People who won't listen (wrong ammo for the rifle, dude!)

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Beren

Beren

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Sigh.

So I was at Dunham Sports outside of Pittsburgh, PA tonight picking up a K-31. The guy in front of me was purchasing a CETME chambered for .308.

But he had four boxes of 7.62x39mm Wolf sitting next to the rifle.

B: "Pardon me, I don't mean to intrude, but are you planning to use that ammo in your CETME?"

Guy: "Yeah."

B: "It's not the correct ammo for that firearm."

Guy: "Yeah it is, it's 7.62mm."

B: "..."

I didn't press any further. I probably should have, and I explained more ot the clerk later and asked to have the manager call the buyer to warn him, but their attitude was "He didn't seem to care, why should we?"

At best, the ammo won't chamber and won't misfire from a primer strike.

Worst case, it chambers and the guy has a rifle blow up in his face.

Do I call the Dunham store tomorrow morning and ask to speak to the manager, explain again what happened, and ask them to call the buyer to warn him?
 
definatly call. No one deserves a rifle blowing up in thier face for simple ignorance of retarded metric rnds, he was just confused. I think ".308", instead of some goofy ass metric number game such as 7.62X25 tok, 7.62X39, 7.62X51, 7.62X54R. that bunch of nonesense could confuse anyone not completely imersed in the entire gun culture.
 
Let the buyer beware?? I would have said something like "That ammo is the wrong caliber, it should be .308 for your rifle". Maybe using .308 instead of the metric caliber might have made him understand.

In any event, a knowledgable clerk would have simply asked him if he wanted to buy ammo with the rifle and got the correct stuff for him. But they guy will probably be back after trying to shoot the rifle with the wrong ammo and dump all over the clerk and manager for being idiots. :rolleyes:
 
I have a 30.06 which isn't too far from the .308 and a 7.62x39 firearm. My vote is that it won't chamber. Shouldn't even stay in the magazine properly. That being said, better safe than sorry.

I'd of pressed. At the very least pointed out the .308 round and the difference.
 
Well i don't want to sound too cynical, but if he's that stupid, I say let it blow up in his face. Seriously, how can you even PURCHASE a CETME and not know what ammo it takes?

On the other hand, it might cause a lawsuit for that particular store, which I don't want to see.

But, I have no sympathy for that person.

I met a guy on an internet forum who's serving in the armed forces, and he thought .308 from his squad's MG (I guess a M60) would fit in a captured AK-47. I mean, come on, you're in the ARMY.
 
Heh. The guy who bought the CETME was on his way to or just back from boot camp, from what the clerk told me. I guess I better call the store, I'd hate to see them get sued.
 
People often fail to read the fine print, and it is small indeed on many of the imports. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and in combination with an ignorant sales clerk, could cause injury. You were right to try and point out the distinction, and I hope someone can help him before he tries to use the wrong ammo.

Ignorance is reversible. We all had a lot to learn in the early years, and got by with a little help from our friends.
 
I'm responsible for the effort, not the outcome. I'm ready and willing, and often able to help any fellow shooter any time; those who decline assistance, however, are on their own. If I had children, it would be another story.
 
I think that I would have at least explained to him that there was a difference between x51 and x39, and showed him the stamp. If he still argued, then let him go.

I have a 30.06 which isn't too far from the .308 and a 7.62x39 firearm. My vote is that it won't chamber
Click to expand...

IIRC, '06 is 7.62x61, so it won't chamber in a 308. Could be wrong. x39 in a x51 may though.
 
i think '06 is 7.62x63. if the shooter is lucky he might realize something is up when he sticks little ole 7.62x39 in his big bad cetme mag.

atek3
 
.30-06 is 7.62x63. Hey, Beren, you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Still, I'd call the store manager, and try to get him to call the guy and bring him in to DX the x39 for x51. And if you remember the salesman's name, mention his attitude to the mgr., too.
I've had to patiently explain the difference between 7.62x39 Soviet and 7.62x54R Russian several times. And 7.62x25 Tokarev and 7.62 Nagant. :rolleyes:
 
I'd be a bit nervous about shooting a 7.62 x 39 - actually a .311 bullet into a barrel of .308 diameter. I know its done, and the Ruger mini has a chamber leade set up for both diameters, but I'm all for matching components to the caliber. This fool may find out the extractor set up for a .473 diameter case does not like to grab a .447.
 
Stupid is as stupid does.

I bet he also saves more money by putting cheaper diesel into his vehicle's gasoline engine.

hillbilly
 
"I explained more ot the clerk later and asked to have the manager call the buyer to warn him, but their attitude was "He didn't seem to care, why should we?""

In the store(s) I go to the clerks would NEVER let someone walk out with the wrong ammo for a new rifle. They would make sure he was buying the correct ammo and explain why.

And if they didn't, I would. It's very simple to walk over, pick up a box of the correct ammo, and explain to the customer the difference between the two. The guy might not be stupid, just really unfamiliar with the rifle.

Ya know, ya just might save someone's life, their sight, or other parts of their body.
 
Good news.

I called the store this morning and spoke with a different manager. Asked his name, gave mine, explained that I was in the store last night purchasing a K-31 rifle and witnessed a guy buying a CETME - but with the wrong ammunition.

I explained that the kid purchased 7.62x39 when he needed .308 or 7.62x51. This manager seemed much more familiar with the differences. He asked to verify that the kid was buying it for that rifle - I said I'd asked specifically about that, and the kid was buying the ammo with the intent of using it in the CETME.

I explained that the buyer might be hurt if he manages to chamber and fire the incorrect ammo. The manager agreed, thanked me, and said he'd call the buyer right away to warn him.

That's a weight off my chest. I've done the most I possibly can in this situation.
 
I think you did the right thing.

If it were me, I'd feel pretty bad if I heard a news story about some young recruit blowing himself up--or worse still, hurting someone else.
 
Well i don't want to sound too cynical, but if he's that stupid, I say let it blow up in his face. Seriously, how can you even PURCHASE a CETME and not know what ammo it takes?
Click to expand...



You cant be serious. You think he should get hurt as a reward for his ignorance? You must know everything. :fire:


Beren thanks for doing the right thing.
 
Well i don't want to sound too cynical, but if he's that stupid, I say let it blow up in his face. Seriously, how can you even PURCHASE a CETME and not know what ammo it takes?
Click to expand...

Thats a great way to welcome newbies into the fold. :rolleyes:


Thats just what the "gun culture" needs ... more people injured or at the least discouraged enough to put the CETME in the closet and not touch it again.


None of us where born with any knowledge of firearms (hell, for the longest time I thought AK-47s shot .308 and that the .50 Henry rifle shot .50BMG) but instead of running into folk who thought it best to call me stupid and let me blow myself up, I met shooters who took the time to educate me (or at least push me in the right direction).

Now I'm a responsable, knowledgable gun owner (who happens to "vote his gun").
 
If it were me, I'd feel pretty bad if I heard a news story about some young recruit blowing himself up--or worse still, hurting someone else.
Click to expand...

Young man says to girlfriend, "Just so you know how much I love you, I'm going to let you take the first shot from my new rifle."

You did the right thing.
 
I would think at least, too, Dunhams wouldn;t want to put themselves in the position of a lawsuit, either. I know of a store that won't sell you ammo unless you know what you need (they wouldn't help you try to figure out what caliber it was, unless you had the gun with you). It seems that someone sold a guy the wrong box of ammo years back, and the guy blew up his gun, and threatened to sue.
 
FWIW, I've heard that you can't run commercial .308 through most of the CETMEs.

I must be misunderstanding something you're saying. I bang away with about every kind of .308 known in my CETME's. Haven't found anything they won't eat...?
 
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