Things I've Learned Working in a Gun Store

[cconn]

and the "i need to buy a handgun for my wife"... "give me a .38 airweight... she needs something light and simple".

Do people realize how insulting that is? Do you think your wife can't figure out how to use a handgun? Give me a break.

JOe

The main thing I looked for when buying my wife a handgun was simple. Not that she isn't intelligent, she is a lawyer and smarter than me. But she is not into guns, only shoots when I make her. I wanted something she could pick up while panicking and just pull the trigger, not safeties. Ended up buying her a XD9. Not insulting, just realistic.

 

[proforguns]

As a consumer ,is it ok to tell other people who are looking at guns you own your opinion on them?

 

[Texas1911]

As a consumer ,is it ok to tell other people who are looking at guns you own your opinion on them?

We've had people do that, sometimes it's helpful, and others somewhat rude.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Yeah, if you have some intelligent insight into a specific gun that you have experience with, by all means feel free to speak up and let someone know. The way I look at it, the more help someone gets, the better. What gets annoying as hell is the customer that speaks up, is completely wrong about everything he's saying, couldn't possibly be more biased, and basically confuses the customer you are trying to help and makes your job that much harder as you try to help that customer understand why the other guy is full of it. I've had that from everyone including people that should know better, like LEO's and active duty military, which is an even more annoying situation.

 

[country_boy]

Yeah thats me the redneck. Only problem is I dont have a 270 yet. Im working on it.

Well now I do fall in the category of redneck, I bought a savage 270.

 

[coachrick]

As a consumer ,is it ok to tell other people who are looking at guns you own your opinion on them?

Your opinion on the people or the guns?

 

[Burt Gummer]

Good list.
I have seen people of all types at shows/ranges.
One of the things I like to do is go into a shop and listen to what the employees have to say to the customers.
I will keep my opinions on this to myself but both employees and customers say some crazy things.
When I go into a shop I am looking to make a price check or purchase. Few places have employees with the personality and experience I like to talk with.

Maybe I am just a picky bastard.

 

[Wolfwood]

Your opinion on the people or the guns?

hahhahaha

 

[Adionik]

We've had people do that, sometimes it's helpful, and others somewhat rude.

I think I killed a sale at Nagels the other day.

One of the nicest looking old guys i've ever seen (Could NOT have been younger than 75-80) was looking at a Ruger LCP. I had just picked one up the day before at the gun show and I told him it was a great little gun. He asked how much I paid for it and I said $280, then he looked at his box and saw the $369 price tag. I knew what was coming next, so I quickly booked it out of there in time to hear him tell the clerk who was fetching the box, "Boy you guys are gettin' me good"...

Hah!

 

[Wolfwood]

I think I killed a sale at Nagels the other day.

One of the nicest looking old guys i've ever seen (Could NOT have been younger than 75-80) was looking at a Ruger LCP. I had just picked one up the day before at the gun show and I told him it was a great little gun. He asked how much I paid for it and I said $280, then he looked at his box and saw the $369 price tag. I knew what was coming next, so I quickly booked it out of there in time to hear him tell the clerk who was fetching the box, "Boy you guys are gettin' me good"...

Hah!

woooops!

 

[lifelongtrekker]

i'm the unusual woman. sorry guys, im spoken for

 

[chad]

You hit the nail on the head with this one. I've got a semi-regular customer who falls somewhere in between the Old School Cop and the New School Cop. Former LEO who thinks the Sigma is God's gift to the gun community. Nice guy, but every time he comes in, he banters on and on about how his Sigma is just as good as a Glock.

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

The Usual Woman - This probably won't make many friends, but most women want the unobtanium gun. They want it to be light, they want it to have no recoil, and they want it to be easy. The upside is that they are more open minded and accepting of what you have to say than most men.

Interesting. They're looking for the same thing in a gun that we look for in a woman.

 

[The_Hunter]

Interesting. They're looking for the same thing in a gun that we look for in a woman.

You Sir get 1million points

 

[TheDan]

it's better to just be educated on your own and stay quiet.

I agree 110% on that... I guess I'm the "expert", but I keep my mouth shut. Doesn't matter what the subject matter is (guns, cars, electronics, etc...) I never correct a salesman. If I hear some BS from them I just smile and nod my head. It's just a good cue to not take anything they say at face value.

 

[TexasRedneck]

I keep quiet unless asked for my opinion, or the salesperson is flat-out lying. At that point, I'll say something. And by "lying", I mean like "Yeah - no one walks away from a .357 round!" type statement - or where they're obviously prepared to take advantage of someone trusting them to lead them straight - like an older woman looking for a self-defense gun where the sales guy is tryin' to sell 'em an auto. I will step in, tell 'em to start with a revolver AND a good instructor, and offer my card and assistance in finding same. I am NOT an instructor, but have a pretty good selection of guns, so I'll arrange to meet 'em at a range and let them try a few of mine, and then give them names/numbers of instructors that have been recommended to me.

 

[Charley]

I have seen some unbelievable stuff at gunshops, some stupid things said and done by cutomers, and some really stupid things said and done by employess, who should KNOW BETTER. I'm no expert, but do have some experience, been a shooter, handloader, bullet caster and amature gunsmith for 30 years.

One SA gunshop, that I won't mention (on Bandera Road) lost my business about a week after opening. I stopped by, looked around, and asked if they had any 9x18 Makarov ammunition. I was pointedly told by the owner?employee? whoever, that "They didn't carry commie crap". They are still in business, in one incarnation or another, but I figure they lost at least $5000 of my business since then.
If you're gonna be in business, rule number one is "make a profit". We business people do that by NOT INSULTING AND PISSING OFF CUSTOMERS.
I still don't like 'em, and still won't give them my money.

 

[Texas1911]

I stopped by, looked around, and asked if they had any 9x18 Makarov ammunition. I was pointedly told by the owner?employee? whoever, that "They didn't carry commie crap". They are still in business, in one incarnation or another, but I figure they lost at least $5000 of my business since then.

That sounds like something I would say ... "I think we got some of that left handed commie ammo around here", but I say it in a sarcastic and joking manner. I just can't find it in me to be a dry, boring, robot sales person. I gotta rib the customers a bit and let them know that people still have some personality.

 

[JMATT199]

I have learned I really like the indoor range in Conroe. But I don't like the kids Danny has working for him. They are rude and clueless about customer service and the products they sell. I think they just like open carry at work. Richard and Alan are great. All of the old guys are very customer friendly and helpful. The kids are a waste of my time and Danny's money.

 

[Texas1911]

I had an expert come in yesterday.

Guy comes in.
"How you guys doing?"
"Fine"
"You need twenty or thirty Vaqueros?" (We have alot of them, and they were looking at them)
"No, I just picked up a Ruger SuperRedhawk"
"Cool, you going to scope it or ?"
"Yeah, haven't picked one up yet for it though"

At this point the EXPERT chimes in.

"I got one in .454 Casull"
"Cool, those things are peppy"
"Yeah, I haven't shot it yet" (Clue #1 - Remember This)
"They are pretty hot, have you seen the .460 S&W Mag?"

I show him the X-Frame we have in stock.

"Yeah, the .460 isn't that good though, my .454 has the same power just about and it does better on bears"

We walk over to the ammo and I pull out two boxes of Fusion (to make a fair comparison) with the same 260 gr. bullet.

"You can see that the .460 is basically related to the .454 Casull and .45 Colt family, and that it's similar in difference as the .357 Magnum versus the .38 Special. The .460 packs another 400 lb. ft. of energy behind it along with 250 FPS."
"Well, if you round this up (1050 --> 1100 FPS) there's only a 200 FPS difference" (That is a literal quote)

At this point I'm laughing inside, and have pretty much given up.

"Oh, well the .460 is just a bigger .454 Casull for the most part, here's it's bigger brother (Show him the .500 S&W)"
"Yeah, the .500 is worthless, it's just pointless and doesn't do any better than the .454 Casull, the .454 is the most popular in bear country"
"Me personally, I'd take anything above a .44 Mag, and I'm partial to .44 Magnum because it's fun to shoot without beating you to death like .454 and bigger calibers"

At this point the guy just proceeds to quasi-argue with me about the benefits of .454 over just about anything else. The only thing we mutually agreed upon was that .480 Ruger was a flop and pretty pointless. Really I wasn't arguing that .454 wasn't a good caliber, and at no point did I say it was bad. I was just making conversation about big bore revolver shooting.

Ultimately, why would you argue with someone that has:
1.) Shot the actual gun.
2.) Shot actual animals with the gun.

When all you have to back yourself up is magazine articles?