What do you do if you overhear bad gun advice?

[tac]

I only interfered once in a gun store, when I heard the guy behind the counter tell a wannabe customer that the K31 [the Swiss service long arm for twenty-five years] was actually made in Sweden for the Swiss because they [the Swiss] did not have the suitable high-nickel content steel mines needed to make a quality military firearm.

Riiiiiiight.

tac

 

[eldbillbo]

btw I do typically but in when I hear bad advice about anything thing as well as back up good advice .

 

[No_Regerts]

If the customer is a blow hard, I just watch and give mental points for an upsell. If the person really doesnt seem to have a clue and the sales person is obviously trying to take advantage of it, I might find a way to say something.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I know of only ONE nefarious Gun Store in the greater PDX area! If you were to even ask about a Glock, You would probably be banned from said store! If there is another such store, I would like to know about it! That said, Depending on the store, the employee, and the information, I will almost all ways intercede on behalf of the customer who is being ripped off! I do not like it when a gun counter commando insists on HIS personal tacticool facts and features of his personal fav go to every thing else is crap gun! I hate such people, they give good shops a bad name to the newbe who hasn't found the good shops yet! SO yea, I speak up and don't give a damn if I upset or offend the shop or its employees, I'm not there to make friends, and influence people, I am there to get what ever I came for, and will likely not be returning if I don't like how I see others being treated! To the folks at the ONE gun shop in PDX, a big one finger waive as I used to drive by!!!

 

[oknow]

Don't be so P. C. call the desk clerk out an ask if that is true then what is a ********* in comparison to ***** that he is trying to sell that customer it will help the clerk to learn his business and not try to bs his way through with the customers money.

 

[whiskeybill]

I am getting to be an old geezer, but somehow I have adapted to the internet age and have become pretty handy with looking things up on Google, as well as other search engines. I do a lot of research on the internet if I am inclined to make a fairly substantial purchase. As far as firearms and related topics, well I have been at this game for a very long time. Gun sellers can be no better or worse than used car salesmen, so it's always a "buyer beware" situation as far as I'm concerned. If I see someone purveying dangerous information or just plain hogwash, I tend to not get directly involved in the spat. Since I am an NRA firearms instructor, I have cards made up that I carry. Sometimes I may get the intended target off alone and quietly slip them my card and let them know I can answer most questions they have, and if not, point them in the right direction.
The strangest thing I ever heard from a gun shop employee to a customer involved shotgun ammunition. He told the customer that any Winchester 12 Ga ammo sold by Walmart would not function in an autoloader. Why? Because Walmart Corporate had told Winchester how they wanted the ammunition loaded, and that it was underpowered to function in autoloaders! Walmart wanted to save money on powder!! That was a real doozy! I had to follow the customer out the door and set things straight, giving him my card.

 

[Wolf256]

If I overhear something blatant, I will ask the clerk a telling question. The one I hate to hear is a clerk telling a woman that a revolver is best for her because it has less moving parts. So much bs. I have a friend that was talked into a 38 revolver (snub nose). She won't fire it again. The recoil terrified her. She fired my P238 and P938 and then went and bought a P238. She loves it, is darn accurate with it and it's no bigger then her 38. There is one clerk at my local store that is a Ruger fan, but the Ruger 380 doesn't have a thumb safety. I always ask about it when I hear a woman looking for a concealed because many want that, especially for purse carry.

 

[eldbillbo]

If I overhear something blatant, I will ask the clerk a telling question. The one I hate to hear is a clerk telling a woman that a revolver is best for her because it has less moving parts. So much bs. I have a friend that was talked into a 38 revolver (snub nose). She won't fire it again. The recoil terrified her. She fired my P238 and P938 and then went and bought a P238. She loves it, is darn accurate with it and it's no bigger then her 38. There is one clerk at my local store that is a Ruger fan, but the Ruger 380 doesn't have a thumb safety. I always ask about it when I hear a woman looking for a concealed because many want that, especially for purse carry.

What gun stores need is more woman behind the counter.

 

[Goosebrown]

Whenever I hear bad gun advice, I give my own bad gun advice.

I also recommend they come here for good advice.

 

[Goosebrown]

There's a local gun store that employs a knife maker.
I over heard him telling customers not to buy a 9mm. He told them that no police use 9mm anymore because most of the time the bullet wont even penetrate the skin. I heard him compare it to a hard paint ball.

I didnt interject. I just laughed.... and pointed.... and laughed some more

Well if it won't break the skin would he mind standing there and letting me shoot at him a little?

 

[orygun]

I suppose if I was standing nearby when a counter person gave advice or information that was blatantly wrong or dangerous, I would intervene, like I have in the past.
Lots of crap said at the gun counter is just that, crap. As long as it's just opinions and preferences, I don't worry about it.
I rarely handle or ask about guns in the stores any more, unless I'm at Cabela's or some good ol school gun shop that has used guns in racks where customers can fondle them. I'm not the most knowledgeable person in the gun world, but I've been at this, with a pretty high interest, for quite a while. When some "gun counter commando" starts his jaw flapping, I'm done. And gone.
Because of my attitude, I'm usually not standing around the gun counter when the jaw flapping starts anymore.

 

[Joe Link]

I'm actually a fan of thread resurrections

 

[The B]

I'm actually a fan of thread resurrections

why?

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Like many here have stated if I hear dangerous advice I would step in the conversation.
If it is just opinion , then its often better to stay out of someone else's conversation.
Andy

 

[Joe Link]

why?

In many (if not most) cases the info that was posted beforehand is still relevant to the conversation, and I like reading the prior posts

 

[Joe13]

In many (if not most) cases the info that was posted beforehand is still relevant to the conversation, and I like reading the prior posts

I can see that in SOME threads.

When a thread is made and the topic is something like, I'm buying this or that gun next week, which is better?

Then 6 years later someone replies to them like there is even a conversation to have. If you like X gun better then I think you should start a new thread and post your opinions that way so there can be a relevant conversation.

Or even worse are threads like "Looking for a 1911" then 6 years later someone replies they have one and wants to know if the OP is still interested...

 

[Joe Link]

I can see that in SOME threads.

When a thread is made and the topic is something like, I'm buying this or that gun next week, which is better?

Then 6 years later someone replies to them like there is even a conversation to have. If you like X gun better then I think you should start a new thread and post your opinions that way so there can be a relevant conversation.

Or even worse are threads like "Looking for a 1911" then 6 years later someone replies they have one and wants to know if the OP is still interested...

Good examples, I agree with those.