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Gun shop employee qualificationsto a shop

42! said:
Was it close to the road in a sort-of half exposed basement? I think the house was green originally but it looked like a 100 year old paint job, not far from the Lew Hortons warehouse (at that time)?
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Very possibly, this encounter was LONG ago 25+ years. It kinda looked like a house (white as I remember, grey or white bottom and I think the sign was mounted on the bottom) atop a tall concrete or cinder block bottom. The bottom was the shop. I think it was sorta on the corner of two streets, pretty sure it was rt 85.

On another note. I never went in to the old Gartman arms, but from what I heard, there was a Saturday AM coffee crew. If you walked in you were greeted with disapproving stares, the owner never wanted to sell anything and was pretty grumpy. lol. The new shop I like. Good guys, cool stuff and I've opened my wallet there too many times. Bought my last gun there.

Speaking of Lew Hortens, I loved their old shop in Framingham. Spent most of my youth there drooling and they had a store credit card at the time. My dad had co-signed on the card so I could start to build my credit up. So Lew Hortens was my very first credit card!!!
 
was that Bay State Arms in Southboro? by the reservoir/buffalo on Rte 85?
 
Arto said:
was that Bay State Arms in Southboro? by the reservoir/buffalo on Rte 85?
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Entirely possible. So long ago. Guy was a jerk, very belittling and had mostly old stuff. Think there was one or two "modern" items in a case. He was such a pain, I was annoyed so I never got to look around much and never went back.
 
Arto said:
was that Bay State Arms in Southboro? by the reservoir/buffalo on Rte 85?
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Bob Vanni?

Is this the place that was so packed with old stuff floor to ceiling everywhere? If so, I went in there one day and the clutter was just too much for me, so I really didn't look around before leaving and never returning.
 
snax said:
I was at Dicks recently and the kid behind the counter sounded pretty knowledgeable about a few different rifles a guy was asking about. He was actually listening to the customer trying to help him too. Shocked I tell you!
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The guys in Natick store are very knowledgeable !!
 
Len-2A Training said:
Bob Vanni?

Is this the place that was so packed with old stuff floor to ceiling everywhere? If so, I went in there one day and the clutter was just too much for me, so I really didn't look around before leaving and never returning.
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Not sure about the person, but that sounds like the place. I never got a welcoming vibe, only went in a couple times. But if you were looking for something WWII it was a good place to look. Remember this was pre-web.
 
KevinR said:
Sounds like most of y'all just frequent the wrong shops...

My local go-to shops (2 of them) have some of the most knowledgeable staff I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Both shop owners are super super helpful, and both know the law. Not like certain idiots. I've been too MANY shops and have yet to find another that rivals these 2 in my area. They also price everything accordingly, some things actually cheap as hell.
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I guess good gun shops are like fishin holes. Don’t want everyone else showing up there?
 
I had a guy tell me it was illegal for him to simply sell me Wolff springs for my j frame but that he could sell them to me only if he installed them on my revolver because it wasn't a liability for him.

Have him my biggest FU smile and walked.
 
Did a transfer at a shop where the owner measured a government sized 1911 , non-threaded barrel with the slide locked back. I think he came up with 5.5" or something. OK. Waited for my receipt and walked out.

Stopped by Armour yesterday, and for anyone else, it's at the start of 138 on the rotary.
 
Tranferred a SVI 1911 wide body frame serial number "38SUPER". Had to argue with the clerk to get him to fill out a 4473 as he was convinced that the item was not a frame since it had no serial number, just a caliber designation. I finally got him to fill it out "just in case" and tell the boss, since I did not want the phone call to get to the shop ASAP when the boss found out.
 
WRT to Baystate:

I live 1 mile from there. When we were new to the area, MsHappy walked in.
"You must be lost," said the guy.
"What?"
"The only reason that women come in here, is because they're looking for Frugal Fannie's [located near there, at the time], and they're lost."
MsHappy: "Actually, my husband likes Parker shotguns, and I was looking to see if you had any." [laugh]

WRT Gun shops:

One of my kids works at Dick's - he had a customer tell him the other day, "I know all about guns, I play Call of Duty." [laugh]

It cuts both ways. [rofl]
 
Gasgunner said:
It is amazing however how familiar some kids are with military/black rifles from those video games. I’m pretty sure I’d never heard of an FN SCAR at their age never mind being able to identify one.
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Yeah....that's like saying that you can land a plane, because you have a flight simulator on you computer. [laugh]
 
MisterHappy said:
Yeah....that's like saying that you can land a plane, because you have a flight simulator on you computer. [laugh]
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With autoland systems on aircraft today I'd say it's absolutely possible for a person with simulator experience to land a plane. Some of the home PC simulators are very elaborate.
 
Then, it's the plane landing the plane.

My point is that online/simulator/gaming time is not the same as doing it IRL.

There's no reset in the Real World.

Put a Cessna 150 onto a 50-foot wide runway, with a seven-knot crosswind component on the computer...then do it with a real plane. Regardless of how many times you've done it on the computer, when you do it for real, you want a person in the right seat that's done it, before. [laugh]
 
Gasgunner said:
It is amazing however how familiar some kids are with military/black rifles from those video games. I’m pretty sure I’d never heard of an FN SCAR at their age never mind being able to identify one.
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Ask them where the safety is or how to clear a FTE. They know may know the stats but they don't know the gun.
 
Times have change and the idea of how brick and motor store needs to change with it. Everyone expects a gunshop that is just limping by to have well paid good staff. They only wan t to sell you the gun collecting dust on the shelf so they can keep the lights on.

Try going to small FFLs that are per apt and per order, they only want to sell you the gun you want and are actually invested, typically owner operated.
 
ruebarb said:
Times have change and the idea of how brick and motor store needs to change with it. Everyone expects a gunshop that is just limping by to have well paid good staff. They only wan t to sell you the gun collecting dust on the shelf so they can keep the lights on.

Try going to small FFLs that are per apt and per order, they only want to sell you the gun you want and are actually invested, typically owner operated.
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Boys and girls...there are pearls of wisdom on this site and sometimes, you read through them without really realizing what a pearl looks like or what was said. This is one of those pearls.
 
snax said:
I was at Dicks recently and the kid behind the counter sounded pretty knowledgeable about a few different rifles a guy was asking about. He was actually listening to the customer trying to help him too. Shocked I tell you!
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Must have been a part timer that enjoys shooting.
 
Stape said:
I'd like to work at a gunshop, like part time for fun or something I think. I have amazing customer service skills and have no problem admitting when I'm not familiar or knowledgeable about something. I think in any kind of sales, people want to be treated right, they want to feel like their business, time, and money are valuable and appreciated. That said, I can take a lot of crap from sales guys at a local shop, or any shop, but as soon as the guy/gal is rude, obviously ignorant or lying, that's when I'll cross the street, even if it costs more, to do business with a good shop I enjoy shopping at.

One store comes to mind, it was in Montville CT. These twat waffles would bemoan ANYTHING you asked about. If you ordered from them, they'd mark it way up for "paperwork costs" If they did have anything, it was so overpriced you could get it on gunbroker, have it shipped to that same store, pay the transfer, and still come ahead $30-$40. On top of crappy selection, ridiculous prices, and thicker than two short planks type staff, the owner was just such an a**h***, guy looked like he stepped in dog shit barefoot right before you walked in the door, just this scowl on his face.

I cant remember what it was over but I was in there giving them another shot, just browsing, and they had a Ruger 3 screw. I'm partial to the older Rugers, so I asked to see it. It was priced at some retardo level, like $900 or something. I politely asked if there was some reason the gun was priced as it was and Mr. bowl of sunshine appears from the back screaming about how they don't make em anymore and collectors bla bla bla. Sure, they don't make them anymore but they're hardly super expensive pieces. They draw a slight premium over others in similar condition. On top of that, it had been converted and didn't have the original parts!! lol. I pointed this out and Mr. Mensa started bloviating about how him and Bill used to party and he knows everything. I turn to leave with a slight chuckle and look over to the kid behind the counter who was now entertained by the dialogue between myself and Mr. Sour-ass, and ask him "Hey bro, you know of any good gun shops around here?" Then Mr. Awesome starts screaming at me to leave his shop, as I was leaving and he threw a rolled up tube of paper targets at me lol.
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Worst experience I have ever had was at Bobs in Salisbury. Saw a nice smith model 36......with the original box and everything and I was actually shopping around for one in good shape. I asked to see it and the young guy behind the counter takes the gun and box and places them on the counter. I fondled it for a moment......then asked the kid if he minded if I dry fired it (I buy guns to shoot not to collect....and always ask permission to dry fire before doing so). Kid says no problem. I check it again to be sure its clear......point it in a safe direction and dry fired double action twice then cocked the hammer........Next thing I know a guy from across the room yelled at me "hey.....don't dry fire collectible pieces man"! I turned and gave him the hairy eye ball and said "I asked him permission first". He was red faced at this point and came over and took the gun from my hands put it in the box and told me "we don't allow dry fire of collectibles". I walked out and never been back. I actually had the dead presidents in my wallet to buy it and planned to..........but not after that chastising. What a dick.
 
As a former gun shop employee I can tell you that yes there are guys that shouldn't be working in the gun shop sales / customer service field. We are expected to know everything about every gun. I will say that I dont know everything about every gun. If I didnt know, I had no problem saying that. Then I would go find another employee that did know. I would also like to add that you guys have to have some understanding as to what we dealt with on a daily basis.
Here are a few of my favorites:
1. The guy that comes in and wants to complain about the State of Massachusetts and the MA gun laws.
2. Guy that wants to come in and bitch about the president (When Obama was in office)
3. Guy that comes in wearing all 5.11 BDU tactical type clothes / Cammo clothes when you know he works in an office somewhere.
4. Guy that wants to insert himself into my sale and tell the customer why they shouldn't buy the gun that they are buying.
5. (one of my favorites) New NRA certified instructor that comes in wearing a NRA Instructor Hat, Shirt, Jacket. They would look at me like I was dumb when I would ask if they were an instructor.
6. Guy that says "Well I am an instructor" when you ask him if he is familiar with the operation of the gun he wants to look at. I would then ask the question again.
7. Instructors that bring there students in and want to tell them the best gun for them. I would have no issue with this if they had the knowledge. But usually they did not. I had one very well known and very busy MA instructor come in with a student. The student was looking at a Beretta 92FS, a glock 19, and a SW 1911. The student asked what the difference was, The instructor actually said "They are basically all the same just get the Beretta." My head almost exploded. Then I set the student/new customer straight.
8. Last but not least is People pointing guns at me on a daily basis. Now this can be divided into two categories. A)Unloaded and B )f***IN Loaded.
A) I get it its a gun shop, its practically impossible to point a gun somewhere in a busy shop without muzzling some part of someone. But lets not do it intentionally. I would hand a gun to someone and say "please point that in a safe direction. I recommend the floor." It would end up pointed at my torso. I would correct the situation and say "please dont point that at me". If it happened again I would start getting less polite. Some people would also point it at me and pull the trigger. That would usually end abruptly. I am very good at gun takeaways.
B) Loaded guns. At least twice a week someone would come in with a gun that they wanted to trade that was either in a box/bag loaded or holstered loaded. We would try and catch these things and give instructions before they happened, but this was not always possible. I got real good at recognizing this quickly. More than few times I had to jump over the counter and grab a gun that was coming out of a holster. At least once a week I had a loaded gun pointed at me. Again I am very good at takeaways.
 
I had a lady screaming at me in a store there one day this past summer telling me that she was going to Nevada and she was going to buy ARs at a gun show there because of the gun show loophole. She has a brother there and she knows how this works. And we're all retards who voted for Trump and we deserve to be shot. She also told me that she's an attorney from New York and she knew people.
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You know, if we could put a few people together after obtaining these types of peoples names, we should dime them out to the ATF and laugh as the chips fell.
 
Knob Creek said:
I know most shop employees have a grasp of things. But today I went into a shop on the south shore. Asked if they had any P220 Sigs. Guy said “you mean P320’s”. No I mean P 220’s. Guy says “No such thing”. I said “really? Guy says oh yeah you must be confused you mean P320. Woman checks Approved Gun list says no such gun. Ask her to check again, she says “ Oh wow they did make one”. Walked out in a hurry.
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So she thinks a gun not being on a government approved list means it doesn't exist? That is some scary thinking.
 

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