Pawn Shop Circuit: Stainless Smiths, Blue Ruger

I went by Kenny's today, and he had two stainless Smith & Wesson's out of hock. Both had rubber grips. Kenny said the same guy pawned them both. One was a 686, the other a Model 60-9 in .357 magnum. I never have been overly fond of the 686. Yes, it is one of the toughest .357 magnums ever built. It just doesn't do much for me. The one Kenny had was in excellent shape, and he had it priced at $325. Someone will be happy with that deal.

The .357 magnum Model 60-9 is a firecracker to shoot. I already own a model 60-9 that I bought at a pawn shop a couple of years ago. In fact, I think I bought it from Amber, Kenny's predecessor. I paid $235 for my Model 60-9, Kenny was asking $275 for his. It will make an excellent carry gun for someone. I already have one. I don't need another.

I drove over to Neil's on instinct. I had recently bought a Springfield GI45 from Neil, but something was drawing me to his store. Alongside the Glocks and a Taurus, Neil had added a Ruger MKII. It was a blue 4 inch taper barrel version, and it was tempting. Neil had it priced at $199, which was pretty fair. I checked it over, and the only flaw was a bit of pitting on the front sight. Even so, I could not justify buying another MKII. Instead, I called a friend who has a three year old son and informed him of the pistol's location.

Neil asked how the Springfield 1911 shot, and I told him I was happy with it. It has become more accurate and consistent since that first shoot. I suppose the barrel is settling into the lugs. It might be me adapting to the trigger. It might be a little of both. I bade Neil goodbye, and went on to other errands.