Rules Pawn Stars Have To Follow When Buying Weapons
Believe it or not, there are some rules the guys at Pawn Stars have to follow when making deals, especially with firearms. Some of these rules came from owners Rick Harrison and his father, the Old Man. Other rules are simply federal regulations and have to be followed. Either way, it's interesting to find out the guys at Pawn Stars can only buy very specific firearms at The World Famous Gold & Silver Pawn Shop in Las Vegas.
These rules have been put in place for the protection of the business and its employees. As one could imagine, Las Vegas could be a perfect place to commit a crime, and it probably wouldn't be hard to get rid of a gun in the middle of the desert. So next time you're watching the show on the History channel, or visiting the shop in person, keep an eye out for the weapons because they might be harder to come by than you think.
Check out some of the rules the Pawn Stars have to follow when buying weapons.
They cannot pawn firearms
Although you probably have seen a shotgun or rifle featured on Pawn Stars, you probably didn't realize all those items were bought and never pawned. That is because of the Old Man and something he did in his youth, which means the guys at Pawn Stars are limited to what weaponry they can buy.
According to Rick Harrison's book, License to Pawn, the Old Man stole a car in his youth, making him ineligible to receive a Federal Firearms License. Since the Old Man and Rick started this business together, they weren't able to ever receive that license, even after the Old Man's death. As a result, the weaponry that is bought has to be very specific and match a particular description.
So when you do see some weapons, specifically guns, in the store, you might actually be looking at something from the late 19th century.
They can only buy antique weapons
Although the Pawn Stars cannot purchase or pawn any new guns because of the lack of licensing, that doesn't mean they can't still buy other weapons. According to the shop's website, they are only allowed to purchase weapons manufactured in or before 1898 due to federal regulations. In other words, the guns you see on the show were made over a century ago. They still work half of the time, but it's always a mystery with weapons that old.
Another reason why they stick to antique weaponry is laziness. In his book, Rick explains that another reason why the pawn shop doesn't deal with modern firearms is that it requires a lot of paperwork. Considering the store probably already has a ton of paperwork to handle every day, the guys probably want to make their lives a little easier by creating this rule.
Once they finally purchase an old antique weapon, they must report it to the police.
Weapons and suspicious activity are reported to authorities
Whether it's a cannon or a samurai sword, the guys at Pawn Stars have to report every transaction to the federal authorities. This happens every day and is for the security of the business. Suppose a customer comes in with a weapon, and for some reason, they are acting suspicious, but they still want to pawn or sell it. In that case, the transaction, and any suspicious activity, must be reported to the chief of police by noon, according to Harrison's book.
This policy also makes it much harder for the business to get in trouble from accidentally purchasing a stolen weapon. So the guys at Pawn Stars don't only have to know an abundance of information on random objects and their historical significance. They also need to read people and determine if they are acting suspiciously. Whether they are or not, the transaction will be reported to the police.
So next time you're in Las Vegas, and you want to pawn or sell a gun to the guys at Pawn Stars, just know that it has to be older than 1898, and it will be reported to the police.