So I walk into one of the local Big 5's today to buy a pair of sneakers. Didn't have my size, so I drift over towards the milsurps just to have a look-see. One young man with a backpack asks to see an MN M44. Salesman #1 says, "We don't have any M44's, sorry." The M44 is sitting on the rack, right there in front of him. I politely point it out.
Salesman #1 opens the bolt, checks it, then hands it to the customer before me. Customer then uses his thumbnail (and later a white sheet of paper) to reflect light up the bore so he can check the barrel. That's when Salesman #2 swoops in and laughs, "Boy, that's the dumbest way to check a barrel. Man, I don't know how many gun safety rules you just broke!"
"Uh, do you have a bore light?" the customer asks sheepishly.
"No, we don't have any bore lights," says Salesman #2.
Okay....
Customer decides he doesn't want the rifle, hands it back to Salesman #2 with the bolt open. "Thank you! You're the first customer to hand me back a rifle with the bolt open!" Customer leaves. Okay.... So then Salesman #2 looks at me. "What can I help you with?"
"Can I see the K-31, please?"
"Uh, I know more of the modern stuff. I'm not really familiar with the historical rifles."
No ****, Sherlock. "It's the rifle right next to the one you just put back."
So he pulls the bolt back, hands me the rifle. I look down the bore, eyeing him from time to time to see if he's gonna comment, but he doesn't. Stock's gouged up worse than usual, and the bore's covered in grease. "Bore's dirty," I mumble.
"Well, it's Russian! What do you expect?" :banghead:
I pull out my Swiss army knife. "It's not Russian. It's Swiss. See the cross, like on my knife?" I hand the rifle back to him, bolt open like he likes. He's trying to shove the bolt back in, but it won't go. "Magazine follower. You have to press down on the....here, I'll do it." I close it for him, and he puts it back up on the rack.
"Thanks for the education," he mutters.
Man, if you don't know, fine. Just be honest, polite, and helpful. Don't go posturing and posing like you're the shiznit when you're not. The guy looking at the M44 obviously knew at least a little, and Salesman #2 practically shamed him outta the store. Who needs Feinstein with salesmen like this?
C'mon, Big 5. Raise the bar a little....
Salesman #1 opens the bolt, checks it, then hands it to the customer before me. Customer then uses his thumbnail (and later a white sheet of paper) to reflect light up the bore so he can check the barrel. That's when Salesman #2 swoops in and laughs, "Boy, that's the dumbest way to check a barrel. Man, I don't know how many gun safety rules you just broke!"
"Uh, do you have a bore light?" the customer asks sheepishly.
"No, we don't have any bore lights," says Salesman #2.
Okay....
Customer decides he doesn't want the rifle, hands it back to Salesman #2 with the bolt open. "Thank you! You're the first customer to hand me back a rifle with the bolt open!" Customer leaves. Okay.... So then Salesman #2 looks at me. "What can I help you with?"
"Can I see the K-31, please?"
"Uh, I know more of the modern stuff. I'm not really familiar with the historical rifles."
No ****, Sherlock. "It's the rifle right next to the one you just put back."
So he pulls the bolt back, hands me the rifle. I look down the bore, eyeing him from time to time to see if he's gonna comment, but he doesn't. Stock's gouged up worse than usual, and the bore's covered in grease. "Bore's dirty," I mumble.
"Well, it's Russian! What do you expect?" :banghead:
I pull out my Swiss army knife. "It's not Russian. It's Swiss. See the cross, like on my knife?" I hand the rifle back to him, bolt open like he likes. He's trying to shove the bolt back in, but it won't go. "Magazine follower. You have to press down on the....here, I'll do it." I close it for him, and he puts it back up on the rack.
"Thanks for the education," he mutters.
Man, if you don't know, fine. Just be honest, polite, and helpful. Don't go posturing and posing like you're the shiznit when you're not. The guy looking at the M44 obviously knew at least a little, and Salesman #2 practically shamed him outta the store. Who needs Feinstein with salesmen like this?
C'mon, Big 5. Raise the bar a little....
