The Rare 4-Barrel Speargun That Sold For Thousands On Pawn Stars
Usually when a customer brings a firearm to be featured on "Pawn Stars," it is some kind of antique. Things like muzzle-loading rifles from the Revolutionary War to single-action revolvers from the American Old West are fairly standard among the items seen throughout the show. However, there is one case of a customer bringing in something more modern. However, even among modern weapons, it likely isn't what you'd expect.
Instead of a musket or a blunderbuss, one customer delivers a speargun used for fishing in the Season 15 episode "Big Fish in a Small Pawn." However, this isn't just any speargun. As the name implies, it works like other spearguns by firing a short, metal spear using compressed air. The only difference is that this gun has four separate barrels. The seller, a bald, bearded man named Rick, claims he's looking to sell the gun so that he can repair his fishing boat. He asks for $7,000.
Corey, who is handling this particular sale, is interested in the exotic sportsmans' weapon. However, he is unsure if he has the legal authority to sell it. As he is licensed for antique firearms only, it might be illegal for him to take it. By the end of the day, somebody does buy the speargun, and it isn't Corey. Here's how it sold for thousands in an unexpected way.
How the seller lands a prize catch buyer in Corey's expert
In order to determine the speargun's true value, as well as whether he can legally buy and sell the item, Corey calls in a gun expert to take a look, as seen in the episode. The expert is Alex Cranmer, a professional firearms salesman. He quickly identifies the speargun as a Johnson SMG (submarine gun) Mk IV, a rare kind of speargun that was only available for a few years before Johnson was bought out by a New Zealand company.
Since the speargun is almost assuredly a modern firearm, Corey is unable to sell the item, and so he must pass on the deal. However, Cranmer is legally licensed to sell such firearms and seems rather interested in the item. He appraises the item at $7,500 and invites Rick to come and test the weapon on a local range.
At the range, Cranmer finally gets a chance to try out the speargun, firing one of its four projectiles deep into the gaseous heart of a tied-down shark balloon. Afterward, he becomes set on purchasing the weapon, offering $2,000 as his initial bid. However, Rick was looking for $7,000 and proceeded to barter hard with Cranmer. The two go back and forth before they decide on $3,500. It may not be the massive sum Rick initially wanted, but now he can fix his boat. Meanwhile, Cranmer is primed to make a nice profit off of this rare piece of fishing gear.