Cringed as salesman snapped old Colt's cylinder shut, gangsta style

[The Real Hawkeye]

I saw a very minty 4" pre-war Police Positive in .38 Special at a local pawn shop. It was tagged $475, but I figured I could talk them down. Asked the young man (mid 20s) behind the counter to let me see it. Cylinder was perfect, without any movement, forward/backward, whatsoever when closed and cocked. It showed little movement clockwise/counter clockwise either. It looked like it was new in the box. Bore shiny and new. When done looking at it, I carefully opened the cylinder, flipped it around (two fingers under the top strap) and handed it back to him grip first, as is proper courtesy. He grabbed it by the grip and, gansta style, snapped the cylinder shut with a fast and hard whip like action, and thrust it back in it's spot under glass. I cringed. I said to him, "You have no idea how bad for the gun that is?" He seemed oblivious to my meaning. I clarified, and he looked down and mumbled something I couldn't make out. I left in disgust.

 

[xring]

That makes me want to puke. My last statement would have been: "I was going to buy that, but won't now".
I wonder what his boss thinks of his abusing the merchandise?

 

[pwrtool45]

Bogey is shocked...SHOCKED...to learn someone would do this.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

"You'll take it and you'll like it!"

 

[MatthewVanitas]

That makes me want to puke. My last statement would have been: "I was going to buy that, but won't now".
I wonder what his boss thinks of his abusing the merchandise?

Probably neither one cares. Pawnshops make money on loans, sales are incidental. If you don't buy it, it could sit there until Doomsday, or maybe some newbie schmuck will pay full retail for it tomorrow as an impulse-buy.


I got banned from an Austin pawnshop for asking the clerk not to muscle the bolt back into the rifle I just bought. The bolt was out because she accidentally hit the release and dropped it on the floor, and then tried to jam it back into the receiver by brute force.

When I asked her not to do that, she took my receipt and tore it up, threw my money on the counter, and said that she didn't care if I bought the rifle or not.

So, no point complaining. You could try politely saying "you know, it can break the gun if you do that", and maybe he'll keep that in mind, but I wouldn't expect any more than that.

-MV

 

[Tbu61]

Just for kicks....
Print out this thread in a few days and hand it to his boss in an envelope...

Leave a copy for the salesman on the counter and walk away..

There are 2 real shames here:
1. Poorly treating a fine firearm.
2. It's probably not the first time he has done it, then sold the product that was abused....

 

[MrDig]

Some time ago G&A Magazine did an article on the 10 best ways to ruin a good firearm. One of them was "As Seen on TV" and or in Hollywood. While producung very dramatic effects it is seldom if ever advisable to replecate these feats in real life. Snapping the Cylinder closed on a Revolver, Closing a Break Action Shotgun onehanded, Operating a Lever Action one handed, Fanning a single action revolver (I'm uncertain as to the detrimental effect on the revolver but it seems rather pointless from an accuracy standpoint), operating a Pump Action one handed. These are paraphrased from this part of the article but these were all grouped into only one (1) of the Top ten ways to ruin a gun.
Some one working in a Gun Store even if it is a Pawnshop really needs to know better. Too bad I couldn't go in there and trust that one of these things hasn't been done. Means I can't purchase any of the guns there

 

[SnWnMe]

The brudda in the Miami Vice remake did this. I was like

Then I realized that it's Hollywood and I have the bar too high.

 

[Master Blaster]

I got banned from an Austin pawnshop for asking the clerk not to muscle the bolt back into the rifle I just bought. The bolt was out because she accidentally hit the release and dropped it on the floor, and then tried to jam it back into the receiver by brute force.

When I asked her not to do that, she took my receipt and tore it up, threw my money on the counter, and said that she didn't care if I bought the rifle or not.

You know eventually this will catch up with them, there was a local pawnshop that treated everyone really well when the old man was running it, when the son took over they started treating all the old customers, including me, like crap when they came in to look at the "antiques" they sold. They started way overpricing their guns and musical instruments as well.

The store is now boarded up and they are out of business.

Hopefully you got your 4473 back.

Dont worry one day you will go by and the police will be carting their inventory out into a van, or the windows will be all boarded up.

 

[kmrcstintn]

first...

that specimen is a CLASSIC!

second...

that specimen is a VERY MINTY CLASSIC!

third...

what a freakin' jerk...makes me want to smack that mumbled response right off his lips...damned youngins and their lack of respect for anyone who has more life experience and wisdom

fourth...

PLEASE print this off and mail a copy to the owner...maybe junior will get a good earful that will break that habit before he breaks a gun doing that again!!!

 

[wolf_from_wv]

Fanning a single action revolver (I'm uncertain as to the detrimental effect on the revolver but it seems rather pointless from an accuracy standpoint),

As long as the cylinder is lined up with the barrel, you will probably be ok. If it isn't lined up when it goes off, it is bad for the gun and maybe you, too.

 

[tank mechanic]

I have a friend who always snaps his x-frame closed. It bothers the hell out of me. I have told him time and time again to not do that to a revolver, especially a 900 dollar one! But he still does it:banghead:

 

[19-3Ben]

I'm with Tbu61. Print this out and give it to them. It's important to know how word of mouth spreads like wildfire on the web.

Also, I know that closing the cylinder like that is very bad, but I'm wondering why? I'd never do it because everyone talks about how terrible it is, but I'm curious as to why, mechanically, this is so bad.

 

[Tbu61]

Hard on the Gun...

It puts undue stress on the entire Yoke assembly, Latch, Ejection Star assembly & Pawl.

That can effect the timing really quick.

Can cause the Cylinder to have wear marks too...


In short.... It's in poor taste.

 

[Bob M.]

Cringed

This reminds me of my brothers friend that
would sit at home watching cop shows and snap
flip his brand new and never been fired Colt
Diamondback .38 all night long. Yep, wore it
out...I suspect that this kind of thing goes
on quite often, which is why I try never to
buy used firearms unless I know the the 1st
owner and buy directly from them.

My 20 year old nephew did this right in front
of me after I unloaded and let him handle my
Smith 65 4" bbl Stainless. I put an end to
that REAL quick and told him about the above
story.

Thank you Hollywood....<Sigh>

 

[tantrix]

Pawn shops are notorious for having young guys that barely know their ass from their elbow behind the gun counter. I am always very hesitant to buy revolvers from pawn shops for that very reason.

If it was their own gun then to each his own but don't be slapping the cylinder around on a gun that doesn't belong to you and is up for sale. It's not only stupid and bad for sales, it's disrespectful considering that someone is going to eventually buy that firearm and will probably depend on it to protect them and their loved ones.

I would have called him on it as well, you did the right thing Hawkeye.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I'll give you $425 if you promise to NEVER do that again.

Price was right, could have saved it from another day of mis-use by a malcontent.

 

[jad0110]

I showed my 686 to a friend down the street. I thought about saying something as I handed it to him, cylinder opened, just in case, but thought it would be rude of me. Seconds later he flicked the cylinder closed . I politely told him not to do it, and told him why - that the entire cylinder assembly is a finely tuned balanced mechanical work of art that can be disturbed quite easily. He apologized profusely and has handled properly ever since. Nothing harmful happened to the gun, so all was well.

I recently observed a young shooting range/gun shop employee about my age from across the shop from me proceed to open and slam one of their rental S&W Model 65s about 800 times - click WHAM click WHAM click WHAM.... Made me want to .

I've never understood the fascination with doing that.

 

[aaronrkelly]

I showed a buddy of mine my Model 10......right before he returned it to me he snapped the cylinder closed.

One time probably isnt a big deal.....but I decided to politely let him know that its hard on a revolver to do so.

Hopefully it took.

 

[rockstar.esq]

MDig, I understand why the Hollywood stuff on revolvers harms them. I haven't heard that operating a pump shotgun one handed can harm it until now. Could you elaborate on what gets messed up when shotguns are handled this way? My question is purely academic because I don't do any of the things thus mentioned. Thanks in advance for a reply.

 

[Tbu61]

Per the above question...
One handed "Pumping" puts the force of inertia from the entire of the gun on the Action, Slide bar, and magazine tube. Maybe not exactly what the design engineers had in mind... Things wear out quicker and you can warp or crack a vital part.

It's kind of similar to picking a refrigerator up by the door handle, maybe not as proportional, but that's the general idea...

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

What does it cost to have the cylinder ratchet, hand and crane (if it got sprung) repaired? Tell them you'll deduct the cost from the price.

 

[Odd Job]

I think a lot of people don't know that it is bad to flick a cylinder like that. I freely admit that I didn't know this before registering on TFL and THR.
I also admit that I have flicked a cylinder like that in the past. Will I do that again? No sir.

 

[Tijeras_Slim]

Saw a salesman in the Sportsman's Warehouse in Albuquerque do this with a Smith 625. Just walked out.

 

[MrDig]

Can you tell me for absolute certainty that all the mechical parts of that pump shotgun don't get stressed along an axis point when you yank that action?
I mean that all the parts are sliding in a straight line when this is done. The gun was designed to be cycled two handed. Kind of like what happens to a break action shotgun when you snap it closed or a revolver when you snap it closed, it creates undue stress on critical points of the firearm.
I'm sorry but I have only seen the Yank done on a pump action in Hollywood and to me that means it is done for dramatic effect not function, which spells nothing but trouble for a firearm.