What firearm ignorance have you encountered lately?

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drastic_quench

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It's so frustrating, but I usually try to do my best to educate without being obnoxiously didactic.

  • I saw a lady the other day at a big box retailer who was about to check out at the gun counter. She had a few different items and a stack of 380 auto. I just happened to overhear her tell the man she was with that, "These'll shoot in the .357, because it shoots 38s too." NO! I politely steered her towards the 38 specials. The worker couldn't have cared less. He was ringing up items with all the concern of a grocery store clerk.
  • I was googling Ruger Blackhawks and stumbled onto this old thread. To summarize, the guy's friend buys a .357 magnum Blackhawk, and is then frustrated to find that he has to cock the hammer every time!

    This is not the first time I've seen this. I've witnessed more than a few people asking to look at single actions at my LGS, and when asked a few questions, they've told me they liked it because of the wood grips, and had no idea why it had to be loaded one at a time and cocked to fire! Now I love single actions, but these are people seriously considering a SA with 5" bbl+ for CCW pieces -- and they're totally oblivious to how they operate. One guy kept flip-flopping between a blued Blackhawk in 357 and a Super Blackhawk Hunter 44 mag only because he, "liked the red wood better." I nicely told him about aftermarket grips/panels, and stressed the importance of the gun over the looks. "What are you going to use it for?" "I wanna carry it." Yeah, you don't need to be a firearm historian to buy one, and SA carry isn't unthinkable [if you know what you're getting into] but where do these people come from? And why do too many retailers act as nothing more than cashiers?
 
My wife (now ex) and I went into a gunstore and asked the clerk for .460 S&W ammo. His reply was, "What caliber do you want that for?"
 
i say a forum with many people on it not caring about the ATF overstepping their authority to ban importation of 7n6 because they didnt believe it personally effected them so theres no reason to care
 
I was at a auction last saturday where they were selling some reloading supplies and the auctioneer had two half full pound jugs of green dot and and blue dot. He said you could probably pour the two together and have a full jug. Several people laughed and said no, they had no idea what they were doing.
 
Perhaps a better title for this thread would be: What recent opportunities have you had to "to educate without being obnoxiously didactic"? ...and what was the outcome.

Just saying that when education is the objective, it is it better to encourage interest than to point out ignorance. If it proves frustrating, then examine your motive.
 
Ignorance doesn't mean stupidity - just absence of knowledge. The title's not meant to be pejorative.
 
I was buying 7.62x39 and had a Wallmart clerk tell me "I know what those are for and I don't approve!" Today I would have asked to see a manager.

Mike
 
jason41987 i say a forum with many people on it not caring about the ATF overstepping their authority to ban importation of 7n6 because they didnt believe it personally effected them so theres no reason to care
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I don't think its this forum or any other forum "not caring"......nor is it ATF "overstepping their authority". It's Federal law. If you don't like Federal law or the agency that is REQUIRED to enforce those laws you can always fight to change the law.

A good portion of the blame goes to those companies who built a handgun in 5.45 x 39.........knowing full well that doing so would prohibit the importation of steel core 5.45x39 ammunition.

But heck, its always easier to blame ATF for laws that OUR elected representatives passed isn't it?:rolleyes:
 
Sometimes, clerks can be TOO helpful!

I went in a gun shop about two years ago to buy a SIG P238.

And the new clerk told me I didn't want a SIG, I wanted a Taurus TCP.

He said, 'For a man my age, the Taurus would be much simpler to operate!'

Needless to say, I turned around and walked out.

rc
 
Not sure if this is relevant to the OP. But when Charter Arms announced their Pitbull in 9mm and 40's, some online gun publishers/reviewers said that the 9mm would also be able to fire the 380 auto. Really!?!? :eek:
 
Arizona Mike said:
It was Gainesville, FL. Probably the one on Archer.
I kind of did an Evelyn Wood on the "lately" part of the title. It was not lately . . .

Mike
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They are all Florida Gator's there, Mike. Expect to hear anything! ;)
 
My employer decided it would be a good idea to arm Sharon XXXXXX.

Trust me if you knew what that meant you'd know what that means
 
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Reading some posts on a forum, much like this one, and they were asking the question, What kind of rag should they use to clean their gun?
Proves that you can't fix stupid!:banghead:
 
kcofohio Not sure if this is relevant to the OP. But when Charter Arms announced their Pitbull in 9mm and 40's, some online gun publishers/reviewers said that the 9mm would also be able to fire the 380 auto. Really!?!?
Click to expand...
Yeah, really.
The Pitbull 9mm revolver, unlike a semi auto pistol doesn't headspace on the case mouth and doesn't use moonclips, but has a little stud that clicks into the groove at the head of the cartridge case........it doesn't know or care if its a 9x19 case or a 9x17case.
 
I think it has been the last few days, hearing every news story about the latest Ft Hood shooting reminding us that this shooter was not allowed to have a personal firearm on the base.
 
I usually try to do my best to educate without being obnoxiously didactic
Click to expand...

Somebody had to say the following. Just using the word "didactic" makes you so. The word is a wee bit ostentatious doncha think? ;)
 
Gun shops & gun shows....

I don't frequent gun shops or gun shows as often as I did in my 20/30s.
When I do go by a firearms counter or gun shop today, I avoid talking to other customers or intervene with sales. :rolleyes:
I wouldn't want other customers to do that in my small business or prevent my staff from doing their job(s).
Unless the topic is unsafe(loading the wrong type of rounds in a gun) or a customer is intoxicated/unstable(which I've seen up close in a gun shop, :uhoh: ), I stay out of it.
If your opinion or feelings are needed the gun shop customer can ask you. If not, Id mind my own business & leave.
 
from RedWind - 'They are all Florida Gator's there, Mike. Expect to hear anything!'

I was born about two miles (Shands) from that Walmart...grew up in the area...attended UF. The clerk in question was obviously a Tallahassee transplant.

Kevin :D

oh and to stay on topic I have to say my all time favorite act of ignorance that my father and I are laughing about is the DC prosecutor believing it was unsafe to open up a shotgun shell outside of a lab, and then searching for a lab that could do it in a rush. I think that one will stick with me for a while.
 
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The poor kid at the Walmart counter who asked the associate, "What's the difference between this .30-06 and that .338 over there?"
She looked at the tags and simy replied, "About $150."
Had to intervene cause that would just turn the poor guy off shooting or hunting forever.
He never shot a gun and wanted to surprise his dad by being ready and geared up for hunting season.
He ended up buying the .30-06.
 
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