I have bought around 20 guns in pawn shops over the years. Never got "stung" once. Get yourself the "Blue Book of Gun Values" and you will be able to compare the condition of the firearm to the suggested price. The one thing to watch out for is used muzzleloaders that may not have been cleaned properly. This is a common problem but you can get some sweet deals if you point out to the pawn shop that the bore was not maintained properly. Just last week I got a 20 ga Rem 870 Youth Model for my son for $160. The gun was in 90% condition and retails for 329 new (MSRP). They are 239 new at Walmart. Like others have said, know the value of the gun you are interested in before you begin to dicker. HTH