The things you hear at a Gun Store...

[Pat Riot]

It's a sunny day and I rode my motorcycle to work so I decided to take a ride (and a long lunch) and go over to Cabela's - yes, I know I complained about them. I may be a bit perturbed at them but its still a great place to look at toys and burn time.

 

Anyway, I was in the Gun Library just looking around and this guy walks in carrying a rifle that he found on the rack outside the gun room. Just so you know the guy was carrying a Winchester model 70 in .300 Win Mag. It had the scope bases on it but no scope. It looked like a nice rifle,

 

He asked the clerk, and I kid you not, "How far will this rifle shoot"? 

Clerk: "How far do you want to shoot and what are you holding there"?

Guy ".300 Winchester Magnum"

Clerk "What is it that you wish to shoot"?

Guy "Out far"

Clerk "Out far?..but what are you shooting"?

Guy "I just want to know how far it will shoot".

Clerk "Let me see it".

He takes the rifle and looks it over like there are instructions on it or some indication of what the guy wants to know.

Clerk, handing the rifle back, "I don't know...maybe 400...500 yards"

At this point I made it a point to stop where I was and get interested in some gun in the case. These guys are both not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Guy "I need something that shoots further"

Clerk "How much further"?

Guy "Oh, 8 or 9 hundred yards".

Clerk "Hang on a moment".

The clerk goes into the office and I here him say;

"Hey, will a .300 Win Mag shoot 8 or 9 hundred yards"?

At this point I was going to chime in and tell the guy that the .300 Win Mag is capable of kill shots out past a 1000 yards depending on the game but this guy really didn't look like he was all there. I had this thought in my head of me being interrogated by the police and saying "I had no idea the guy wanted to shoot someone"...but I digress...

I don't hear what is said in the office but he comes back out.

Clerk "Yes, this rifle will shoot 8 or 9 hundred yards...I didn't know that, sorry".

Guy "That's okay. So it will shoot 8 or 9 hundred yards you say"?

Clerk "Yep, that's what they said in the office".

Guy "Okay...where do I get ammo for this thing"?

Clerk "We can help you with that but, again, what are you looking to shoot with this rifle"

Guy "I don't know. I have a scope for it".

Clerk "What kind of scope"?

Guy "Nine power"

Clerk "No, what kind of scope"?

Guy "I don't know...it's black".

At this point I was done so I left the Gun Library and meandered over to the pistol counter and I heard a guy say;

"Now that's not a manly gun, there, Bob"

I look over and there are 2 Nimrods looking at and handling pistols.

"Bob" puts the pistol back on the counter and tells the clerk "Looks like I need a manlier gun...let me see that one".

 

I left.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Good Lord...  

[Widder, SASS #59054]

Everybody knows that when you want a rifle to shoot further, you got to pull the trigger harder.....   

 

..........Widder

 

[Warden Callaway]

Unfortunately....  there are people who shouldn't own guns and there are people that shouldn't sale guns. 

[Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172]

Like I said before, "Some folks just scare me."

[Cat Brules]

How about some guy from Oildale, fondling the extra-long barrel of a .44 Mag of some sort, going......."Goldang, man!  This thing is almost sexual!!"  (Clerk steps back a bit.....I move off to the freeze dried food section.). Yikes.

[Warden Callaway]

A guy explained to me the magic of a 6.5 Carcano actualy shoots flatter as the bullet passes 100 yards.  Then he told me he had a 12x scope on his 30-30.  Better for shooting in brush, you know. 

[Noz]

I like the discussion about the 270 where the smart one tells the dumb one that "a 270 will shoot flat out to 2-300 yards then it will rise just a little".

 

 

 

Other side of the coin: I was in a rather large gun shop/pawn shop on  my quest for a Ruger Red Hawk in 41 Mag. The owner told me I was being foolish because Ruger had never made any firearms in 41 mag.

[Warden Callaway]

29 minutes ago, Noz said:

I like the discussion about the 270 where the smart one tells the dumb one that "a 270 will shoot flat out to 2-300 yards then it will rise just a little".

 

Maybe if you hold the rifle upside-down.  

[Pat Riot]

No, Man, sideways...you hold 'em sideways. All the baddest people do....

[Utah Bob #35998]

Don't get me started.

 

[Widder, SASS #59054]

8 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

No, Man, sideways...you hold 'em sideways. All the baddest people do....

 

Pat,

I can shoot UP and I can shoot DOWN.

 

But every time I try to shoot sideways, somebody on the Posse gives me a 170 violation penalty.....     

 

..........Widder

 

[Pat Riot]

1 minute ago, Widowmaker Hill SASS #59054 said:

 

Pat,

I can shoot UP and I can shoot DOWN.

 

But every time I try to shoot sideways, somebody on the Posse gives me a 170 violation penalty.....     

 

..........Widder

 

You're doing it wrong...Ya gotta hold your mouth in a grimace and look really mean...then ya tilt the gun over and empty the magazine...oh yeah, you have to cock it several times for effect before you actually fire it. 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Brings up the memory of standing in Stan's Sporting Goods in Daly City, back in the mid 70's...

 

Two young (early to mid-20's) guys were regaling the very knowledgeable sales person, old Lloyd Arrowsmith, with tales of their hunting prowess.  He listened patiently, until one of 'em groused about their last trip and only getting a couple of "sound shots." At that point he very quietly yet firmly escorted them from the premises and revoked their return visit privileges. 

 

Wish ol' Lloyd was still with us... and a few more like him. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

I was working part time at a gun shop/range for awhile, here's one for ya:

 

Customer, "I need some slugs"

Me, "12 guage, 20 guage???

 

Customer, "No man..... 9 mm"!!!!

[Yul Lose]

I was in a local gun shop the other day and the sales person was showing the potential customer a rifle and had spent quite a bit of time with the guy. Just as I was leaving I heard the customer tell the sale guy that he wanted to look the rifle over and see what he was getting before he bought it on a gun auction site, they were $50.00 cheaper than the gun shop. He probably doesn't know that by the time you pay all of the fees and charges associated with doing that in Kalifornia he'll being paying more money for the rifle.

[John Barleycorn, SASS #76982]

I get the old "How many rounds fired through it" like guns have round counters on the side, or they wear out at 10,000

[Calico Mary]

if it's any consolation, I've heard some pretty stupid comments at the fabric store too.....

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

11 minutes ago, Calico Mary said:

if it's any consolation, I've heard some pretty stupid comments at the fabric store too.....

 

I don't think that stupid people with fabric could hurt somebody.

[Calico Mary]

fabric no, but with scissors and other sharp objects it is possible....

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

A friend once asked me 'Whats the perfect caliber?'

Hmmmm....

Best

CR

 

[Wyatt Earp SASS#1628L]

Was in a gun store once looking at a Marlin 94 in 45 Colt. When I saw it was a micro-groove barrel I told the guy I was not interested as the gun would not be good for cowboy action and lead bullets. He told me "that's OK", this rifle was not allowed in Cowboy Action anyway because "it was too accurate."

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

We kept a spiral notebook of stupid questions we'd get asked when I worked for The Flintlock.  We were up to about 40 pages out of 50 in the book when I left.

 

My favorite was a guy who blew his single shot percussion pistol up.

 

Ray: "What kind of powder were you using?"

Guy: "Black powder like the hand book said."

Ray: "Where did you get the powder?"

Guy: "I cut open a couple of shotgun shells."

Ray: "Son, that isn't black powder."

Guy: "Sure was.  Just as black as it could be."

 

At that point I walked away because it isn't nice to laugh at customers.

[Sixgun Seamus]

Not a gun store but...........Back in the early 70's I was working in a steel mill. It was midnight shift and the security guards made regular rounds. One night as boredom was setting in, I asked one of the guards on duty what kind of guns they carried. He looked at me kind of dumbfounded, looked down at his holstered revolver, lifted it up to look at it and answered, (and I quote exactly) "I don't know, some of them have long barrels and some have short ones".

 

.....And they let that guy carry a gun?

[Dantankerous]

I'm sorry I read this thread. I think I just got dumber.  

[Dubious Don #56333]

12 hours ago, Yul Lose said:

I was in a local gun shop the other day and the sales person was showing the potential customer a rifle and had spent quite a bit of time with the guy. Just as I was leaving I heard the customer tell the sale guy that he wanted to look the rifle over and see what he was getting before he bought it on a gun auction site, they were $50.00 cheaper than the gun shop. He probably doesn't know that by the time you pay all of the fees and charges associated with doing that in Kalifornia he'll being paying more money for the rifle.

LOL,

I try to keep an even keel....unlike my pard at the store who....with good reason mind you, gets a bit bent at the stupidity of people. We reluctantly do transfers in. $35 bucks and I can tell you its not enough considering the regulatory hassles you have to deal with. But lets face it; internet sales ain't going away and I might as well make something if customers are going to shop online for stuff I have on the rack or can get in a lot of cases....cheaper.

 

Guy wants to buy a rifle from another guy in the state of okiechobie. We can receive rifles from individuals in another State but need a clear copy of their driver's license, BOTH sides. What do we get? A rifle in a box with a different shipping address on the box than the paperwork inside says, from a DEALER with a copy of their FFL...and only one side of this guy's license. This dealer ships us a rifle, probably all they did was use ex-check and sent it to us WITHOUT having a signed copy of our FFL. The first problem is, how do I log it? The shipping label says it came from the guy. His driver's license copy (half of it anyway) is inside and he's the "seller". Or is it the FFL? Of course no one answers the phone. Yeah, ATF got a call....and the guy is miffed cuz he can't get his rifle until the paperwork gets cleared up.

 

We have customers who buy collectables; 1903's, Garands, stuff like that they can't always find locally so they use auction sites. Don't blame'em, there's tons of stuff out there and its a way to expand your 'field' so to speak. You want that unobtanium gun? The white unicorn? Internet. But geez I wish some people would be a little more 'up' on the regs.

[DocWard]

I had a very old guy come in looking for ww6 bullets. Thinking I misunderstood him, I asked him again. He repeated "ww6." Now I was confused. I asked him what kind of firearm they were for. He told me they were for his old pistol. I asked him what make it was and he couldn't remember. He just remembered when he bought it, the guy told him it took a "very" particular kind of bullet, and he had run out. So he wrote down what it took off the gun itself to bring to the store. He showed me the piece of paper, and then the light went on. ww6 is 9mm upside down...

[Dubious Don #56333]

How far does that rifle shoot?

Heard that one.

 

Will it shoot a thousand yards? (223)

I think his eyes glazed over about thirty seconds into my five minute answer.

 

Y'all got any extendos for my nine? (he meant an extended magazine)

Which gun do you have?

A nine.

 

LOL.

 

Yesterday, near closing, husband and wife come looking for advice on shotguns to use for trap and skeet shooting. They're obviously excited, been into it about a month and are having lots of fun. Hungry for information and boy, did they get it. Talked about chokes. How they affect shot spread. Barrel length. Length of pull. Should have seen the wife's eyes light up when I handed her a compact 870 20ga and it FIT her.....wow. Spent quite a bit of time showing them different shotguns and patiently explaining what's what.

 

Its nice to see people excited about the shooting sport and the majority of my customers are not like the OP's example. They're just entertainment....LOL

[Wolfgang, SASS #53480]

15 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

 

Maybe if you hold the rifle upside-down.  

 

That is a GREAT eye-D-'r . . . . .     I shudd'a thunk of that wun. . . . .

[Rye Miles #13621]

Customer: I need a gauge

Me: What kind of gauge??

 

Customer: One of them (as he pointed to a cut down shotgun)

[Pat Riot]

Some good ones here...and some roll your eyes "ones".

 

Without quoting and copying and pasting...

I think a lot of the dumber comments from folks are just folks wanting to "fit in" and speak the lingo that they over heard someone else say but some people are just plain dumb.

 

The comments regarding people buying on line after they have wasted a gun store person's time reminded me that back in the 80's and 90's in SoCal there was a store called B&B Sales. They had 2 locations. One in Hollywood (yep, Hollywood) and one in Westminster CA in Orange County. They had the very best prices you could find on new guns and military curios in the state.

There was also a sporting goods chain called Turner's Outdoorsman. They sold new firearms as well as hunting and fishing gear. I don't know how many times I heard people comment to the the Turner's folks "Thanks for your help. They have this at B&B cheaper so I am going over there to buy it". That really used to frost the Turner's folks, and I don't blame 'em. Here a guy spends a half hour educating a customer on a firearm or helping him select a firearm and the customer tells them that.

I have always been one that if a gun store salesman has spent time with me on something I buy from them, even if the price is higher, because I know the value of time and those folks aren't there for their health. I reward people helping me through the reciprocity of purchasing their goods. Fair is fair. On the other hand if a salesman is a di** I move on and don't waste their time or my money.

Anyway one Turner's sales guy had the right idea. Some dude was looking to buy a 1911. Turner's price was okay but I knew that B&B had the same Springfield Armory gun for $20 cheaper.  At that time I think those base model gun were around $300. ON to the story...

The guy buying the gun said "Thanks, let me think about it". As he was walking away he said to his buddy "Let's go to B&B".

The Turner's guy hears this and says "Hey buddy, come back here. I need to tell you something"

The guy returns to the counter.

The sales guy says, pointing at the last gun he just showed the guy, "Is this the gun you are headed over to B&B to buy"?

The guy says "Yes" showing obvious embarrassment.

Sales guy picks up the phone and calls B&B and asks about that particular gun. After a minute or so he hangs up and says.

"Yep, they have that gun at the Hollywood store but not the one here down the road. They won't transfer the gun from the Hollywood store to down here (we were in Orange County) unless you pay a $20 fee, but you can drive to Hollywood and pick that one up"

Guy "Uh...Thanks. I guess I will do that then".

Sales guy "How much do you make an hour"?

Guy "$15, why"?

Sales guy " I make about the same. You just wasted about 40 minutes of my time and you are going to go buy the gun at our competitor's store. So, you cost my employer at least $10, not including other costs in running a business so let's just say you wasted $20 of my boss's money and my time, which is my boss's time. Now traffic to Hollywood at this time of day will take you about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, at least. That's about $20 of YOUR time, plus gas. What kind of car do you drive"?

Guy "Chevy truck, why"

At this point every eye and ear in the gun department is on these 2 and there are 3 gun salesmen and about 20 customers at the counter - it's a Saturday.

Sales guy "That truck probably gets, what, 10, 12 miles to the gallon"? Guy shakes his head yes.

Sales guy "So B&B up there is about 32 miles away, so there and back you are looking at what, maybe 6 gallons of gas at a buck and a quarter a gallon"? Guy shakes head.

Sales guy "So let's do the math. $20 of your time, plus $20 of my time plus about $7.50 in gas and oh, yeah. twenty-five cents for the phone call and this doesn't include the time I have wasted here talking to you about this, right'? Guy shakes head.

Sales guy "AND that doesn't include you time standing her now so let's just add another $20 for your time. We are looking at $67.50 in wasted money because you want to get this gun $20 cheaper somewhere else..."

Guy shakes head and starts stammering.

Sales guy "Why not just buy the gun here and get it over with. I have the gun here and you like the gun, so what do ya say, you wanna buy the gun"?

Guy says "Uh, yeah, sure" and reaches for his wallet.

EVERY GUY IN THAT STORE CHEERED AND CLAPPED!...including the sales staff. That was awesome! 

 

That sales guy was promoted a while later. Funny thing is he used the same logic I do when it comes to all my purchases and my dealings at work. Time is money, even if it's off time.

 

 

[Seldom Seen #16162]

9 hours ago, DocWard said:

I had a very old guy come in looking for ww6 bullets. Thinking I misunderstood him, I asked him again. He repeated "ww6." Now I was confused. I asked him what kind of firearm they were for. He told me they were for his old pistol. I asked him what make it was and he couldn't remember. He just remembered when he bought it, the guy told him it took a "very" particular kind of bullet, and he had run out. So he wrote down what it took off the gun itself to bring to the store. He showed me the piece of paper, and then the light went on. ww6 is 9mm upside down...

 

Shame on you for selling him the wrong bullets.

 

He has a Australian model 9mm pistol.  Since Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere the markings on the gun will be upside down when he is in the Northern Hemisphere.  No reason to be embarrassed as they are rarely seen in the U.S.  We recently had a long discussion on the forum about the differences in using Australian model guns.

[Pat Riot]

1 minute ago, Seldom Seen #16162 said:

 

Shame on you for selling him the wrong bullets.

 

He has a Australian model 9mm pistol.  Since Australian is in the Southern Hemisphere the markings on the gun will be upside down when he is in the Northern Hemisphere.  No reason to be embarrassed as they are rarely seen in the U.S.  We recently had a long discussion on the forum about the differences in using Australian model guns.

 

Seldom Seen, I think you are on to something there. Maybe those folks whose rounds go UP after traveling 2 or 300 yards are well assimilated Aussie's with American accents? 

[J-BAR #18287]

I'm loving it!  This thread nominated for "Thread of the Month"!

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

39 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Some good ones here...and some roll your eyes "ones".

 

Without quoting and copying and pasting...

I think a lot of the dumber comments from folks are just folks wanting to "fit in" and speak the lingo that they over heard someone else say but some people are just plain dumb.

 

The comments regarding people buying on line after they have wasted a gun store person's time reminded me that back in the 80's and 90's in SoCal there was a store called B&B Sales. They had 2 locations. One in Hollywood (yep, Hollywood) and one in Westminster CA in Orange County. They had the very best prices you could find on new guns and military curios in the state.

There was also a sporting goods chain called Turner's Outdoorsman. They sold new firearms as well as hunting and fishing gear. I don't know how many times I heard people comment to the the Turner's folks "Thanks for your help. They have this at B&B cheaper so I am going over there to buy it". That really used to frost the Turner's folks, and I don't blame 'em. Here a guy spends a half hour educating a customer on a firearm or helping him select a firearm and the customer tells them that.

I have always been one that if a gun store salesman has spent time with me on something I buy from them, even if the price is higher, because I know the value of time and those folks aren't there for their health. I reward people helping me through the reciprocity of purchasing their goods. Fair is fair. On the other hand if a salesman is a di** I move on and don't waste their time or my money.

Anyway one Turner's sales guy had the right idea. Some dude was looking to buy a 1911. Turner's price was okay but I knew that B&B had the same Springfield Armory gun for $20 cheaper.  At that time I think those base model gun were around $300. ON to the story...

The guy buying the gun said "Thanks, let me think about it". As he was walking away he said to his buddy "Let's go to B&B".

The Turner's guy hears this and says "Hey buddy, come back here. I need to tell you something"

The guy returns to the counter.

The sales guy says, pointing at the last gun he just showed the guy, "Is this the gun you are headed over to B&B to buy"?

The guy says "Yes" showing obvious embarrassment.

Sales guy picks up the phone and calls B&B and asks about that particular gun. After a minute or so he hangs up and says.

"Yep, they have that gun at the Hollywood store but not the one here down the road. They won't transfer the gun from the Hollywood store to down here (we were in Orange County) unless you pay a $20 fee, but you can drive to Hollywood and pick that one up"

Guy "Uh...Thanks. I guess I will do that then".

Sales guy "How much do you make an hour"?

Guy "$15, why"?

Sales guy " I make about the same. You just wasted about 40 minutes of my time and you are going to go buy the gun at our competitor's store. So, you cost my employer at least $10, not including other costs in running a business so let's just say you wasted $20 of my boss's money and my time, which is my boss's time. Now traffic to Hollywood at this time of day will take you about an hour and fifteen minutes to get there, at least. That's about $20 of YOUR time, plus gas. What kind of car do you drive"?

Guy "Chevy truck, why"

At this point every eye and ear in the gun department is on these 2 and there are 3 gun salesmen and about 20 customers at the counter - it's a Saturday.

Sales guy "That truck probably gets, what, 10, 12 miles to the gallon"? Guy shakes his head yes.

Sales guy "So B&B up there is about 32 miles away, so there and back you are looking at what, maybe 6 gallons of gas at a buck and a quarter a gallon"? Guy shakes head.

Sales guy "So let's do the math. $20 of your time, plus $20 of my time plus about $7.50 in gas and oh, yeah. twenty-five cents for the phone call and this doesn't include the time I have wasted here talking to you about this, right'? Guy shakes head.

Sales guy "AND that doesn't include you time standing her now so let's just add another $20 for your time. We are looking at $67.50 in wasted money because you want to get this gun $20 cheaper somewhere else..."

Guy shakes head and starts stammering.

Sales guy "Why not just buy the gun here and get it over with. I have the gun here and you like the gun, so what do ya say, you wanna buy the gun"?

Guy says "Uh, yeah, sure" and reaches for his wallet.

EVERY GUY IN THAT STORE CHEERED AND CLAPPED!...including the sales staff. That was awesome! 

 

That sales guy was promoted a while later. Funny thing is he used the same logic I do when it comes to all my purchases and my dealings at work. Time is money, even if it's off time.

 

 

Bought many 'toys' from B&B. Good folks to deal with. 

Sad the HMFIC of B&B couldn't handle his $$$$ better than he did.

Was in the Turners in Torrance, 1 time just after it opened-The arrogant SOB behind the counter made a rude remark to my then wife. Didn't like the fact I drug his arse over the counter to confront him..........After PD arrived, and talked to witnesses. The officer in charge told the clerk, he would have done the same thing ....... I was later told that store mgt. took no action against that clerk.  That outfit will never see a penny from me.

OLG