Jerk at gun shop berates the Browning Hi-Power

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StrikeFire83

StrikeFire83

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Now let me preface by saying that this doesn’t apply to all gun shop employees, or probably even most. Here’s what happened today.

I was back in Austin to see a friend and decided that I had time to go by a Gun Shop that I have frequented many times, and from whom I have purchased 3 out of my 4 pistols. Now they were pretty busy, and I stood there waiting my turn. I’m relatively young, and probably don’t look like a “big spender” but I usually go into gun shops when I want to buy something, not to stand around and solve the problems of the universe.

So here’s the situation. A gentleman has been talking to this salesman for some time about several full sized semi-autos for home defense/range time and the gentleman is “pondering” what he should do.

Gentleman: Go on ahead, I need some time...

Salesman: Can I help you?

Me: Yeah, I need two extra mags for a Browning hi-power…I didn’t see them on the rack.

Salesman: Just a sec, let me check. (walks over and looks through some drawers)

Gentleman: Do you own a Browning Hi-Power. I’ve heard good things about them.

Me: My dad has one. I’ve put enough rounds through it to know it’s a great piece.

Salesman: (Comes back with the mags) They’re over-rated.

Me: Really, my dad swears by them.

Salesman: I’d rather swear AT them. (Hands me the mags and gives me a funny look.)

Me: It’s an accurate, simple, reliable gun. At least it has been for me.

Gentleman: Yeah, they seem to have a following.

Salesman: It’s no HK.

Me: Well, there are several people in Nicaragua who’d beg to differ, but anyways.

-It was at this point that the salesman gave me a horribly unpleasant and aggressive look. Kind of a “shut up, I don’t want you to talk to this guy any more, nor do I want your business…get the F outta here” look. Needless to say it really pissed me off. Now, granted, in retrospect it’s obvious that the salesman was trying to sell this guy a pricy HK, and he didn’t want me to queer the deal. But I didn’t volunteer anything, this customer asked ME my opinion. And the salesman goes out of his way to bash something that I have just said is good, in my experience, and when I’m buying something from him no less.

Well, I put the mags on the counter, told the gentleman goodbye, and walked out of the store. I don’t live in Austin anymore, and I don’t know when I’ll be buying my next gun...but needless to say I won’t be buying it from them.

Okay…rant over.
 
That salesman sounds like a joke. I would of told him you must of made salesman of the month many times with that attitude. Your a joke. You can take your mags back tough guy. Ill get em somewhere where they respect their customers.
 
I've hear those Garand rifles suck just as bad as a Hipowers :D

The way I see it most of those guys are about half a ****, they make 5.50$ an hour to sit on a stool and tell me I'm an idiot every time I come in to buy a caliber that isn't 9mm, .45, .223 or .308.
 
Even if he thought he was gonna lose a high-dollar sale, he definitely should not have handled the situation in that manner.
Click to expand...

I agree Grant. With the prices gunstores want for new Hi-Powers I also question how much high dollar the salesman would be losing. A smart salesman would have the guy pick between the two. If the customer chooses the lesser priced you sell them a holster, spare mags, mag carrier, etc to make up the price difference. I mean you're gonna need a holster and spare mags, so it's not like the salesman would be unethically trying to sell you somethin you don't need.
 
You can judge a man's character by the company he keeps

Any gun shop owner that would bad mouth a Hi-Power is just advertising he is either stupid or crassly more interested in a one time sale than culturing a relationship based on honesty. On what basis can he make such a statement? I can't remember ever reading or hearing about a deficiency in the design or real world application of the Hi-Power (except that it doesn't come in .45 ACP!). He'll probably be selling used cars next week.

I love Glocks and SIGs, but I have a healthy respect and love affair with the Hi-Power and 1911, too.
 
Browning HI-Power has been in service with the British military since WW2 and was officially adopted in the mid 1950s.It is still in use today as a sidearm,but has been more or less phased out by the Sig Sauer and Glock pistol brands-in terms of special forces service usage.

Brownings were popular in pre-Dunblane Britain,as a target pistol and that scumbag Thomas Hamilton used two,to shoot up Dunblane Primary School,in March 1996.Favourite model of handgun apparently:the ones he used to caress after,pistol matches.:mad: :fire: :fire:

Any salesman or woman that speaks negatively of the Browning needs either to be fired or to have their head examined by a shrink.:confused: :eek: :banghead:
 
They also call it the M1935 , the year of introduction. It's an unproven gun ,you know, only 71 years old !!!! Send me your BHPs to dispose of them properly !
 
No one with half a brain would dis' a JMB design. The HP is an elegant pistol that holds up well against newer guns. An HK is a VERY good gun, but you don't sell something by denigrating a quality pistol, you speak to the advantages/improvements over a time-tested design.

As said before, many that work in gunshops are perhaps not the best source for info regarding what will work for you. He was probably told to move the HK's and they don't have any HP's in stock.

Matt
 
Just remember a clerk in a gun store is just that, a clerk in a gun store. He's not the last word in firearms design.
Kind of like the kids that work in record shops (thats what they called them in my day) and dress like they are a rock star.
I was at a gun shop when the man behind the counter told a customer that he personally wouldn't own any Ruger, When asked why he said they were junk. Now you can say Rugers are bulky, heavy, and not well finished, or you dis-agree with old Bill's politics in the Hi-Cap mag ban. They are hardly junk.
 
Well, I put the mags on the counter, told the gentleman goodbye, and walked out of the store.
Click to expand...
If you are going to do this when the magazine price is otherwise agreeable, then why not simply buy the magazines. Then turn to the customer and tell him he can find a whole selection of NIB HK USPs for under $600 at CDNN. I mean, if you are going to get all mad and leave, then at least get what you came in for and then destroy the deal the clerk was trying to make.

You stayed on the defensive. Go on the attack! Where's your warrior spirit? (tongue firmly in cheek here.....)

You are just to nice a guy. ;)
 
I woudn't put much stock in a gun shop counter guy...especially a corporate store :rolleyes: They are just hiring bodies w/ gun knowledge...enthusiasts can go elsewhere. I would bet that yahoo won't last all that long anyway.
 
If he's like some salesmen I've run across, he was only talking it down because he didn't have one to sell, and wanted to push the gent in a different direction. If he'd had one in stock, he'd have been shoving it the guys hand after your endorsement.
 
I've noticed that some salesmen feel they need to bash one gun to sell another. If they are trying to sell you a Glock, they are best thing in the world and everything else is outdated. If they are trying to sell you a 1911, everything else is plastic crap. This is not the best way to sell something because a lot of guys like Glocks and 1911s as well as many other guns. I can't tell you how many times I have gone into a gunstore and been offended.

Gunstore clerks sometimes suffer from a stange condition where they think their opinion is always correct. I have been to enough gunshops and gunshows to have built up a thick skin but I won't do any business with a jerk if I can help it. If I have to be insulted to but from the guy, there is always someone else who wants my money. I don't "need" to buy anything at this point. I am just buying guns I want not need. I "need" to not be talked down to and insulted. That is a deal breaker in my book. It never used to be because I was after the best price. I have found that people that treat you poorly will also screw you if they can. I wouldn't buy a used gun from a jerk because the chance of getting a broken one is much greater. A jerk is not going to tell you if he knows about a problem, that is why he is a jerk.:D
 
There are gun guys and then there are salesmen. You can't be both at the same time. The gun guy knows what he is talking about and can give honest opinions from experience. The salesmen will screw you into buying the most expensive thing he can get you to buy and not feel bad about the fact that you may have been happier with something else.
 
Well,

I for one would have done just like you and not bought the mags. Doing so gives him business which he doesn't deserve. I can find mags easier than he can find customers.

Unfortunately, I've seen this happen way too many times in gun stores.
 
It's just poor customer service

This may have had nothing to do with selling an HK. It may also have had nothing to do with price; that is, hoping to sell a more expensive gun. This probably had everything to do with the clerk's OPINION. Gun owners, as you all have most likely noticed here on The High Road, can be quite opinionated. Some people have no idea when to bite their tongues. I have seen a sales clerk who hates Glocks talk customers out of buying the pistol they came in to buy. It has nothing to do with sales. It has to do with convincing others that YOUR opinion is right! A good gun-salesman helps a customer (who doesn't already know exactly what he wants) identify and decide which features are important and then allows the customer to handle all of the guns that meet those criteria. The gun that looks and feels best to the customer is the best gun for the customer.

The customer that knows what he wants should be allowed and encouraged to convince himself of the soundness of his decision.
 
That's a good example of why I research a product before the purchase. Most of the time a clerk (in any store) is just someone who handles the register and/or paperwork. I'd sooner talk to a robot. State what you want, it moves to the shelf, grabs it and you walk away happy. Gun store employees are like car salesmen. You walk on a lot full of many brand make cars. You pick the car of your liking and they sell it to you. No different from a gunstore. You walk in and pick the gun you like best. After researching it of course. No excuse for not using a search engine on the internet in today's world. Your case is slightly different. But you did well leaving the store without buying the magazines.
 
Maybe it says something about my own personality...i.e. I attract crazies...but nearly ALL the pawnshop people I've dealt with in the last few years have got more opinions than business sense. Maybe it comes from the arrogence of standing around a wall lined with guns all day, but for whatever reason most of the ones I've met have been more concerned with explaining why X brand of gun or ammunition is better than in actually making the sale that I, the customer, want to make.

Example: About 3 years ago, I was trying to purchase a firearm at a store in West Point, Mississippi, which I would occasionally pass thru while driving to Tupelo on business. The store no longer exists now and I can guess why. I told the man I was interested in buying a pistol to carry in my car. He immediately pointed me at a Kimber .45 that was sitting on his shelf. I was already looking at a little Makarov he had for $150 but hadn't yet let on that I was interested in that particular firearm. Nevertheless, his suggestion that I use a KIMBER as a car, knock-around gun surprised the pluperfect mess out of me. This is a $700 gun we're talking about! I then truthfully told the man that I wasn't interested in having that much invested in a gun that would only have a car window and a glove compartment lock between it and a new criminal owner. He didn't know it, but I'd actually had my car stolen entirely about a year before so this was still a concern to me.

He insisted that if I was SERIOUS about protecting my life, I should go with the highest quality piece available. Okay...if he wants to play that game...then let's dance. I then pointed at another .45 he had a few inches away. A truly pristine looking Sistema .45 with Hogue grips that he had for $325, which I probably could have talked him down to $300 for. "If I was going to get a .45 to leave in my car, I'd probably get that one. But I'm really more interested in that one," I say, finally putting my cards on the table, pointing at the Makarov. He shakes his head...in exasperation at my stupidity I suppose and says, "You really ought to get something that will last you and be a good gun. A Makarov isn't a really good gun for self defense."

Ok...hold on. Did I just miss something? I'm the customer, right? I just told you I'm NOT interested in your other gun. I understand you as a shopkeeper wanna sell me the most expensive piece you've got for sell, and that you wanna sell it at 5 times what it cost you to purchase, but did I not JUST say I'm not interested?

"I still think the Makarov would be better to leave in the car," I say. And I'd have probably been alright if that's all I'd said, but I went on to say, "And the Makarov is a fine gun. I've shot one before."

Well that PO'ed him. I guess he already hadn't liked me picking out a Sistema that was half as much as his Kimber, but which is essentially the same firearm. And now I'm questioning his opinion on what constitutes a good firearm by directly contridicting him on the quality of a Makarov.

He doesn't say a word. He slides close the glass case backing and locks it with his little key and walks toward another customer. I'm standing there stunned.

And by now I'm hot, but I'm still interested in the Makarov, and I figure this bozo is some kinda flunky new employee who doesn't know his job so I just stand there for a minute until this younger guy comes over. "Can I help you?" "Yeah, is your manager here?", I whisper to the kid. He points at the guy who'd helped me out in the first place. "That's the owner," he tells me.

That's when I knew I wasn't going home with a new Makarov.

A few months..or a year...later I notice his shop isn't there anymore. Which suited me fine, but it causes me to reflect on how often pawnshop owners try to TELL me what I want, rather than ASKING me what I want. There's no telling how many times I'd have come back to that shop to purchase ammunition or another gun or something if I'd gotten a good deal and good treatment. But I guess this guy must have treated everyone the same way cause he's gone now. But to a lesser extent, I see this attitude a lot at pawnshops.
 
<<<Run&Shoot
You can judge a man's character by the company he keeps
Any gun shop owner that would bad mouth a Hi-Power is just advertising he is either stupid or crassly more interested in a one time sale than culturing a relationship based on honesty. On what basis can he make such a statement? I can't remember ever reading or hearing about a deficiency in the design or real world application of the Hi-Power ...>>>

Okay, I can respond to your statement (putting flame suit on). Nothing wrong with the DESIGN of the High Power. BUT I have certainly found a lot to complain about the BROWNING IMPLEMENTATION. In my experience, the Browning manufactured High Power is the only JUNK GUNS that I have ever bought.

About 8-10 years ago, I yielded to the pull of the HP and bought a Browning Practical. Absolutely horrid trigger! I traded it on something else and then foolishly decided to try again. After all, they do feel good in the hand! I bought another one! It was worse. They must have done the finish on the trigger with 60 grit sandpaper. A few times I actually thought the safety was on, the trigger was so bad! Then to top it off, the front sight broke off while shooting! (The gun had never been abused and had less than a thousand rounds through it.) Out of the 30-40 handguns I have owned, I have never had any gun this bad. I traded that one too.

Eventually, I bought a FEG clone. (See, I -do- like the HP design, it's just Browning's manufacturing that stinks!). So far, the FEG has performed well and has not given me any problems.

I know most gun manufacturers go through ups and downs with quality. There are occassional lemons from every manufacturer (but I got TWO! LOL) Perhaps this was Brownings bad period. Again, I'm not faulting the design or JMB. But I hope I'll never be foolish enough to squander my money on anything else produced by Browning.

Ken
 
Well, my Dad's BHP has 2 confirmed kills to its name. It did jam once, in combat, and he used a throwaway .38 special to do the job.

This Austin gun shop will never get my business again. Everyone has their opinions, and I respect that. But my choices in the market are too varied to give my money to an establishment that is going to bad-mouth my choices for no good reason.
 
Always Suspected BHP was Good, but...Let's Be Honest...

One can not possibly have a true appreciation for the TRUE quality of the BHP unless one has fired one...a LOT! Owning one...better yet. Now, I know they are good.

What a grip. It's so comfortable. Sure, the 9mm is less powerful than the .45 ACP, but, there are twice the rounds too. All-in-all, an excellent piece.

Doc2005
 
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