There are rules that a Federally licensed Firearms Dealer has to follow especially when pawning, selling or buying a gun.
In order to handle guns at all, a pawn shop has to be a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL). If you are concerned about the operation, ask to see their license. All firearms dealers are required to do a background check on you before you purchase to make sure you are not a prohibited person. At the same time, a check is run on the firearm to make sure it is not on the stolen firearm list at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Here are the rules:
Rifle or Shotgun
To pawn a long gun (rifle or shotgun), you must be:
- over 18 years of age,
- a Tennessee or Virginia resident and
- be able to pass a TBI/FBI background check when you pick your gun back up from pawn.
Handgun
To pawn or sell a handgun, you must be:
- at least 21 years old,
- a Tennessee resident (we buy but do not pawn handguns from Virginia residents) and
- be able to pass a TBI/FBI background check when you pick your gun back up from pawn.
- Only the owner/pawnee of the firearm will be allowed to pick the firearm up from pawn.
Buying a gun
The purchaser cannot buy a gun for another individual (Straw Purchase), and we do not sell to out of state customers except Virginians buying long guns. The purchaser must pass a background check performed by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
What is the value of my gun?
How can I find out the value of my gun before I talk with the pawn shop?
If you try to find your own buyer and time is not of the essence, you may get a higher price but if the buyer is a private citizen and not a FFL you remain in the tracebility path if the firearm is ever used in the performance of a crime.
The value of pawn shops is they will give you cash quickly and once the firearm’s title transfers to the FFL the traceability for investigation path starts with the FFL.
Here are some sites to get an idea of what the fair market value is of your firearm.
PriceMyGun.com
Pricemygun.com is your reliable source of information for guns and gun values online. New Guns, Used Guns, Blue Book Values & Gun Appraisals – Price My Gun. Value for selling your gun. Find the blue book value for your gun. How much is my gun worth? Gun appraisal for my handgun. Buying a gun and you don’t want to overpay. Search for gun values for free at pricemygun.com
FirearmsPriceGuide.com
The Firearms Price Guide is an ambitious project to bring a free gun price guide to the Internet. This site will take a lot of work and effort on the part of several people, but the result will be the first ever free online price guide for guns, handguns, rifles, shotguns, and lever action guns. The Firearms Price Guide (FPG) is FREE! No sign-ups, no subscriptions required. This site will be about sharing information, protecting our 2nd Amendment rights, and broadening our knowledge base.
Stop by one of Albert’s four locations to pawn, buy or sell the perfect firearm!
Albert’s has been family owned and operated since 1927. No matter what part of the Tri-Cities you’re in we have a location to serve you. With two locations in Johnson City (Albert’s Loan Office and Uncle Sam’s Pawn Liquidation), Albert’s Loan Office in Bristol and our newest store, Albert’s Pawn in Kingsport – getting top dollar for your items for pawn loans and finding that item you’ve been looking for at an unbeatable price has never been easier.