendent of the K-38. Like the K-38, the Model 15 was one of the sweetest shooting wheelguns Smith & Wesson ever produced. At $199, it is a steal.
Finally, cabin fever set in, so I set out into the rain to hit a few pawn shops. Dave's shop was first, and he had added a couple of pistols to his display. One was a Glock the other a Ruger MKII stainless with a tapered barrel for $199. I did not need another MKII, but that pistol will be a sweet deal for somebody.
As I entered Neil's place, I spied a new black revolver in the case beside the reblued and bobbed .455 Hand Ejector. I asked Neil pull out the new arrival. It was a pristine S&W Model 15-3 wearing the original magnas. This revolver had apparently fired less than 50 rounds.
The trigger was smooth and sweet as a fudge sundae. The cylinder locked up tight and the chambers aligned perfectly. The barrel was pinned. I flipped the tag over to reveal a $199 price. That was to much to bear. I asked for a 4473 form. Neil laughed, he said he had placed the revolver in the case this morning, that it had only been out of hock for three hours. He went on to say that if it had been a .357 magnum, it would have been his.
The Model 15 is the descendent of the K-38. Like the K-38, the Model 15 was one of the sweetest shooting wheelguns Smith & Wesson ever produced. At $199, it is a steal.
Labels: Combat Masterpiece, Pawn Shop Circuit
posted by Xavier at 4:12 PM
7 Comments:
Nice!
You really do have all the luck.
I want to move somewhere with pawnshops.
sterno's comment leads to a question: how long did it take to develop the "trapline" that you now run?
And how often do you scout new territory for sign? Would you characterize Maw and Paw's Rusty Iron and Wurms Emporium as typical?
Maw and Paw's is the typical place. I am forutnate to live in a city with an abundance of pawn shops. There are over ten in town.
I am also fortunate to have a job that allows me to travel the circuit and pop in my three favorite shops at least every other day. After that, the key is finding the shops that make money off loans, not guns, and building a friendly relationship.
If the price isn't right, I let the gun lie, like Dave's two Colts, and the .455HE at Neil's. At these places I don't have to dicker. I simply buy or pass.
It's nice to see someone else who likes the old Smiths. Well into my second "gun childhood" I recently found a 2nd M. Hand Ejector in .455, and last month a sweet little M-39-2 9mm. Smith lost the secret recipe over the recent years. Shame.
That's a beauty, a keeper!
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