Pawn shop find -- Model 5904 -- with a question added

[olivehead1]

Hello. Just wanted to share this find at a local pawn shop, a 1996 manufacture Model 5904 at what I'd gauge to be about 90% or so. $300 OTD with one (Mec Gar) magazine. Took some WD-40 and 0000 steel wool to the slide to catch some rust spots and touched up the frame with an industrial Sharpie in a couple places. It had the typical front strap "rash" found on a lot of black anodized frames that have seen some use, but some Aluminum Black and the same Sharpie made it less noticeable. All in all I'm fairly pleased with the purchase.

[BaldEagle1313]

$300 OTD? I like your pawnshops a lot better than the ones around here...

Good find! And welcome to the Forum!

[timn8er]

Welcome to the Forum!

You did good on the 5904...I would like to pick one up myself.

[shouldazagged]

Welcome to the best gun forum around. We're glad to have you with us even if you did steal that 5904.

[cgn71]

Great find, some of the pawn shops around here have some pretty good deals but that beats all of them.

[olivehead1]

Originally Posted by BaldEagle1313

$300 OTD? I like your pawnshops a lot better than the ones around here...

Well, I've bought a few guns from this one shop and always from the same guy. A while back I picked up a Beretta 92A1 in about 90% condition for $425 out the door, originally marked $600. This 5904 was marked $380 so I threw out an offer of $300 OTD (which works out to retail price of $275 and change) and he said ok. Makes me feel like I still paid too much when he does that.

p.s. Another local pawn shop has a Model 59 in about 90%+ condition, asking $390. I've never bought anything from them but was considering throwing out a lowball offer and seeing what they say. But this one would need a pair of factory grips as it currently sports some worn Pachmayer rubber grips that make the grip feel like a soft brick.

I know the 59 and the 5904 take the same mags. Can anyone tell me if the 59 grip is appreciably thicker than a 5904 or similar grip with factory plastic grips on it?

[kaveman]

If you take the Pachmayrs off of the 59 it will just feel like a (lightweight)brick. After living with the 3rd Gens I could never go back to a 1st or 2nd generation double stack. The 39s are OK but I have no interest in the 59/459.

[N4KVE]

Great deal at $300. Makes you wonder how much they paid for the gun. GARY

[fotoman12001]

Originally Posted by olivehead1

Makes me feel like I still paid too much when he does that.

It's possible that you could have gotten it for less but I doubt anyone would say you paid too much.

[olivehead1]

Originally Posted by N4KVE

Great deal at $300. Makes you wonder how much they paid for the gun.

Yeah, I often wonder that about a lot of their stuff, especially the guns. $300 OTD translates to selling price of $275, so I have to wonder what they paid for it. $175-200 probably. Can't see them accepting less than $75-100 profit on it. Looking at Gunbroker.com, for example, given the current offerings, there's no way I could have paid less than that in total counting at a minimum $40-50 for shipping and transfer. Looks like I might have paid $425 OTD for one there, in roughly comparable condition, but with the older square trigger guard (I much prefer the rounded version).

[scoobysnacker]

That's a great deal on a nice gun!
I was able to pick up it's cheaper cousin (a 915) for right at $300 total off gunbroker, when you figure in shipping and FFL.