Handled a S&W 69 today.
by Andrew 
, Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 16:55 (3930 days ago)
Interesting. I'm undecided on liking it.
![[image]](images/uploaded/20140225225305530d1ed192558.jpg)
![[image]](images/uploaded/20140225225345530d1ef9c1056.jpg)
![[image]](images/uploaded/20140225225500530d1f44952b0.jpg)
I ain't...
...I MUST have one!
Me too. I think it's like the late model flat top
by brionic , Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:44 (3930 days ago) @ Boge Quinn
We've been calling for an mid-frame .44 forever, and now we have it...
but we're put off by the screws and the finish.
Remind me how much it would cost to build one of these from a 696 and a 686 MG barrel?
Like it or not, Taurus was more than 10 years ahead.
by Andrew , Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 19:05 (3930 days ago) @ brionic
Say what you will about quality, they were there first with the Trackers. Covered all the calibers too, .41 Mag, .45 Colt, .44 Mag, .45 ACP. Multiple barrel lengths, ported, not ported.
Heck, the Taurus 441 was around many years before the 696.
Just sayin'........
Quality of a Taurus...my son wanted to carry a Tracker we
by Rob Leahy 
, Prescott, Arizona, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 20:56 (3930 days ago) @ Andrew
edited by Rob Leahy, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 21:44
had in the shop, but I made him pack a Mountain Gun as I felt better about the reliability of the S&W. I have that Trackeer for sale 500.00 wanna buy it? 
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Of the Troops & For the Troops
Had a Tracker .44 4" back in AK.
by Andrew , Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 21:18 (3930 days ago) @ Rob Leahy
Was very accurate with .44 Specials, never lit up a Magnum in it.
I gave an Airman from Eielson the $175 he wanted for it, then moved it along in the great Alaskan move-away sellout.
Handled a S&W 69 YESTERDAY (do I get a prize?).
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:19 (3930 days ago) @ Andrew
Seriously, it is a 4" 696 with matte finish and better grips AND, of course, the Magnum chambering. I showed it to a friend who stopped by the shop and he allowed that it would be perfect with .44 Special level loads, which is true. Not to stir the pot but he didn't like the lock or MIM parts (trigger really) nor did he like the matte finish. People commented on the black screw heads with the stainless gun. My price would be around $700 with employee discount. I don't know if I can get excited about it at that price.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
I think it was a good move by S&W...
by Rob Leahy , Prescott, Arizona, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:21 (3930 days ago) @ Hobie
I won't be trading off my Mountain guns any time soon...
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Of the Troops & For the Troops
I had one guy look at it and take the 4" 629 that was
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:25 (3930 days ago) @ Rob Leahy
also in the case.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
This one was priced $775.
by Andrew , Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:32 (3930 days ago) @ Hobie
edited by Andrew, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 18:37
I saw that the going price on GB was around $700-725 for the ones that sold. Still a better deal on GB than paying sales tax. I'll stick with my Astra.
Our store's cash price is $775 as well.
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 20:35 (3930 days ago) @ Andrew
I see a pattern developing.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
Hobie, we do cost plus 10% on pricing......
......until we get to $500. After that we add a flat 50 bucks. Anything over $1000 our cost is a flat 100 dollar fee.
Is that similar to what your shop is doing? Just curious.
Our biggest (and only) competitor within a 50 mile radius is a place named Ranch & Home. They are about 10 miles away. Recently they have upped their prices across the board, pretty dramatically I might add. A Springfield Armory XDM sells for $599 in our shop, and $729 in their place! 
The rest of their prices, which used to be competitive with us, have increased correspondingly. Not sure what the malfunction is, but they were outrageously bad during the last panic as well, which caused a lot of hard feelings towards them. This latest faux pas might signal some serious trouble for them with the customer base. Believe it or not, a few of the clerks there are quietly sending folks over to our shop! In fact, their clerks buy from us, as our prices are better than what they get.....with the employee discount.
Strange how some folks do business. I hope their sales of Carhart and Wranglers makes up the difference.
Otony
I'd feel better discussing this with you off-line.
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 08:21 (3929 days ago) @ Otony
.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
at 10% How do you keep the lights on?
by Rob Leahy , Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 08:23 (3929 days ago) @ Otony
Unless you have another income stream into the biz, it doesn't seam feasible.
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Of the Troops & For the Troops
Two things, one is volume.....
........we move a tremendous number of firearms. Our rep at Davidsons informed that we are one of his largest accounts. Here is a good example, we started a new bound book last March, and filled it before the end of the year. I will have to check, but that is a significant number of guns. We average buying a minimum of $3000 to $4000 worth of guns per week.
Second, and very significantly, we are also a pawn shop. The State of Washington sets our interest rate, which is 25% on a loan. You would be shocked at the number of folks who come in and repawn on the 90th day, that is, simply pay the interest and start a new 90 day wait.
Frankly, the pawn shop end of things pays the bills, and the gunshop side is icing. We have a captive audience. As I mentioned, other than Ranch & Home, you have to drive an hour plus to reach another shop. And the boss is lenient re: late pawns. Depending on the customer, he will charge a late fee rather than keeping the item, which insures repeat business. Rare in the pawn industry.
And I never mentioned the profit margin on used guns. Guns lost in pawn cost peanuts. If a used gun is in good shape, like new, we price it a 100 bucks less than what we sell it for new. Great price for our customer, but I guarantee we are making more off of it than on a new gun.
Same, same, when the boss buys a gun from someone. The most he will give is about 60% of wholesale, and that doesn't happen often. He has no qualms about lowballing people, a practice I'm not too comfortable with, but that is the way a pawn shop runs.
Honestly, pawn shops are like heroin in some respects. A huge part of the customer base is dependent on the shop, and will never get the monkey off their back. I was hired to work the gun end of things, and try to stay with that as much as possible.
Otony
Yep, the Pawn biz feeds the rest. It is hardly worth
by Rob Leahy , Prescott, Arizona, Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 13:51 (3929 days ago) @ Otony
the effort to receive enter the gun and customer info at 10%...
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Of the Troops & For the Troops
I would say that the money is in the used guns and
by Hobie , Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 18:31 (3929 days ago) @ Rob Leahy
the ammo and accessories. IF you can get the stuff, you do pretty well. Two local shops are gone because they could not get ammo. Nothing to sell, nothing from which to make a profit.
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Sincerely,
Hobie
I could probably have this for $800 out the door.
by Andrew , Bloomington, IN, Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 21:24 (3930 days ago) @ Hobie
However, you can have some very fine one-of-a-kind items for close to the same price.
![[image]](images/uploaded/20140226032406530d5e56e411c.jpg)
When I first saw it online I thought...
by rob , Tuesday, February 25, 2014, 21:58 (3930 days ago) @ Andrew
I had to have one!!! After thinking on it a bit I'm pretty sure I'd just as soon carry my 4" 629. What I really need is someone who wants to trade a 4 5/8" stainless SBH for a 7.5" Redhawk .44.