Things you hear from LGS employees

308pirate

308pirate

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 25, 2017
24,706
39,328
#1
So I'm at the LGS picking up some powder and right across from me is the wall of cheap holsters.

In steps in a kid that looks barely 21 selling a guy who looks my age his first carry setup. They had already settled on a crappy gun (Hellcat) then kid moves to explain how appendix carry is super uncomfortable especially while driving and explaining why a floppy uncle mikes nylon sausage sack is superior to a kydex holster.

His explanation of what the trigger safety on a striker pistol does was golden: it's there so you don't accidentally pull the trigger.

WTF
 
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#3
Once overheard 2 morons in the LGS discussing target/hunting rifles for one of them to get started. Captain Incest was supposedly the “expert” guiding Tweedle Chromosome about a rifle purchase… The salesman and I have known each other well over a decade at that point, so he knew this was going to get good when he saw my head prairie dog up from between the shelves in the reloading aisle, to listen to these 2 Special Freds.

Tweedle Chromosome wanted a .300 WinMag to deer hunt with in Alabama. Red flag #1. 🤦🏼 His logic was he was lazy and didn’t want to track them, so he wanted to “blow basketball sized holes in them at 1000 yards”… Red flag #2. Captain Inbred jumped in an attempt to help save his friend some face, from looking stupid (too late), and insisted that all he needed was s 6.5 Creed, Hornady ammo, and a “gold ring scope” and he could do that easily, because it was ballistically superior to the .300WM…

Me standing in the reloading aisle directly behind them eavesdropping and looking at my buddy, the salesman, as he’s trying not to lose it laughing, covering his grin with his hand, but slowly losing the battle… 😂



After they finally walked off to the scope section, he looked at me and we both started laughing…

This is your average hunter, thanks to BS ad campaigns and the internet feeding weak minds. 🤦🏼
 
#4
I also once overheard a younger salesman explain to an urban-clad ghettisian gentleman that he didn’t need the “Glock 9” that he couldn’t afford, because the Bersa and Hi-Pointe that he could afford, was, and I quote… “Just as good…” 🤦🏼🤦🏼🤦🏼
 
#5
Typical idiot salesman.

You never know how loaded a customer might be regardless of how they look. Don't ever sell someone down. Let them do that.
 
#11
Ironically... Same location, different ownership, different store name, about 15 years after I worked there. Not a whole lot of outdoors stores left in that town after Bass Pro moved into the next town over, about 15 minutes up the interstate.
 
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#14
Overhearing dumbass conversations at your LGS provides good entertainment and a great story that you can live to tell. But hearing dumbass conversations at the shooting range in lane near to you is something else…

Hate having someone else’s stupidity put my life at risk…
 
#16
LGS owners are just like any other employer. When paying crap wages by the hour, they will get crap for employees.

Non government employers should just abandon the paid by the hour pay structure and just go to 100% commission pay. That is the only way to get a productive employee.
 
#17
I don’t know about the commission only thing.
The last couple of LG stores I went into the kids behind the counter were damned near FRANTIC to try and sell me something or anything they could pick up and put in my face. They get an A for effort, but a D for execution.
 
#18
Overheard a salesman talk a kid OUT of a nightforce and into buying a $400 vortex because “nightforce is just an overpriced name, and Vortex has the best warranty”
The warranty line made me laugh out loud.
 
#21
The thing is, it’s never as simple as that. The 100% commission things sounds really good to an employer, until he finds out that everyday drudge work that every place of business has, doesn’t get any attention. There’s no incentive to to drive people to take care of things that must be done.

Any place or person that’s been involved in a 100% commission work environment soon finds out that there will be those that ignore everything that doesn’t directly involve a commission in their pocket. It can get to be a nightmare for both the employer and anybody else that has to deal with the daily workings of the company.
 
#24
There was a guy at the local shop who actually knew what he was talking about, and shot USPSA at a high level.

One slow day, I was in shooting the breeze with him, and he told me about the young guy who came in looking for a set of Hi Point sights. This customer had spray painted the slide and put it in the oven to dry. Hi Point sights are plastic 🙃
 
#26
Overhearing two guys talking about how full size 1911's are impossible to conceal, or too heavy.

All while I'm standing in the next aisle with a concealed full size 1911 on my hip.
 
#27
The only thing I hear in my LGS on the rare occasion is some derivation of “buy something”.

All the BS stories that come out of the patrons make me just want to leave. I have enough of my own stupid ideas, I don’t need theirs too.
 
#32
What I left out is that I met new ccw guy at the register. I asked him of cc was new to him and of course he said yes. I lifted up my t shirt to show him a G 19 aiwb and told him the guy he talked to didn't know shit. I gave him two good aiwb holster makers, told him that whatever he did he needed tons of dry fire draws, and left it at that.

He said his "cop friend" was gonna help him. Having seen the range of skill among random cops I just smiled and nodded.

If he's like most "gun guys" in this county, he'll never actually carry except when going to the "big city" (Dayton) once or twice a year.
 
#34
It’s true, I know a few acquaintances that have their CCW and yet are afraid to carry. It starts with learning your weapon, practicing both live and dry fire and knowing that you can use it. Too many buy the gun and shit, but never go to the range or do anything else.

I told one that he wasted his time and money getting his carry permit since he doesn’t carry and I can’t see him changing that. His answer was that it was for just in case. I said in case of what? You going to ask a bad guy to wait right there while you run on home to get your pistol to carry that you’ve never practiced with and barely even shot? He just looked at me like I’m the asshole. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
#41
That's why when a relative or acquaintance asks me about getting or carrying a pistol I just ignore them or tell them that I don't know anything.

The last time I engaged in that conversation my BIL wanted a house pistol but didn't want to spend too much. This was about 10 years ago when you could find a used K frame or Security Six for $200 - $250 in good working order. So thats what i strongly recommended knowing he was never going to train let alone practice with it.

He then got a hi point......
 
#42
That is the typical pistol purchaser. Buy a pistol that the LGS guy told them was great, for not much money. Buy a couple boxes of the most expensive “self defense” ammo that the LGS loves to sell. Take it home and play with it. Maybe 25% will go to an indoor range once and shoot the target holders and the guy wires, if not the ceiling and floor. Get scared. Go home and load it up and put it in the safe or bedside stand, where it collects dust until they take it out to brag about their weapons prowess to their equally ignorant friends.

I may have grown a bit cynical over the years.
 
#43
Maybe it's just as well that even people with CCWs often leave their firearms at home. Why? Well...

Long story concerning people in training simulators. Skip to "LGS Story" if this is too long!
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I've had opportunities to observe a number of CCW holders go through our local PD's decision simulator. Even with fairly simple shoot/don't-shoot scenarios, their decision processes would best be labeled "utterly clueless" and their marksmanship was equally as bad. And these people had at least enough "expertise" to pass the easy practical part of NC's required coursework.

One of the scenarios in the simulator: "CCW" exits building into parking lot, hears shouting. Sees two men trading punches, with a woman looking on and waving her arms and shouting. "One" man quickly begins to get the better of "other," whereupon "other" drops back and pulls a pistol, pointing it at "one," yelling 'stop.'

First guy playing part of "CCW" has pulled his pistol and shoots "other," instantly stopping the scenario.

The instructor calls me up. The scenario starts again... when "other" pulls his pistol, he immediately shoots "one" and instantly turns his pistol toward the woman. I light up his A-zone. Scenario stops.

Instructor plays both scenarios again, without "CCW" taking any action.
  • In first guy's scenario,"other" keeps retreating with his pistol on "one," yelling "stop!" and "one" quickly departs the area, whereupon "other" holsters his weapon and yells "somebody call 911!" Instructor says to first guy, "You just killed the good guy and you're probably going to prison. At the very least, you're looking at tens of thousands in legal fees."
  • In my scenario, ""other" shoots "one," then the woman, then "CCW." Instructor asks me, "Why didn't you fire as soon as you saw that "other" had a gun? You might have saved "one." I said, "I didn't know which guy was the aggressor - but when he instantly shot "one" and turned the gun toward the woman, I fired." Instructor said, "You have a reasonable defense."
From a statistics perspective, CCW holders are extremely unlikely to cause trouble with guns. That doesn't make them competent in deadly-force-decision scenarios. I've had a little training, enough to heed the mantra that came from the most hardcore instructor I ever had: "A good run is better than a good fight" (paired with "Buying a gun and thinking you're armed is like buying a guitar and thinking you're a musician").
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LGS story: Young woman comes into a beginner-level class (taught by aforementioned hardcore instructor) whose pre-class prep material specifically said to bring 250 rounds of ammo (this was years ago when 9mm ball was ~$8 per 50). LGS had sold her a subcompact S&W 9mm as her first-ever pistol. By the end of the first exercise - less than 20 rounds fired - the woman was unable to put rounds on a person-size/shape target at ten feet, and the palm of her strong hand was raw with traces of blood showing. Instructor, as kindly as I ever heard him speak, asked her where she got the pistol and why she picked that one. "Where" was an LGS that actually had some knowledgeable people. "Why" was solely because she liked the size and the LGS asshole was happy to ring it up for her. 🤬🤬🤬🤬 Everyone kindly tried to persuade her to buy a .22 or at least a far less "snappy" pistol with which to learn. I used to have a positive attitude toward that store, but it ended that day.
 
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#45

Something akin to a raped ape , You Don't want to be in the vicinity . Reading that brought back VIVID memory .

50+ years ago I was building custom homes for a few independent contractors . So one fine O dark AM after a late night hoot and holler lounge dragging , one of said contractors told me to grab some items out of his garage and load up the truck .
As I entered the side door I distinctly heard a loud vicious SNARL and he had NO dog . Upon flipping the light on ,I glanced above me in the rafters and there was an adult female Bobcat . None to pleased about being disturbed . Seems dumbo had left his garage door open during the night of his drunken stupor !. I can attest it WILL SOBER you up nearly as fast as incoming rounds will .
 
#47
That made my parents TOTALY avoid a local store. They saw them at the NRA convention in Reno NV and we’re going to drop a $1k on a pair of binoculars that THEY had researched. The counter guy tried to push them into another pair from the same manufacturer for less. 🤦🏼‍♂️ These are Semipro Photographers who know optics and their own wants. It is no surprise that they have NEVER gone back to that LGS, even though it is across the street from our PREFERRED Gunsmith.
 
#50
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