WheelMan
Member
I'm sitting here minding my own business when I notice that the cartridge loops on my pistol belt are empty... That won't do.
I get up and go down to the house magazine... no .44 magnum... "Odd", I think, "that's never happened before."
So I walk around to the components. 1000's large pistol primers, 100s of .44 cal bullets, and 5 pounds of H110... eh I don't feel like reloading right now.
So naturally it's off to Wal-Mart
I walk back to the sporting goods section and a more-helpful-than-usual night stocker helps me retrieve a box of .44 and a can of .177 pellets (out of those too).
"This register's closed so I'll have to carry them to the front for you," He says cleverly, realizing that I might have an air-rifle down the leg of my trousers.
I counter with "I have some more shopping to do," hoping he would relent and just hand me my merchandise (There are 4000 shotgun shells and some clearance ammo (PISTOL AMMO!) setting on an unlocked, unglassed shelf to my left, which throws into sharp contrast the absurdity of this particular policy
Well he's too clever for that. He comes right back with, "I'll take it up for you then, Register 13." Now this I kind of like, it's like having a personal shopping assistant, "Say that ammo is so heavy, could you hump that up to the front while I saunter up there unencumbered? Thanks."
So I'm feeling grand, not carrying anything, making my merry way to register 13 where I understand my Man Friday has made arrangements for me.
I find register 13 occupied by three pre-teen girls buying compacts. They're shrieking and trying to disrobe each other, maybe that's what girls do, I dunno. I busied myself looking in the other direction. Anyhow I indicate that I'm the foreign dignitary who can't be made to carry his own purchases to the front of the store and the cashier starts to ring me up. I answer all the questions,
"Is it for a handgun?"
"Are you over 21?:
"Are you going to shoot an elected official?"
(I bet that last sentence will make this post show up in some FBI agent's email tomorrow morning. Dear FBI: I've recently started the "pre-Quantico" fitness program, if you could send me an FBI academy T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that would be swell, I'm sure you already have my address and sizes.)
Anyway, the cashier then says: "I bought my husband's academy (police, I would assume) ammo here and the manager had to walk me out because I bought so much"
Alright, what the heck is that supposed to mean? I assume she didn't mean he helped her carry it. What sort of message is that policy supposed to send? Here are my guesses as to what a manager might say when asked by a bulk purchaser as to why he's being escorted out:
"We're willing to take a risk on a one box rampage but a twelve box rampage just doesn't sit well with us."
"If you can afford $5000 worth of ammo, I want to see what sort of car you drive."
"Sir, I'd just like to be the first to ask for a place of honor in the new government you will no doubt bloodily carve out of our community using all this ammo"
These kinds of things are totally without thought and based on fear and emotion. Makes me ill, really.
Also, anybody around here use winchester USA .44 magnum (240 grain soft point)? some of them have a weird banded discoloration (a darker rusty brass color) on the part of the case that grips the bullet.
I get up and go down to the house magazine... no .44 magnum... "Odd", I think, "that's never happened before."
So I walk around to the components. 1000's large pistol primers, 100s of .44 cal bullets, and 5 pounds of H110... eh I don't feel like reloading right now.
So naturally it's off to Wal-Mart
I walk back to the sporting goods section and a more-helpful-than-usual night stocker helps me retrieve a box of .44 and a can of .177 pellets (out of those too).
"This register's closed so I'll have to carry them to the front for you," He says cleverly, realizing that I might have an air-rifle down the leg of my trousers.
I counter with "I have some more shopping to do," hoping he would relent and just hand me my merchandise (There are 4000 shotgun shells and some clearance ammo (PISTOL AMMO!) setting on an unlocked, unglassed shelf to my left, which throws into sharp contrast the absurdity of this particular policy
Well he's too clever for that. He comes right back with, "I'll take it up for you then, Register 13." Now this I kind of like, it's like having a personal shopping assistant, "Say that ammo is so heavy, could you hump that up to the front while I saunter up there unencumbered? Thanks."
So I'm feeling grand, not carrying anything, making my merry way to register 13 where I understand my Man Friday has made arrangements for me.
I find register 13 occupied by three pre-teen girls buying compacts. They're shrieking and trying to disrobe each other, maybe that's what girls do, I dunno. I busied myself looking in the other direction. Anyhow I indicate that I'm the foreign dignitary who can't be made to carry his own purchases to the front of the store and the cashier starts to ring me up. I answer all the questions,
"Is it for a handgun?"
"Are you over 21?:
"Are you going to shoot an elected official?"
(I bet that last sentence will make this post show up in some FBI agent's email tomorrow morning. Dear FBI: I've recently started the "pre-Quantico" fitness program, if you could send me an FBI academy T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that would be swell, I'm sure you already have my address and sizes.)
Anyway, the cashier then says: "I bought my husband's academy (police, I would assume) ammo here and the manager had to walk me out because I bought so much"
Alright, what the heck is that supposed to mean? I assume she didn't mean he helped her carry it. What sort of message is that policy supposed to send? Here are my guesses as to what a manager might say when asked by a bulk purchaser as to why he's being escorted out:
"We're willing to take a risk on a one box rampage but a twelve box rampage just doesn't sit well with us."
"If you can afford $5000 worth of ammo, I want to see what sort of car you drive."
"Sir, I'd just like to be the first to ask for a place of honor in the new government you will no doubt bloodily carve out of our community using all this ammo"
These kinds of things are totally without thought and based on fear and emotion. Makes me ill, really.
Also, anybody around here use winchester USA .44 magnum (240 grain soft point)? some of them have a weird banded discoloration (a darker rusty brass color) on the part of the case that grips the bullet.