Pawn Shop Circuit: Riot Gun

I stopped by Neil's Pawn Shop today, QJ wanted to put a few bucks on his Browning Buckmark, and he had asked me to go with him. As they were passing cash, I was scanning the long gun rack behind the counter.

"Say Neil, isn't the barrel a bit short on that one?" I asked. I pointed to an oily stocked shotgun that looked like it had seen better days.

"Nope," said Neil, "That's a police gun."

"Let me have a look."

Neil handed the shotgun over, and went back to trying to sell QJ a zippered gun rug. The beat up wood was impregnated with old oil, and was sticky in a few places. The recoil pad was hard with age. Barely visible in the grain of the stock was a stenciled 6, as well as LPS6 underneath the forend. Oddly, the forend was an extended type, not really my choice, but apparently authentic. I took a look at the rollmark on the barrel. RIOT. The old gun definitely appeared to be a past lawman's weapon.

I held down the slide release and opened the chamber. Clean. Although the furniture looked like it had been bounced around in the trunk of a police cruiser, the action was like new.

"How much you want?" I asked.

"A hundred and thirty," came the response.

"One ten," I countered.

"I can't make any money like that Xavier........"

I wavered. Lord knows I have enough combat shotguns. Still, this old girl had waited patiently for years to be run hard. It was speaking to me. "I tell you what Neil, give QJ that gun rug, and I'll give you one twenty nine."

Neil looked at me, then at QJ. "Damn. I'm double teamed," he said, "Deal."