Any crazy interactions at your LGS or sporting goods store

I used to work in a gun shop and one day I got a call from a customer who had a question about scopes:

Customer: "What does it mean when a scope is 4x32?"

Me: "It means the scope is a four power with a 32mm objective lens."

Customer: "What does four power mean?"

Me: "It means that if your target is 100 yards away, the target appears as if it's only 25 yards away"

Customer: "Does the bullet still have to go the entire 100 yards?"

Long silence.

Me: "No, sir, The target merely appears to be 25 yards away. Having a scope does not warp the space-time continuum."

This is an old one. In Austin, there is a good 'ol harrumph type gun store. I used to stop and browse when in town. So, while I'm there a young guy comes in with his SO. He goes to a clerk. Now this clerk, I've seen before and he is the Goodyear blimp on wheels. Not even a heavy guy with some indication of strength underneath the food storage. The guy wants to buy some accessory for an SKS. Blimp bellows for the whole store to hear - YOU WILL GO TO FEDERAL PRISON!

The guy says - I read in the regs that blah, blah. Blimp goes Hindenburg - YOU WILL GO TO FEDERAL PRISON.
No attempt to explain. The guy replies to Blimp - You are an orifice (guess which) and leaves.
Blimp turns the store and yells: HE CALLED ME AN ORIFICE!

Seemed right to me. Never bought anything there except some batteries once. Better places to shop in town.

Yes, sometimes the people behind the counter are the nuts, rather than the people in front of the counter. Less likely, but it happens. (Happens more often at gun shows than at actual gun stores.)

Another - went to the local big box sporting goods store with a large gun counter. The clerk for some reason decides to explain that he owns a big ranch (OK) but his daughter put up an Obama sign in front of her house and because of that he is disinheriting her and will never speak to her again. Screaming and yelling was the guy.

TX ranger comes into Cabelas. Got the Cowboy hat and a 1911 on his belt. Geez, the good old boys flock around him like male dogs to a female in heat. One guy actually bends over and almost sticks his nose in the 1911 to get a good look. He has to ask for them to give him some space. Ranger, tell us: What do you think of 9mm vs 45?

AlexanderA said:

Yes, sometimes the people behind the counter are the nuts, rather than the people in front of the counter. Less likely, but it happens. (Happens more often at gun shows than at actual gun stores.)

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I can't wait for gun shows to start up again.

Hooda Thunkit said:

It's the Crocs that are a dead giveaway. No Gun Guy would wear those horrid things.

You know why there are holes in Crocs? So all your dignity can leak out.

Nobody with any self respect would wear those abominations.

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I'm wearing Crocs right now, sir...

My son and I went to a LGS last Saturday. As we walked up to the glass door there was an older gentleman standing inside with his hand on the crashbar chatting with a clerk. We stood there for a second and my son gently tugged on the door and the old guy looked at him and held onto the crashbar and returned to his conversation while preventing us from opening the door. My son looked at me and I said "let 'er rip." He yanked on that door and the gentleman came flying out. I won't tolerate rude behavior.

Usually it's pretty normal here. The only real weird thing that has happened was when I went to the register with a brick of lapua x-act .22s.

Another customer heard the total for the brick and kind of flipped out.
"325$ for a brick of .22s? You're just feeding the scalpers! This ammo shortage is because of people like you!"
"These have always been over .50 cents per round dude, stick to your bulk trash."

He just huffed and puffed to himself after that. Not sure what his deal was.

I am in Florida in business and decide to visit some local stores. Go into one and get the stink eye from the clerks and geezer clique, leave.

Go to another - in the front of the store, there is a pseudo-parking sign that says: Perverts Parking Only. Inside the guy beyond the counter is sitting pn a stool with loose floppy shorts such that the family equipment is on display. Leave.

RedlegRick said:

I'm wearing Crocs right now, sir...

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And I, sir, am sadly shaking my head.

Sometimes even the correct upbringing cannot keep the offspring on the right path....

Two stories.
1. I went to a shop a while back to kill some time before meeting a client. I was browsing the revolver section (as usual....) when I overheard a lady ask for some help selecting a revolver from the clerk. Immediately the clerk started in with a whole song and dance about how revolvers are a poor choice for beginners and that she would be best served in selecting an automatic. He suggested either a G19 or a G43 as they were 'simpler and more reliable' than any revolver. She answered that no, she really did want a revolver because her brother had shown her how to use one once and she felt comfortable with them. She then asked to see one of the LCRs. The clerk instead took out a brand new Lady Smith and started talking about how the LS was custom designed for female shooters, in particular having significantly reduced recoil and noise.
At this point I jumped in and told the lady that as both revolvers were similar in mass, had similar barrels, and were both in 38 Special these claims were incorrect and that in fact the only 'female feature' was in the LS' grip. I suggested that she handle and dry-fire, if not shoot, both and select whichever she was most comfortable with.
For this I was asked to leave. I really wish I was embellishing here, but I was asked to leave for interrupting a sale based on complete BS.

2. I was at the range one day and a guy asked for 'two boxes of 38'. The clerk came back with 38 Short. The guy bought the boxes and went upstairs to shoot his SP101. After a few cylinders I could tell he was confused. Being friendly I asked if everything was OK and he told me that the rounds just didn't "feel right". I asked if he was used to shooting 38 Short and he said they were 38 Special. After a moment of explanation he realized they were not the rounds he had wanted. We then went downstairs and explained the situation to the clerk, who somehow had also never heard of 38 Short. -_-

Wasn’t witnessed by me but related to me by a gun store clerk.
He said a guy once came in and asked for ammo for his handgun. The clerk asked him what ammo he wanted.
The guy replied that any will do, his gun will shoot most anything.

RougeLeader1 said:

At this point I jumped in and told the lady that as both revolvers were similar in mass, had similar barrels, and were both in 38 Special these claims were incorrect and that in fact the only 'female feature' was in the LS' grip. I suggested that she handle and dry-fire, if not shoot, both and select whichever she was most comfortable with.
For this I was asked to leave.

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Intervening between a customer and sales staff is considered bad form, unless the advice being given is clearly life-threatening. This is a case where you need to bite your lip and move on.

AlexanderA said:

Intervening between a customer and sales staff is considered bad form, unless the advice being given is clearly life-threatening. This is a case where you need to bite your lip and move on.

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What is it about (some) gun shop clerks that makes them believe that it is their job to tell the customer what they want? If the customer, regardless of gender, asks for something specific, let them have the darn thing. If they later get buyer's remorse, that is on them. If the clerk knows of a potential issue, explain it, but "you don't want that, you want this" is not salesmanship in ANY market. If a clerk is feeding a customer a line of bull, and I am confident enough in my facts to back them up, I will offer the opposing view, if the prospective buyer wants to hear it.

badkarmamib said:

What is it about (some) gun shop clerks that makes them believe that it is their job to tell the customer what they want?

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I sure don't know the answer to that. I personally rely on faceless strangers on the internet to tell me what guns I want. If I was female, I'm sure I'd get even more unsolicited advice on the internet about what guns I want.

Hooda Thunkit said:

And I, sir, am sadly shaking my head.

Sometimes even the correct upbringing cannot keep the offspring on the right path....

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I was just thinking the same thing myself as I was driving my lifted four by four, belching diesel exhaust while Kid Rock is playing on repeat as the wind blows through my mulleted hair, on my way over to the Walmart to demand the 9mm they have stashed away for their friends.

RedlegRick/Hooda Thunkit: If ammo returns to 'normal' prices, these could be what I will wear To Academy and Walmart.
These ...Are...the Crocs, right?

RedlegRick: Anybody can fall into the wrong crowd of saltwater, zero-tolerance reptiles.

AlexanderA said:

This is a case where you need to bite your lip and move on.

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Negative. Intervening on the behalf of a customer who is being provided clearly incorrect, misleading, or even straight-up fraudulent information and may not know that such is the case is not considered bad form provided it is done politely. Providing such a line of BS to a client, or any other member of the community, is bad form particularly when motivated by financial gain.

Customer to LGS clerk: Sir, I'd like some 9mm ammo please.

Clerk: Sorry sir, we're all out of that caliber.

Customer: Yes, some 9mm, please.

Clerk: We really don't have any.

Customer: Make it two boxes please.

Clerk: Sir, do you know how to spell ammo?

Customer: Of course, a m m o.

Clerk: What about the "F"?

Customer: There is no F in ammo.

Clerk: That's what I've been trying to tell you.

AlexanderA said:

Intervening between a customer and sales staff is considered bad form, unless the advice being given is clearly life-threatening. This is a case where you need to bite your lip and move on.

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A "buddy" of mine, really more of an acquaintance really, was in the general store in our town that has always had a small gun section. Not the kind of place I do business with anymore because of shady, underhanded things that have taken place but regardless, in the following scenario, the owner and his partner were in the right and my buddy was in the wrong. Me and my "buddy" are in the store and some guy goes over to the gun counter with a old Luger and proceeds to ask the owner what he would give him for it and before any real discussion can take place between them buddy jumps in and says "I want it, if these guys don't take it off ya I'll be outside and we can figure out a deal".

Well the owners partner doesn't find this very impressive and says "you need some cold fizzy water on your head boy?". Confused my buddy is like "huh?". The guy behind the counter tells him he is way out of line coming over to interupt their business, asks him "where are you standing right now, and just what do you think you're trying to pull". Buddy all flustered and confused starts ranting to me as we leave about "F them, I bought 7 guns from them this month alone, they will never get my business, yada yada".

He didn't appreciate what I had to say, I told him that just because they are shady as all hell and people I wouldn't deal with, he was out of line jumping in the middle of that deal. He couldn't see the sin of it. I told him, they probably wanted to offer him next to nothing on the gun, give him the run around that it would be a tough sale and they'd be lucky to sell for $150 and make anything on it, you jumping in there gave him the option to hear their ridiculously low and insulting offer and reject it based on the very eager, happy to deal customer waiting outside. I said no matter how sucky these guys are, we were in their place of business and you interfered. I said next time you might want to just skulk in the parking lot and try to make your approach on the seller less "public" if you're absolutely insistent on poaching their business..... he just didn't get it. Very dim. Oh well.

I can't count how many times I've seen somebody come in with something to sell and bit my thumb going "damnit, damnit, damnit".

RougeLeader1 said:

Negative. Intervening on the behalf of a customer who is being provided clearly incorrect, misleading, or even straight-up fraudulent information and may not know that such is the case is not considered bad form provided it is done politely. Providing such a line of BS to a client, or any other member of the community, is bad form particularly when motivated by financial gain.

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I would agree, but no matter how you slice it, refuting anything the owner says is for sure going to get his gruff up. Rather than contradicting him and being asked to leave I might have put him in a corner and said "oh wow, really? Because I was gonna get my wife one of these and I thought the only thing that gave it the "lady" designation was the rosewood grips and satin finish with the "lady smith" etching.

50% recoil reduction you say, how do they do that? What makes the Lady Smith 642 different from the regular 642? Let him choke on it....... I would find it incredibly condescending if I went to a shop specifically looking for something and the clerk wouldn't just give me what I asked for, I would think women would especially find this aggravating. It's no surprise you were asked to leave, but at least you called it out....

I don’t agree with what the guy did , but I think that he is somewhat right . During the first ammo shortage , I had a WM employee call me when they got ammo in . Now I have a friends son that manages a gun store and he will buy ammo that I want when it comes in and I will go by his house and pay him for it . So the crazy guy is not that far off .

Look at it from the store's point of view. They are trying to run a business. It's tough enough without also having to deal with "officious intermeddlers." And often, these self-appointed "officious intermeddlers" actually know less than they think they do. The clerk is justified in running the intermeddler out of the store and telling him never to come back.

I have no specific gun related stories worth telling; however, I am witnessing more distracted driving, less manners, lack of awareness, lack of common sense. I always tell my wife, “There are more of them than there are of us and it is going to get worse!”

RougeLeader1 said:

Negative. Intervening on the behalf of a customer who is being provided clearly incorrect, misleading, or even straight-up fraudulent information and may not know that such is the case is not considered bad form provided it is done politely.

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Why did they ask you to leave?


That said, I have seen many people that follow the “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with BS.” Motto. Many are in sales some are just experts...