Handgun Type Smugness, is it as wide spread as it seems to me?

[osteodoc08]

My father always taught me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, just to say nothing and to smile.

I routinely shoot on a public range, however, I don't see much of the smugness that is mentioned here. You can usually weed out the people who love guns and love to shoot from the ones that are "just practicing."

I try to stay away from the range before deer season, after christmas and on weekends. If I do go during the weekends, it is when the range first opens, perhaps this is how I avoid the smugness that others encounter here.

If I do make a comment on someones side arm I will take one of two paths
1. "That is a nice XYZ, haven't seen one of those in a while." or
2. "That is an interesting sidearm, what model is it?"

That is usually enough to start a polite conversation and I have met many interesting individuals that way. I typically see these people many times a year on the range it is always a reassuring feeling when you see these same individuals because by then I know there gun handling ethic. This is what bothers me the most about public ranges. I can go into some of the stupid things I've seen people do, but that is for another thread.

Whenever I do encounter smugness, I just usually thank the person and go about my business. The latest one was
"Why do you shoot a 41 Mag when the 44 Mag is so much better, not to mention the newer super guns?"

My reply was "The 41Mag was developed by 2 of my handgunning idols, Elmer Keith and Bill Jordan, ever heard of them?" That usually stops them in thier tracks. I guess I could always use "Well, I never saw the difference in the .19 inches I'd be missing over the 44Mag" This should keep them scratching thier heads until they figure out that the 44Mag is only a nominal .429" and not a true .44"

Oh well, I've used up my lunch time. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

 

[NorCalAl]

Saw it all the time when I lived in the SF Bay Area. There, it seems that it's the make/model that matter more than ability - just like with most items in that area. All about show. Here in the north state, I still see it, the smugness. I went to buy a new SW M&P the other day and mentioned my Kimber. I listened to a 1/2 hour tirade by one of the 'experts' at the store about how bad Kimbers are. I ended up not buying anything from them.
I realize we all have our opinions, but that's where it should stop - as opinions. It's that so many people think their opinions are FACTS. This clown was a salesman at the store and ripped on my guns, my choices for guns and even put down stuff they sold. It was amazing.

 

[Maui19]

I really don't get hassled at the range, either. Everyone is generally very nice.

 

[jaysouth]

I used to shoot with someone who was much older and had as much experience with guns and any dozen magazine writers.

We were at a range one day. My older friend, "Pete" was shooting a pre-10 M&P with most of the finish gone. It was box stock with tiny grips and smaller sights.

A couple of shooters that we took to be downtown yuppies were shooting a pair of glocks at the next lane. They kept looking at Pete and his tired old gun. Finally one of them offered Pete a chance to shoot his glock.

My friend, a salty ex-marine from Central American days and WWII, turned and squinted at the pair. He declined and thanked them. another started, This is something brand new and the new wave of guns to come, you ought to try it.

Pete looked at both of them for about 5 beats and said, "boy, When I was night Marshall, I shot three men in two seconds with three shots using this old Smith. Killed all three of them deader than a poleaxed steer." How many men you killed with that yuppie spacegun you got?

They left after a few more rounds.