The local gun store “fly”

hemiram said:
...One guy, doing it for free(!) was reloading ammo in the middle of the store for the owner. I guess he got lunch or something. I asked a friend who knew all of them, and he said the guy was doing it for a favor while the owner waited on customers.
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I can't imagine the stupidity of allowing a customer to do that. Hopefully, the owner held the proper FFL to permit manufacturing ammunition. Even if he did, the legal liability of allowing someone other than an employee to load ammunition is mind boggling.



I don't know who has the FFL now as the owner was busted a while back for straw purchases.
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That may have been just the tip of the iceberg.
 
dogtown tom said:
I can't imagine the stupidity of allowing a customer to do that. Hopefully, the owner held the proper FFL to permit manufacturing ammunition. Even if he did, the legal liability of allowing someone other than an employee to load ammunition is mind boggling.




That may have been just the tip of the iceberg.
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I won’t even fool around with remans from the big reman operations. I’d like to know who is buying the no name reman ammo.
 
As mentioned in this. I dislike when they stand in front of a case and just shoot the breeze all day long. I know some folks just like to talk and be friendly and start a conversation, sometimes I'll show interest back and talk a bit. I just wish sometimes they'd realize I'm not in a talkative mood or the subject isn't something I'd be into. So after a few single 1 word replies please take a polite hint, that I might be a bit introverted
 
Jeff Cooper wrote of the need for "gun clubs"-places where people could talk firearms. To a large extent forums and boards fulfill that need.
It's a matter of mood and ambience . If a new or occasional customer is treated like an interloper, an intruder, given the cold shoulder, it's a place to avoid.
 
The great thing about getting older is that you can say what you think. I just don't care any more. When these non-customer hanger-ons (and there's a bunch of 'em) are just lolly-gagging about my LGS and getting in the way, I simply say - loudly, "Hey, can you move the heck out of the way, I'm an actual potential paying customer who wants to look at an actual gun." I had to remind the owner of my pet LGS that I'd bought more than 10 grand worth of firearms from his store in the previous year and I don't come in just to shoot the breeze or for the free (truly awful) coffee. When I enter now, he (or one of his counter guys) makes sure the flies get out of my way, to pick up their important discussion after I'm gone...
 
Thomas Mayberry said:
I well remember my first trip into the LGS when I was about 5 years old, Jefferson Arms in Pine Bluff AR (60 years ago). Rustic (i.e. old) building, pot belly stove, chairs, and cigarette/cigar/pipe smoke. Old timers sitting around shooting the breeze. Relaxed atmosphere. Went there many times with my dad and it was always the same, no rush talk a little and buy what you wanted. It closed down about ten years later, such a shame.

I don't let LGS hangarounds bother me. If I need service, I'll ask. You want to look at me? Go ahead it won't bother me at all. I'll probably smile and give then a good morning greeting, might even get an interesting conversation started.
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Wow! I'm from Pine Bluff originally and I've been in that store. The first gun that I bought was there. And several others. I remember Marty and I think they called his Dad Preacher! There was another old store down town by the Court House. Good times for sure!
 
Stefan A said:
From this thread I have learned that I am not alone in this. OTOH, I have also learned that it's good to feel out the situation, as the guys hanging around (see, I'm getting nicer:)) may be very friendly and worth chatting with.
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I learned this as well. Sprinkled in with the annoying know-it-all's (most are this type) are some nice folks who we can learn from.

This topic came up on another board years ago. One of the members put it out that he was retired, his family lived on the other side of the country, and he had outlived most of his friends. He hung out at his LGS because those were the only people he had. We PM'ed a few times then became daily email pals until he passed about a year ago. He turned out to be an Army vet and retired LEO who had been a chief at several departments in Texas. I thought I knew a lot about guns until I met him.
 
Like everything else in life, I guess it just depends on the peoples' personalities. One local store I go into, a lot of the flies are old guys who the owners know from town. A few are old guys whose wives have died and they are alone so they come in for some company.

Another store I go into often has flies who are know-it-alls or want to bring politics into the mix right off the bat. I avoid that store.

I have friends but all my family is far away. If my wife died, I hope people would cut me a little slack if I got a little "needy" and hung around a bit too long at some spot. I think I would go to the local grain elevator though, rather than the gun shop. The young women there are really nice and attractive. No women at the gun shop. At the grain elevator I might score some baked goods for the holidays. :)
 
There are good flies and bad flies. The bad flies never shut the hell up and seldom want you to participate in a dialogue. They just want to tell a story regardless of how long it takes and how boring it may be. The good ones have some knowledge to impart and actually welcome your participation. I have a good sense at this point to avoid the former.
 
I have dealt with the dingleberries before. They are generally a knowitall bunch that I can’t stand. There was once a time where I asked about some 6.8 ammo and two of them started chuckling and fired off about silly AR rounds nobody wanted. I launched off on a tirade about how the 6.8 was developed basically right down the street between Remington and army special forces groups, several of which I have been happy to know. They kept trying to save face and I would straighten that out too. That tirade ended with something to the tune of telling them that if they wanted to make fun of army special forces and the people that know them and support them in various ways that that sounds unamerican and that they can get their Al Quaeda selves out of my presence. Shop owner was belly laughing as they tried to backtrack. He looked at them and just said “Bye” and they got the hint. Never saw them there again. I think they found a new place to hang around.
 
I read a column on a trade publication and one of the sins to be avoided for a New Year was not to give unsolicited advice. Learned that lesson and recently only did it when a young lady was doing something dangerous following the lead of her show off boyfriend. He did glare. Don't care then.
 
My good old boy at lgs entry:
Back in my early days (started shooting in my early 50’s , am now a wisened 71…) I bought my second S&W revolver at the local hole-in-wall gun shop. My first S&W was a K frame .38, the second was a J frame m. 60. I tend to do my homework; I knew that the J frame had significant mechanical differences compared to the larger K frame. I quickly realized that the trigger of the J frame was heavier than that of the K. I took the little snub back to the shop for an expert evaluation. Shop owner deferred to “John” a regular bench warmer. “He knows everything “ I was told. I asked for John’s opinion; he stroked his long grey beard and suggested that I back out the strain screw. “There is no strain screw” said the new guy , me. “Why not?” says the expert , turning the revolver in his hands, looking for the non-existent strain screw. “Because the J frame has a coiled main spring , not a leaf spring like all larger frames” said the new guy.
( Not to mention- I already knew that carrying a revolver with the strain screw not securely set is a questionable practice…)

The world is full of experts.
 
I never argue with those guys. I just mumble a quiet reply and hope they get the message.

It not the same thing but this kind of reminds me of the years that I worked out of town. You get to eating breakfast at one of the local hole-in-the-wall restranants and every one of them had a table for the local retired guys. I've often thought that there was more intelligence at some of those tables than what was in the President's Cabinet!
 
The difference between living in a city and a small town is that in a city you have very little privacy, but you're anonymous, whereas in a small town you can have tons of privacy, but everyone knows who you are. Be dismissive and unkind to the "flies" where I live and you'll quickly find out who they're related to and how easy it is to become well-known. Extending a little patience to others can be beneficial, even to people who you think aren't as smart as you.
 
Old Dog said:
The great thing about getting older is that you can say what you think. I just don't care any more. When these non-customer hanger-ons (and there's a bunch of 'em) are just lolly-gagging about my LGS and getting in the way, I simply say - loudly, "Hey, can you move the heck out of the way, I'm an actual potential paying customer who wants to look at an actual gun." I had to remind the owner of my pet LGS that I'd bought more than 10 grand worth of firearms from his store in the previous year and I don't come in just to shoot the breeze or for the free (truly awful) coffee. When I enter now, he (or one of his counter guys) makes sure the flies get out of my way, to pick up their important discussion after I'm gone...
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I would love to see this in person!
 
LGS Flies :rofl: I'm laughing as I type this because way back in the day I was one of those Flies . Only slightly different .

A Good Close Friend owned a LGS and I met him via reloaders shooters and collectors . I learned NEVER to ever open MY mouth unless I was spoken to directly ,with regards to " customers " inside or outside the shop !. You kept your flap shut and LEARNED . When one on one , I'd ask questions if I needed or wanted to know something . I learned a great deal about Guns and their values ,met influential people as well as gunsmiths ,who were willing to pass along knowledge . So it was a GOOD thing for ME .

I fully understand the the annoyance of unwelcome advise . I'll Never if I live to be 150 forget some clown walked in one day ,while I just happened by for lunch with the owner . Heard him trying to peddle a Webley .455 and telling the owner of the gun shop ,he could hit a playing card at 100 yd. with it pretty regularly . I immediately turned around walked back to My truck and was LAUGHING so hard ,I almost fell in a pothole :rofl: . A few minutes later upon that customer leaving the owner and I went to lunch and laughed about the supernatural gun feats he had told prior to my arrival . Seriously the fellow didn't appear to have a clue as to guns period . Confirmed over Lunch when the owner told Me ,he said he uses special loads in it ,when I asked him the brand of ammo he used .
 
We had one,worse than a fly. I’d call him a tick. Sit on his lazy azz and pontificate on how he’d fight the feds at his driveway. I had a customer ask to see a Taurus 1911 (when they first came out, (somewhat enhanced). Tick opens up, “I’d never let anyone buy one of those pieces of scheitt..,..”.
I came around the counter, gently took his arm and led him to the door.
“This is not your store. You can have your opinion but when you mess with my bosses livelihood with no more than your elite bias, you are out of line.”
He left in a huff. Probably didn’t help that I’d kicked his azz in all the pin matches a week before.
Boss sat there and grinned.
 
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My anticipation is much of this experience was due to multiple strangers squeezed into a 10' x 12' tiny box. My guess is if the same personalities were spread across a much bigger shop, it would have been a non-event.
 
BLACKHAWKNJ said:
Jeff Cooper wrote of the need for "gun clubs"-places where people could talk firearms. To a large extent forums and boards fulfill that need.
It's a matter of mood and ambience . If a new or occasional customer is treated like an interloper, an intruder, given the cold shoulder, it's a place to avoid.
Click to expand...

It is just the "outsider". It is not just gunz but anything that is a fairly narrow market. I talked about guitars and watches. There is a "look" to you and if to the staff you don't fit into that look you get the "cold shoulder". I think with guns it is getting better. The "gun shops" have changed quite a bit, and I think a big plus is the more women coming in. It was a "good ole boys" club for a long time, and if an outsider moved in and tried to join....well cold shoulder. You have to have the look, or speak the lingo.......and I HATE THE LINGO. In the guitar world I will use sound over tone, in the gun world I will use gunz over guns. It just sounds talking down to me. Every once and A wile I will loose my cool and just snap, and rattle off correct lingo and the looks on the faces, oh he does know what he is talking about. Don't be a snob to me, just treat me as a person.

I am reminded of this clip. Because she did not have the look, and was not what they expected so they treated the customer like jerks. This mirrors my experience in more then a few gun shops as well as the guitar and watch shop, the watch shop was basically this exact clip.

 
The only time I have blown a gasket with a gun store doofus was when I had my (then) 10 year old daughter with me at Turners Outdoorsman in Chino,Ca. (Now closed and moved.) I had a 25-ish kid flailing about, pointing a counter gun all over as his 25-ish buddy behind the counter was blabbing away with him about this gun or that. The one guy was a doofus and the clerk was completely oblivious to what was going on. The attitudes I got when I asked these guys to please quit pointing the gun in our direction while they yapped sent me into a fit.

My only smart-ass clerk experience was at a police-oriented gun store that I would pop in once in a while for oddball consignment gun bargains. (I picked up a nearly-new CZ 550 6.5x55 for $500 bucks, a few weeks later a 7.5” Redhawk .41 came home for $350.) A few years back when 9mm 1911’s started becoming really popular, I asked the young man behind the counter if they had any 9mm 1911’s in the case I could check out. He sort of sneers and said something to the effect that the store only sells 1911’s in .45 because its the only caliber God intended for it, the 9mm 1911 is crap, what “man”would want to be seen shooting one, yadda yadda yadda.

I just smiled, said to the clerk, “Well, I guess the fifteen hundred bucks burning a hole in my pocket would be spent elsewhere” and left. (And it was!) :)

Unless its a safety issue, I just kindly nod, smile and go about my business when in the gun store. Life is waaaay too short to sweat it all.

Stay safe.
 
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