[ScrapMetal]

The phrase I use for these kind is similar "tacti-cool" guys. They'll turn their noses up at anything you have that might deviate from what they, with their "god-like" knowledge (need a sarcasm emoji here), might have or are told to have.

My son ran in to this kind of "instructor" a couple of weeks ago when he was doing the shooting portion of his concealed carry class. Mr. Tacti-cool took a look at the gun/holster that I had loaned my son for the class and immediately started berating his gear in front of the class. Now, what I had armed my son with was my Sig P220 and a Blackhawk paddle holster and while it might not be to everyone's taste as well as a bit "old fashioned", the setup works for me or did until I went with a shoulder holster and a Walter PPS for every day wear. Anyway, he would use my son's gun as an example of "what you don't want" because it uses a de-cocker and has "no safety". My son, by the way, was already very well versed in using this particular gun and he also prefers a de-cocker. If I remember correctly he also went off on "there is nothing superior to a 1911 type screed" which I'm sure you've all heard numerous times. I guess there was no reason to develop any other firearms after about 1903?

Mr. Tacti-cool then did a bit of a rant how no one should be allowed to have a gun unless they had the same kind of training as Mr. Tacti-cool supposedly had but inexplicably followed that up with a "It's everyone's right to bear arms". My son's head was still recovering from the sub-intellectual whiplash he was exposed to by the time he made it home. Absolutely ridiculous!

Epilogue: About a week after the class my son and I went to a LGS as he had decided to purchase a CZ P-01 a compact alloy-framed de-cocker model with light rail because he wanted those particular features and felt it would work best for how he wanted to use it.

Just passing on the 2nd hand experience,

-Ron

 

[Dem27]

I live in very small village in rural area. Every one knows each other. The “localist” FFL is mile down a Township road and he has outdoor range as well as indoor and he does the CCW certification classes.
He’s very nice guy but only knows AR/ Glock type stuff. The loafers call me the Old Fart that buys old Six Shooters. Last summer I bought a K38 with 83/8” tube, they thought that was hilarious. I shot it at some random steels set up for some kind of speed course. Then they didn’t want to go for pink slips.

 

[TRAP55]

Don't come to my shop then.
I ask why sometimes especially if it is a "unique-ish" type gun so if a future a customer ask looking for gun like you are buying I have some answers for them. I am not prying into your life I am trying to find out why you like this gun or it's particular good points (Or bad) and I think you are blowing this out of proportion and should just answer the question because you could be helping someone learn.
If you answered with what some has said (Or a smart butt answer) you would not be buying that gun from me.

Mike, I couldn't buy a gun from you over the counter. We would end up BS'ing about guns all day, and you wouldn't get any work done!
Huge difference between a gunsmith asking me a question like that, and some clueless counter drone at Cabelas doing it. Every action has a reaction, the "tone" used when asking the question, has an affect of how I'll answer it too.
Boise,ID Cabelas, young sales guy wasn't being much help to a father and son wanting to buy a milsurp rifle. They were looking over a rack of Mosins. Struck up a conversation with Dad, and picked out the best buy for him.
Sales kid came up and thanked me for the help, told me he didn't really know a thing about Mosins, and would I please give him some basics on them. Before we had to leave, he could pronounce the arsenals where they were made!

 

[jim brady]

Maybe the counter guy was just trying to engage in conversation?. If his intent was to convince you not to buy the firearm you were interested in, my take on it would have been to use a phrase that a teacher I once had in my High School 'Sales Class' told us:

'Over a thousand years ago Sampson slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Today millions of sales are slain every year with the same weapon'.

 

[bc22wm]

'Over a thousand years ago Sampson slew 1000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass. Today millions of sales are slain every year with the same weapon'.

No one has ever asked me that. Then maybe I don't look like someone you would want to strike up a conversation with. The last time someone tried that was a co-worker whose name I didn't know, asked me as we were leaving, " Why don't you park with the rest of us?" Without thinking I looked at him a said "Because I don't like ya." Sounds harsh but easyer than explaining to a late teen/ 20 something that as a near 60 year old grandfather, with grandchildren as old as he was, that not only did we have Nothing in common, and I didn't want to as had a family to go home to not stand around and chew the fat

 

[Empty_Holster]

One good response is always NunYa. None of your business.

 

[MPistone]

No one has ever asked me that. Then maybe I don't look like someone you would want to strike up a conversation with. The last time someone tried that was a co-worker whose name I didn't know, asked me as we were leaving, " Why don't you park with the rest of us?" Without thinking I looked at him a said "Because I don't like ya." Sounds harsh but easyer than explaining to a late teen/ 20 something that as a near 60 year old grandfather, with grandchildren as old as he was, that not only did we have Nothing in common, and I didn't want to as had a family to go home to not stand around and chew the fat

Well I gotta admit, the hat does make you less approachable.

 

[grrobinson]

Just curious, what do you guys say when employees/patrons at the counter ask “Why are you buying/why did you choose that?” I like to buy a lot of unique-ish guns (at least for my area), and it gets pretty annoying trying to “justify” my purchases.

Thanks

My answer would be “why not?”

 

[goofy]

Mike, I couldn't buy a gun from you over the counter. We would end up BS'ing about guns all day, and you wouldn't get any work done!
Huge difference between a gunsmith asking me a question like that, and some clueless counter drone at Cabelas doing it. Every action has a reaction, the "tone" used when asking the question, has an affect of how I'll answer it too.
Boise,ID Cabelas, young sales guy wasn't being much help to a father and son wanting to buy a milsurp rifle. They were looking over a rack of Mosins. Struck up a conversation with Dad, and picked out the best buy for him.
Sales kid came up and thanked me for the help, told me he didn't really know a thing about Mosins, and would I please give him some basics on them. Before we had to leave, he could pronounce the arsenals where they were made!

Well the up side is we would get to know each other better while we talk. I wonder how long it would take before you hear "I am not going to get any thing done so we might as well just go outside and shoot".
Which one do you want to shoot first?.

 

[curtiswunderwood]

Just curious, what do you guys say when employees/patrons at the counter ask “Why are you buying/why did you choose that?” I like to buy a lot of unique-ish guns (at least for my area), and it gets pretty annoying trying to “justify” my purchases.

Thanks

If they are asking you questions like this, they are trying to get information from you that they can use to persuade you to buy a more expensive gun or to bug accessories to go with it. I don't answer by asking them something about the gun I already know just to see if they know. Most of the time they have no idea and make up something lol. It is all about sales.

 

[Twobits]

I've had a few try to dissuade me from a purchase.. or upsell.

One time I was at a sportsmans warehouse, and they had clearanced all of their non optic sccy cpx2's ( basic, no red dot ). for some ridiculous price like 129$ They had 1 left.. hot pink.. and I think were offering a free box of 9mm fmj with it to move it. I bought it for 2 reasons. 1, cheaper and looked better than a high point..2, actually came with 2 double stack mags.. and 3, oddly enough.. fit my hand perfectly, I always give a 2nd look and consider a gun if it feels great in my hand... got it... turned out to be a great shooter. once I factored in the free 9mm / brass to reload.. it was just over a hundred bucks.

Another time I was looking at a RIA m206 Rural king / RKguns had them on one of their flash sales.. which are like 1 day or limited time sales. Again.. very inexpensive. can't remember the price.. but less than 160$ Not a bad gun.. comes with the rubber grips like a m200 and the small wood grips near cloning a colt detective special... of which the gun is virtually identical too anyway. I like range toys.. and this one qualified. I had done my homework and already contacted RIA to see if the gun was +p safe. it was.. and I actually printed out the email for safekeeping. on the day it came in when i went in to pick it up, the cashier at the gun counter obviously didn't like the guns.. and obviously quite a few of them had been ordered online and shipped to the store during that flash sale. I kept hearing the guy telling people they were junk guns.. yada yada.. and not +p rated. I generally don't stick myself into other peoples issues.. so I just let them do their thing. when my turn came and my paperwork was approved and I was up their paying.. same speech came out.. at which time I mentioned that actually RIA does say that they are +p safe.. just that a regular diet would wear the gun out faster. He corrected me and started talking till I pulled out the RIA customer service email I had printed and had with me to add to my paperwork I would keep with the gun... that moment got awkward and the transaction was finished with much less talking.

I honestly don't know why they hire non gun people to work in a gun environment..

Last gun I bought was a Walther Creed and the salesman was asking me why I wanted to buy a gun that is no longer made. He tried to talk me into a P99. I said to him why should I buy a gun that is going to be stopped being made later this year for 2x the price that they wanted for the Creed. Besides Walther is still servicing the Creed.

 

[oldretiredafguy]

The LGS has me on speed dial. The female clerk called me one day. She said they got two as new custom Colt 1911s in from a retired Colt sales representative. She said she selected the one I would want. When I got there, she was right and I bought it.

I hope you married that gal!

I think the tone of the person sets the stage.for an answer. OK guy- "I'm buying it as an investment-you better get one for yourself." Jerk-give him the stink eye and say NOYFB,

 

[Ron CROCKER]

Unless the tone of their question offends me, I will assume they really want to know. Before I buy, I will have researched the weapon and might be able to inform their decision as to whether to purchase a like weapon or not. I'm not going to assume it is anything other than genuine curiosity off the bat.

 

[zant]

I always say--"Jim bought one"...that confuses them and they go talk to someone else..

 

[Davo]

Why does a bear S#%T in the woods ?

 

[Twobits]

Why does a bear S#%T in the woods ?

Because no one is going to stop him.

 

[oldmanmontgomery]

I cannot recall being asked that question. But I can usually discern the intent of the questioner. I would expect this to be part of a scheme to stock what their clients desire. Sometimes it's just curiosity. Many clerks are interested in firearms but not seriously knowledgeable about the reasoning behind choices and really want to know the 'why?' of things.
If they want to argue, get me to buy something more expensive, I'll just smile and go on with life.
Mostly, what I buy is collectable - even if not 'valuable' items.

 

[amos_nunoy]

Some people are generally curious and figure if you are buying out the norm, you must know your stuff. And of course you have the firearm snobs that want to criticize your purchase. I love .32 cal firearms and have at least one of every caliber in .32. I recently bought a Ruger Birds head Single Seven (327 mag). A guy at the counter ask why I bought that one. First I always answer this type of question with "I am a collector of .32 caliber firearms" or whatever unusual caliber or weapon I am buying at the time. If they are truly curious they will ask further question and they get a long boring, but enthusiastic rendition of why the .32 is such a great caliber. If they are a snob (jerk) I cut it short by sternly saying "To each his own my friend" which almost always ends that conversation.

 

[marlinguy]

Only time I've ever been asked this question was years ago at a big gun show. I saw a guy looking over an 1893 Marlin short rifle, and I hoped he wouldn't buy it. As soon as he set it down, and began to leave, I told the seller I'd take it for the price he'd offered the other guy.
As I started to walk away the other guy stopped me and asked why I'd been so quick to buy it? I pointed out it was a fairly unusual rifle with a carbine length barrel, and the condition. I told him at $350 it was a good $100 below what I would have paid. (This was probably 30 years ago) He thanked me, and walked away.
Over the years we often saw each other at more gun shows, and on several more occasions I bought something he'd looked at previously. Not always when he set it down, but when he saw what I'd bought he often said he'd already passed on it, and regretted that.

 

[ral357]

Some people are generally curious and figure if you are buying out the norm, you must know your stuff. And of course you have the firearm snobs that want to criticize your purchase. I love .32 cal firearms and have at least one of every caliber in .32. I recently bought a Ruger Birds head Single Seven (327 mag). A guy at the counter ask why I bought that one. First I always answer this type of question with "I am a collector of .32 caliber firearms" or whatever unusual caliber or weapon I am buying at the time. If they are truly curious they will ask further question and they get a long boring, but enthusiastic rendition of why the .32 is such a great caliber. If they are a snob (jerk) I cut it short by sternly saying "To each his own my friend" which almost always ends that conversation.

I have the same 327 3.5" birds head. Had to have it, ordered from my LGS. When it came in they laughed and asked me if I was going to go Wyatt Earp and pistol whip people with it. We all laughed 😂 Life is harder if you are thin skinned.