No?
Like the majority of FFL locations in West Virginia, it is a pawn shop. He is located West of Beckley, WV and usually has about 20 guns or so in stock.
I would assume that you would simply not belive how many gun stores there are in WV. Where I live, in the Kanawha Valley there are around 30, within a 50 mile line. I pass 4 gun stores on my way to work, all of which are in a 15 mile area, or straight line.
On the weekends, if there is not, and sometimes when there is a gun show I make a day out of hitting all of the stores in a given region of the state. This past weekend I hit the "coal fields" which took me to the Southern tip of the state, into Kentucky and then in a triangle, to the western tip of the state, and back around east to home. When I go to an out of state gun show, I hit every store I see. No exceptions-
I found the Finn M91 at the very last store I hit, which is in Wayne, WV....in the middle of nowhere. I am telling you, this is a big damn store. He must have several thousand guns, and it's wierd cause he is 20 miles from a "major city", where you'd think the market is.
So, I can easily say that I can drive 300 miles, hit 20+ gun stores and then the flea markets, and bring back only one rifle; sometimes none at all...well most of the time, until lately; this has been the case.
Like I said in another post; I have been hitting this one store a block from my work, 2 times a week for 4 years and have found nothing, until this week.
At this time I would have to guess that I am the soul milsurp collector in WV. It's like things gravitate to me, and myself to them, likewise. A good example would be a gun show a few years back. I had purchased a K31, and as I was walking out I saw 2 rifles on a table...one was a Swiss Vetterli, and the other was a Schmidt Ruben 1896/11, both in excellect condition. They sat side by side for 2 days......I asked how much.....he said "how much you gimme for these here wall-hangers?" I said (sarcastically) "I'd give you 200 for both!" and he accepted with pleasure.......
That's an EASY $700 worth of guns for $200.....that no one but me wanted. Another example would be walking into a store filled with hunting rifles.....and one Pre-89 Armalite AR-180 on the wall, with a scope, priced at $950. The owner said someone offered $350 for the scope alone the previous day.....
.....so I once again, sarcastically offered $600 for the $1300+ gem of a rifle......(without the scope:silly)
...the owner grabbed a 4473, and I took it home.......QUICKLY.
This happens everywhere I go.
I believe it's because of the hunters here. They don't want "old inaccurate war rifles" and especially not "assault rifles".......unless that is, it's an SKS. Beat up Chinese ones can fetch $300+ around here.
When you walk into a store you will see 4 things:
Hunting rifles
Assault rifles
Complete milsurp rifles
Bubba'd milsurp rifles.......alot of them.
The funny thing is, the complete misurp rifles are AWAYS THE CHEAPEST, in any form, in alomst every shop. Case in point, my M91. At the same location I purchased it there were 2 other chopped up Mosin Nagant M91s. Both had cut stock, barrel and a scope mounted......yet...they were all at least $100 higher than the Finn!!!!!! (an everyday thing.)
I guess they feel that no one wants to take the time to bubba the gun, when they can get one already bubba'd. At another store I found a SMLE #4 for $160. Beside it were several chopped SMLES in the $200 price range.
No one, I mean no one around here wants an old, heavy military rifle. They have no collector's value around here; they are just in the way.
The only exception to that rule are US rifles...these people always know how much a US rifle is worth. You can find and 03' Springfield above book price, and right beside it a ultra-rare import for pennies on the dollar.
And then there are just plain stupid people. People like the SVT seller, the 2 finns and other mis-marked guns...and.........and!! the GEM MINT 1886 Lebel I ran into......
I was at the gun show a few miles away, and I had just stole a Vetterli and was talking to the dealer. I mentioned I was in the market for a Lebel...so the dealer points and says "right there is one." I walk up the the man walking around with the Lebel and ask "how much?" He says $200....
My heart stopped.....I was out of cash. He then said he'd take trade, so I asked him to follow me home where I tradded him an old, retail, typical shotgun and a cheap 30-30 I payed $100 for.
He had no need for the Lebel. All he wanted was a "deer rifle" for season.
Yes, he was stupid. But he was happy with his deer gun, and I was happy with my beautiful museum quality piece.
The great thing is.....is that everyone around here is like him, and it gets better around Christmas (Yummy!!!!) when all the desperate idiots start pawning in their grand daddy's "old war rifles" so they can buy their wives and kids cheap retail crap.
The best days to hunt for milsurp are days when football is on. Virtually no one leaves the house, so the goodies are left to me!
I know there are ALOT of veterans in this state, veterans with rifles. I dunno about Austin....it's kind.....um? "out there", so....that might be the problem.
Anyways.......you'll get your's someday bro- Until then....you'll know where I'll be!!!!!!!
ADDED* Last winter I watched a dealer con a veteran out of an all-matching, perfect G-43....for $600. There is even a story of a "kid" having his mom trade his dead grandpa's G-41 for a newly made Winchester model 1894 a few miles away!!!!!!! Ironically, a few days after hearing this, I watched a G-41 in southen Ohio, on Gunbroker, go for I believe it was $8,000+. :bang
