So I was at the gun store today and was looking at the revolver prices and was listening to the store employee answer questions to another patron about guns. The patron was asking about good quality semi's and revolvers, he said that he didn't know what brand he wanted and so on. The patron was looking in the Glock and XD cabinet asking the employee about them and the guy answers that a semi auto isn't what he should get since they jam all the time, he then picks up a Glock 19 (I didn't know it at the time but looked after) and says "you especially don't want this one, its prone to jamming." The patron says that he wasn't aware of that, and thanks the employee. The clerk/employee then says that he needs to stick to revolvers, and he'll show him the best. I didn't say a word, but rolled my eyes, all the while I'm holding my Glock 39 in its case since I just finished at their range...and guess what, no jams....
Gun shop employee
- Thread starter DonutGuy
- Start date
Semi autos are less reliable than a revolver. Even the best semiauto will still have a possibility of a failure by poorly chosen ammunition, limp wristing, or lord only knows what other issue may come up, whereas a revolver should only fail to function with proper ammunition if it was either broken, or too filthy to operate.
I disagree that autos of any sort fail all the time. Most autos are really reliable. I've never had a malfunction in my browning except limp wristing with my left hand. (IIRC)
When I'm asked about a nightstand or briefcase gun for a novice, I guide them to a da revolver, but I never exaggerate or overplay the supposed "unreliability" of semiautos.
He was wrong to overstate the unreliability issue, but I think that his point was valid.
I disagree that autos of any sort fail all the time. Most autos are really reliable. I've never had a malfunction in my browning except limp wristing with my left hand. (IIRC)
When I'm asked about a nightstand or briefcase gun for a novice, I guide them to a da revolver, but I never exaggerate or overplay the supposed "unreliability" of semiautos.
He was wrong to overstate the unreliability issue, but I think that his point was valid.
While I have no love for Glocks (personal preferences), that's just outrageous. They're a very good weapon, proven time and again.
Maybe you should say something to the store owner/manager. He just lost a sale, and maybe a good customer because of an incompetent employee.
I don't think any business would appreciate that kind of attitude in an employee.
The owner must believe they're good guns. He went through the effort to get them on the shelf.
I think I might have talked to the customer off to side.
Where do these morons come from?
Maybe you should say something to the store owner/manager. He just lost a sale, and maybe a good customer because of an incompetent employee.
I don't think any business would appreciate that kind of attitude in an employee.
The owner must believe they're good guns. He went through the effort to get them on the shelf.
I think I might have talked to the customer off to side.
Where do these morons come from?
spacecoast
New member
If the patron needed to be educated about the basic differences between revolvers and semi-auto pistols, then he/she may not be ready for a Glock, which is not known as the most foolproof pistol on the market. The claims of the employee may not have been appropriate, but the outcome OK.
Is it accurate to say that Glocks are better suited to "advanced users" and not the "I need a pistol to stick in the waistband of my sweatpants" crowd?
Is it accurate to say that Glocks are better suited to "advanced users" and not the "I need a pistol to stick in the waistband of my sweatpants" crowd?
could have been worse
"These guns jam and break all the time, so you need to buy 2, thats where the phrase backup gun came from. and youll need 2 holsters, and these guns, to reduce the chance of them jamming and blowing up, you need to buy these premium speer gold dot. see regular bullets are made of lead and copper. these are made with gold, so they're automatically better"
"These guns jam and break all the time, so you need to buy 2, thats where the phrase backup gun came from. and youll need 2 holsters, and these guns, to reduce the chance of them jamming and blowing up, you need to buy these premium speer gold dot. see regular bullets are made of lead and copper. these are made with gold, so they're automatically better"
The fact that he picked up a Glock and stated that this was the all time jamming gun is beside the point, the fact that he stated to a potential buyer to stay away from semi's is the point. I'm no gun master, but I do know pure ignorance when I hear it. It didn't make me mad since the only time that store takes my $10 is when I use the range, now maybe I'd be a little mad if I actually bought guns and other things from there.
I don't believe in putting too many challenges in between a novice and firing a defensive weapon.
No matter how well you train them, if they wake up in the middle of the night with a rapist coming in the door, a high power on safe (slide locked)with no load in the chamber is more than most people will be able to deal with under stress. So, while the glock still may not be the best answer for a novice, it is far from the worst answer.
I'd rather have a fire extinguisher than some handguns, personally. Pull the pin and leave it by the bed, then grab and squeeze.
No matter how well you train them, if they wake up in the middle of the night with a rapist coming in the door, a high power on safe (slide locked)with no load in the chamber is more than most people will be able to deal with under stress. So, while the glock still may not be the best answer for a novice, it is far from the worst answer.
I'd rather have a fire extinguisher than some handguns, personally. Pull the pin and leave it by the bed, then grab and squeeze.
Sounds like another case of the uneducated leading the unknowing down an uncertain path.
This old saying comes to mind......If you can't impress them with your intelligence, dazzle them with your BS.
This issue of revolver vs. modern semi-auto has been debated many, many times, ad infinitum. It boils down to what one's personal preference is. My favorite semi-auto holds seven rounds while my favorite wheel gun holds six...not a major difference, unless of course one is in the heat of battle. I find I can reload my semi much faster by simply inserting a fresh, loaded mag into the well. There are those that would argue that they can do the same with a speed loader or speed strip. Again, personal preference.
Any gun shop employee that does what this fellow did is doing a disservice to the customer in what could be an effort to steer an unknowing customer to a gun which would make more profit, and therefore more commission, to the salesman.
This old saying comes to mind......If you can't impress them with your intelligence, dazzle them with your BS.
This issue of revolver vs. modern semi-auto has been debated many, many times, ad infinitum. It boils down to what one's personal preference is. My favorite semi-auto holds seven rounds while my favorite wheel gun holds six...not a major difference, unless of course one is in the heat of battle. I find I can reload my semi much faster by simply inserting a fresh, loaded mag into the well. There are those that would argue that they can do the same with a speed loader or speed strip. Again, personal preference.
Any gun shop employee that does what this fellow did is doing a disservice to the customer in what could be an effort to steer an unknowing customer to a gun which would make more profit, and therefore more commission, to the salesman.
The guy is an idiot..plain and simple.. Glock 19 jams all the time huh? Not even close buddy...I have a G19 and G23 and neither one has EVER jammed ever, regardless of ammo...yes, a semi-auto is more prone to jam then a revolver obviously...But his "example" to show him was a poor choice and ridiculous...
aarondhgraham
New member
I want a part-time job working in a gun shop,,,
I think that would be too cool for words.
I have worked a lot of retail management positions,,,
I have quite a bit of experience working with unknowledgeable customers.
So what would I do when Joe/Josephine Blow is looking for that first handgun?
Would I automatically point them towards a DA revolver?
This topic has been batted around at least a dozen times in my memory,,,
Guys who anger women by assuming they can't learn pistols,,,
Automatically sending them towards J-Frame revolvers,,,
They miss the opportunity to develop a customer.
Or the opposite where they see a clueless individual of either gender,,,
And sell them a high level 1911 because of the bigger profit,,,
They miss the opportunity to develop a loyal customer.
I would hope that I could talk to the people and educate them a little bit,,,
Give them the information they need to make an informed decision,,,
But I also know that's not likely in a lot of situations.
Some folk simply can't learn or don't want to have to learn anything,,,
Those folk I would steer towards the revolver section.
Maybe that's what that guy was doing,,,
But doing in a clumsy manner.
Or he could easily have been one of those opinionated know-it-alls,,,
Not caring about anything but listening to his own preaching
One problem we gun nuts have is that we are extremely opinionated,,,
And our opinions often take on the level of "holy gospel",,,
We've all read posts that are "Statements of Fact",,,
That's not the attitude for retail sales people.
A local gun store recently sold my (clueless) lady friend a Taurus .380 Pistol,,,
She came to me asking me to show her how to use it,,,
I was embarrassed when I really couldn't,,,
I'm a dyed in the wool revolver guy.
I didn't know if it was DA/SA, DAO, SAO, AWOL, or SHTF,,,
The Taurus manual wasn't a lot of help either.
So I took the pistol to the store where she got it and asked Bob how to work it,,,
He was acting really strange after he found out she was a friend of mine,,,
I asked him why he recommended this particular pistol to her,,,
He sheepishly said, "I had three of them I needed to move".
In a way, the situation was actually quite funny,,,
He acted like a kid who got caught stealing cookies,,,
I shamed him into "gifting" her with a box of practice ammo for it.
She and I eventually figured it out and we both learned some things,,,
One of the things she learned was that she loved my S&W Model 36 snubbie.
Go figure,,,
She still has the Taurus and keeps it loaded by her nightstand,,,
But she bought a Charter Arms snubbie for purse carry.
.
I think that would be too cool for words.
I have worked a lot of retail management positions,,,
I have quite a bit of experience working with unknowledgeable customers.
So what would I do when Joe/Josephine Blow is looking for that first handgun?
Would I automatically point them towards a DA revolver?
This topic has been batted around at least a dozen times in my memory,,,
Guys who anger women by assuming they can't learn pistols,,,
Automatically sending them towards J-Frame revolvers,,,
They miss the opportunity to develop a customer.
Or the opposite where they see a clueless individual of either gender,,,
And sell them a high level 1911 because of the bigger profit,,,
They miss the opportunity to develop a loyal customer.
I would hope that I could talk to the people and educate them a little bit,,,
Give them the information they need to make an informed decision,,,
But I also know that's not likely in a lot of situations.
Some folk simply can't learn or don't want to have to learn anything,,,
Those folk I would steer towards the revolver section.
Maybe that's what that guy was doing,,,
But doing in a clumsy manner.
Or he could easily have been one of those opinionated know-it-alls,,,
Not caring about anything but listening to his own preaching
One problem we gun nuts have is that we are extremely opinionated,,,
And our opinions often take on the level of "holy gospel",,,
We've all read posts that are "Statements of Fact",,,
That's not the attitude for retail sales people.
A local gun store recently sold my (clueless) lady friend a Taurus .380 Pistol,,,
She came to me asking me to show her how to use it,,,
I was embarrassed when I really couldn't,,,
I'm a dyed in the wool revolver guy.
I didn't know if it was DA/SA, DAO, SAO, AWOL, or SHTF,,,
The Taurus manual wasn't a lot of help either.
So I took the pistol to the store where she got it and asked Bob how to work it,,,
He was acting really strange after he found out she was a friend of mine,,,
I asked him why he recommended this particular pistol to her,,,
He sheepishly said, "I had three of them I needed to move".
In a way, the situation was actually quite funny,,,
He acted like a kid who got caught stealing cookies,,,
I shamed him into "gifting" her with a box of practice ammo for it.
She and I eventually figured it out and we both learned some things,,,
One of the things she learned was that she loved my S&W Model 36 snubbie.
Go figure,,,
She still has the Taurus and keeps it loaded by her nightstand,,,
But she bought a Charter Arms snubbie for purse carry.
.
spacecoast
New member
Somehow far too many of those folks end up with Glocks, and I'm still trying to figure out why... Could it be that Glocks have a higher profit margin than other guns? Superior marketing?
gun shops, sales clerks, SOPs...
My SOP for about the last 10 years or so when I visit a gun/sporting goods/military surplus type retail store is to ignore/avoid the customers/staff.
Unless someone asks me directly what I think or if I see something grossly unsafe(like 2 drunk-high customers who waved a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 around,).
I know stores are in business to make $$$ and I'm not going to get into it with every weekend Rambo & mall ninja nutbag that tends to populate some of these places.
In recent years I choose to do most sales/purchases online or by mail order.
The local retail mark-up, low quality and over-all nutty environments make them less than ideal.
My SOP for about the last 10 years or so when I visit a gun/sporting goods/military surplus type retail store is to ignore/avoid the customers/staff.
Unless someone asks me directly what I think or if I see something grossly unsafe(like 2 drunk-high customers who waved a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 around,
). I know stores are in business to make $$$ and I'm not going to get into it with every weekend Rambo & mall ninja nutbag that tends to populate some of these places.
In recent years I choose to do most sales/purchases online or by mail order.
The local retail mark-up, low quality and over-all nutty environments make them less than ideal.
QuarterHorse
New member
As frustrating or silly is it sounded, it's no different to what people get on a public forum looking for advice, other than the man behind the counter is supposed to be educated about what he's selling. Let's be realistic though, do you expect the 15year old kids at Sears to know about the top 2 or 3 table saws and give you real world experience with 'em? Of course not, and it's no different at a box store gun shop. ( I assume that's where this was at )
That being said, it's like half of the internet forums talking about junk Taurus guns (mine PT145 has 3000+ rounds through it no problem) or how garbage Para 1911's are (I'm flirting with 2000 rounds now no problems). It's people that have a need to feel important so they'll take whatever opportunity they can to do so.
It's unfortunate for that potential customer, I may have stopped him away from the counter and sent him to a gun smith I felt comfortable taking advice from, but it's hard to say.
That being said, it's like half of the internet forums talking about junk Taurus guns (mine PT145 has 3000+ rounds through it no problem) or how garbage Para 1911's are (I'm flirting with 2000 rounds now no problems). It's people that have a need to feel important so they'll take whatever opportunity they can to do so.
It's unfortunate for that potential customer, I may have stopped him away from the counter and sent him to a gun smith I felt comfortable taking advice from, but it's hard to say.
psychohellbilly666
New member
I think it says a lot to the state of the more coomercialised gun shops now days. I myself was recently at the local range and there was a couple who were obviously new to guns there. She had an LCP with the trigger guard laser and he had a taurus judge. After speaking to them a little while I found out they had just purchased them and were practicing to obtain a ccw permit as they live in KY. Evidently the shop advised them to get a revolver to qualify with and convinced them to get the lcp to carry. Now I'm no gun expert but from personal experience (carrying concealed for 12 years and shooting for 16) I suggested the try a compact semi for both. Best to qualify with what you will carry. They said the saleman said semis are to hard to break down to clean(which i assume is part of the qualifying in KY). I had my Glock 26, Springfield xd9 sub and Sig P226 with me and broke the 3 down in less than 30 seconds trying to show how easy they can be broke down with a little familiarity. Also they were target shooting the lcp at 25 yards. I advised them that it was a more close range firearm and gave a little more helpful hints. In the end I told them they should find a range that rents pistols and suggested they try a few out from both semis and revolvers and advised on the benefits of a good 3 inch 357. But also how semis are easy to break down as a revolver. I just found it odd that the same shop suggested a revolver but also sold them on one of the more harder to control and break down semis(and i love the lcp as I own one).
Harry Callahan
New member
It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance of some people who work in these stores. Case in point; I have been going to a shop which has a gunsmith who has done marvelous work for me in the past but a couple of instances I've left scratching my head. 1) I asked him to do a trigger job for me on a Browning BDM, possibly my most accurate 9. He says he wouldn't touch that POS and is surprised Browning would put their name on it. I pointed out that when an employee of his sold it to me it was "one heck of a gun". 2) I asked if he had ever worked on an early S&W Registered Magnum. He said "What's that"? I was just floored that he didn't know. He must be around 55 and I would assume he's seen just about everything and if he hasn't worked on it he would at least know about it.
.Sounds like whatever gun has been in the case the longest and needs to get sold is probably going to be the best gun that he has to offer.
I really don't expect anything more from a sales clerk. Remember, they make money buy selling guns, not letting them sit in the case for years of end. Do you honestly expect a gun dealer to tell you "Don't buy that, its a POS". This guy is acting no different than a car salesman or any other type of salesman you are gonna come across.
I really don't expect anything more from a sales clerk. Remember, they make money buy selling guns, not letting them sit in the case for years of end. Do you honestly expect a gun dealer to tell you "Don't buy that, its a POS". This guy is acting no different than a car salesman or any other type of salesman you are gonna come across.
flatovercrest
New member
This is a funny and true story..
My nightstand handgun used to be a revolver (Ruger GP100). Something was wrong with that gun and it would jam when I would take it to the range. Something in the mechanism wasn't right, I'm not sure what.
Anyway, I got rid of that gun and now I don't own any revolvers.
My nightstand handgun used to be a revolver (Ruger GP100). Something was wrong with that gun and it would jam when I would take it to the range. Something in the mechanism wasn't right, I'm not sure what.
Anyway, I got rid of that gun and now I don't own any revolvers.