Gun Store Stereotyping

[Wopasaurus]

Let me first start by saying, I don't look like a lot of people in the gun community. I have tons of tattoos, shaggier hair (I need to cut it, I know, don't remind me ), and I wasn't dressed up, just in shorts and a t-shirt, because I wasn't going to work.

I stopped by a local gun store that I have only visited once or twice on the way home from a friend's house today.

On to the story: I walked into the gun shop (they also do gunsmithing), and asked the owner, I'm assuming he's the owner, he was older and the only one there, if he has any spare parts for a mauser, because I need a new ejector and bolt stop. He says that he doesn't, and I ask him if he can order parts and install them for me if I bring in the gun. He just says, "I don't know"..... and just stares at me. Granted, if I'm talking to him about mauser's, I don't think I qualify with some punk kid looking for a tec-9 or hi-point (please don't flame me on this, you know what I mean).

Then I try to talk to him about the M4 that I'm building, and try to turn around the awkward tone around. Maybe striking the conversation into some sort of common ground, where I can get the time of day, maybe?

I ask him to see a snubbie 38, because that is on my list of summer carry guns. He opens the cylinder on it and hands it to me. And I (while pointing it at the floor), slam the cylinder shut, not super forceful, but forceful enough that it'll lock into place, and not be half out of battery. I'd say I slammed it as hard as I would slam magazines into a semi-auto pistol.

He flips out, and he's like, "Don't do that, you'll throw the weight off of the crane arm, and that's a $35 dollar repair! That's like taking a brand new knife and throwing it into the ground to see if it'll stick" He just starts rambling about how that's such a dumb thing to do. I reply with (very politely, I'm a retail manager, so I know how to deal w/ a-holes), "well, I was always shown that that kind of force is necessary to help prevent any malfunctions". He shoots back with, "well, whoever told you that is a stupid idiot (yes, he really said that), and doesn't know the first thing about guns". I said, "yeah, I guess county sheriffs don't know too much about handguns, oh well... have a nice day" and walked out.

It took so much for me to not just yell at him, and tell him what an old stereotyping curmudgeonly raisin-cake he was being. But I guess I'll just make sure everyone I am acquainted with knows not to do business with him.

Has anyone else really ever had to deal with this, am I in the wrong here? Or should I have known better and worn long sleeves and pants before going into an old timey mom n pop gun shop?

 

[Ultima-Ratio]

And I (while pointing it at the floor), slam the cylinder shut, not super forceful, but forceful enough that it'll lock into place, and not be half out of battery. I'd say I slammed it as hard as I would slam magazines into a semi-auto pistol.

You slammed the cylinder? I'd have said worse!

 

[Wopasaurus]

I didn't feather close it. Haha, but they way he flipped out, you think I set it on the ground, and stomped it shut.

 

[conw]

I don't know that it was because of your demeanor or dress. He probably is just a cranky guy having a bad day. Maybe your appearance didn't help, but I wouldn't solely blame being stereotyped.

My experience has been that gun shop owners are like normal people; some are jerks and some are cool. You do have kind of a "good old boy" club in some areas, but screw that, go somewhere your business is wanted. Overall I think they are fairly open people, who will treat you with respect if you do likewise.

 

[Tribal]

I guess county sheriffs don't know too much about handguns

My understanding is that it kind of depends on the particular county sheriff.

 

[357WheelGun]

The cylinder on a revolver should snap shut without much force at all, it definitely doesn't require the same force as inserting a magazine in a semi-auto. The sheriff was wrong if he told you otherwise, or he was using a gun that had something wrong with it if it took that much force to get the cylinder to lock.

 

[smee781]

People

In the gun world there is allways someone who dosent like how you do something.

 

[Funderb]

Smee

"in the gun world there is always someone who doesn't like how how you form your opinions of something"

 

[r8rfan121]

I've experienced situations like this. I'm 18, have a mowhawk, and like to wear band tee's (you know, metallica, ac/dc, etc...). Anytime I've walked into a gun store recently, as in the last few months, I get that same type of response. I understand why, to some extent, especially living in Omaha after the mall shooting. It also probaboly doesn't help that I'm looking at buying an AR15. I went in to buy some .22 ammo at Scheel's, and decided to look at 1911's while I was there, and you wouldn't believe the type of service I got, I probaboly won't buy a gun from them again, but yeah, being 18, with a mowhawk, it makes buying anything gun related into an adventure everytime.

 

[DrewH]

He opens the cylinder on it and hands it to me. And I (while pointing it at the floor), slam the cylinder shut, not super forceful, but forceful enough that it'll lock into place, and not be half out of battery. I'd say I slammed it as hard as I would slam magazines into a semi-auto pistol.

He flips out, and he's like, "Don't do that, you'll throw the weight off of the crane arm, and that's a $35 dollar repair! [edit] "yeah, I guess county sheriffs don't know too much about handguns, oh well... have a nice day" and walked out.

The idea you have to slam a cylinder of a revolver to make sure it is in battery is wrong, and too much forceful slamming is bad for the revolver, like he said. You can simply push it in place. If your county sheriff really said that I would avoid any more gun advice from him.

 

[Ala Dan]

You are lucky he didn't show you the door rather quickly~!

Slamming a revolver cylinder shut "Cowboy Style" is a BIG NO-NO; in our
shop, and with MY revolvers~~!

 

[funkerbunny]

I've occasionally run into things like this at gun stores/shows, Generally folks see me with my girlfriend and are at least kind of nice until one of us calls the other honey, then somehow I'm no longer a customer but someone who doesn't know what shes talking about and some kind of freak. One gentleman actually said he would not sell us anything and than just ignored us while we stood there in shock.
It's a bit annoying and has gotten to the point my honey rarely will even go into new gun stores with me for fear of that kind of treatment =(.

 

[Starter52]

Always use two hands when closing the cylinder of any revolver you don't own. And close it gentle. You can go hollywood after you buy the gun.

+1 to Ala Dan.

 

[GRB]

Besides you saying you slammed the cyliner shut, I wonder just how you accomplished that. Do you mean you closed it forcefully by pushing your off hand against it to close it, or do you mean you flipped it closed one handed. Too forceful is a no-no, flipping it closed at all, and then too forcefully at that, is a novice macho gun kid kind of a move. I could understand that getting someone really upset, but if it was too forcefully with the off hand pushing it closed, the amount of reaction was probably uncalled for. It would be nice to hear it from the other guy's view. Not saying you are not telling it right, just that you are obviously not seeing it the same way he did for whatever reason.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Ltlabner]

I've always just hand closed the cylinder on a revolver and then moved it back and forth a bit to ensure it was in time. This avoids damage to the weapon. Not to mention, a that gun belongs to the shop owner...he doesn't want it bunged up.

If this guy had already decided you were a punk and then precieved you to be slamming shut a revolver, it's not a suprise that he said something. Maybe he went off the deep end, but its hard to make a judgement based on one side of the story.

There is a local shop that I occasionally visit. I got the cold sholder from the owner (it's a one man show) for a while too. I'm in business and wear a suit so maybe he just deals with a lot of putzs and he plays cold until he gets to know you.

That particular owner warmed up after I visited his shop a few more times and made a couple of small purchases. Now he recoginizes me when I walk in.

Point is, maybe your guy (1) already deals with a lot of PIA people (2) assumed from your appearance you were yet another PIA person and (3) had his perception reinforced when you slammed shut the revolver.

 

[Feud]

I'm just going to toss it out there:

When you purposely present yourself as different from normal society, don't be surprised if society treats you differently.

If you want to be comfortable, dress how ever you wish. If that is outside the societal norms, then until those norms change you must decide what is more important to you, comfort in what you wear or meeting societies standards. Whether right or wrong that's how the world works in most places.

 

[Justin]

You were wrong to slam the cylinder closed. As has already been stated, revolvers shouldn't require a lot of force to close, and in fact, can be damaged that way.

 

[Soybomb]

While he could have been more polite, I can understand why he got less friendly with you when he essentially asked you not to do that and you began to argue with him. Even if you think he's wrong (and he wasn't) the goods are still his and you can be polite and say "I'm sorry I didn't know that." Its like taking your shoes off at someone's house if they ask you to, its a courtesy to follow their rules.

On a somewhat unrelated note, stereotypes suck, but are also a fact of life. Can you really complain about them knowing that?

When you purposely present yourself as different from normal society, don't be surprised if society treats you differently.

Thank you for expressing what I couldn't come up with an eloquent way to say.

 

[Wopasaurus]

Besides you saying you slammed the cyliner shut, I wonder just how you accomplished that. Do you mean you closed it forcefully by pushing your off hand against it to close it, or do you mean you flipped it closed one handed. Too forceful is a no-no, flipping it closed too forcefully is a novice macho gun kid kind of a move. I could understand that getting someone really upset.

It was the former of the two

 

[Sato Ord]

I've occasionally run into things like this at gun stores/shows, Generally folks see me with my girlfriend and are at least kind of nice until one of us calls the other honey, then somehow I'm no longer a customer but someone who doesn't know what shes talking about and some kind of freak. One gentleman actually said he would not sell us anything and than just ignored us while we stood there in shock.
It's a bit annoying and has gotten to the point my honey rarely will even go into new gun stores with me for fear of that kind of treatment =(.

I have to tell you, you see and here about this type of nonsense all the time. Personally, if I'm not sleeping with someone, I don't much care who that person is sleeping with. Homosexuality just doesn't threaten my masculinity, and never has. I just can't get my mind around how some people feel about what is, to me, a non-issue.

 

[waterhouse]

If you are using the word "slam" to describe how you closed the cylinder on a revolver, I would agree that whatever sheriff told you that was mistaken.

Perhaps the store owner was short with you, and there is no need for that, but there is no need to "slam" the cylinder shut either.

 

[WayneConrad]

An apology from you should have been your first thought. It does not matter whether or not you think he was right at the time. It matters that it was his firearm, and he think it was mistreated. An apology was in order, and would have gone a long way to smooth the water.

 

[Acheron]

I'm a young guy-20 yrs old-and I tend to dress rather casually because currently I don't have a reason to dress up. For some reason my just seems to scream 'ignorant!' to gun shop owners. I've been talked down to, disrespected, and downright insulted by several different gun shops.

About a year back I went in to a local gun shop on my way home one day to see if they had any deals on ammo. I managed to find some good surplus 8mm and since it was real cheap I decided I was going to be generous and buy my father some .223 for his AR. I went up to the counter and asked the guy (not sure if he was the owner) where the .223 was. I explained to him that I was buying some for my dad's AR since I wind up shooting it so much I felt I owed him some ammo. He proceeded to point to a rack of ammo and say: "make sure you get .223 and not .22. Some people can't tell them apart."

I'm pretty sure that if you've shot an AR before you can tell the difference between .223 and .22LR. Maybe it's because I'm young or something about the way I look but people just don't seem to think that I know what I'm doing. Another time in a different shop I asked if they have any cheap surplus 8mm. The guy behind the counter asked why I wanted it and I told him that I have a Yugo M24/47. He replied with: "A kid like you shouldn't have a rifle like that."

What's that supposed to mean?

 

[Sato Ord]

What's that supposed to mean?

To me it would mean he has more business than he can handle and doesn't need any of my money.

 

[Tommygunn]

I ask him to see a snubbie 38, because that is on my list of summer carry guns. He opens the cylinder on it and hands it to me. And I (while pointing it at the floor), slam the cylinder shut, not super forceful, but forceful enough that it'll lock into place, and not be half out of battery. I'd say I slammed it as hard as I would slam magazines into a semi-auto pistol.

Revolvers like that are designed to withstand a lot of fore<--->aft forces (the direction of recoil) but not really side forces. Yes, you can bugger up such a revolver the way you handle it. You act like you learned gun handling skills from a 1960s Quinn Martin TV drama, or any TV shoot-'em-up for that manner.
The store owner was right to drill you.