Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters "Interesting" conversation with a new clerk at LGS

Was in the store the other day, picking up a 98 Mauser action their gunsmiths had welded a new bolt handle on. Walked by the consignment long-gun rack on the way to the cash register and noticed a slim, foreign looking side-by-side shotgun. Put down the action and picked up the shotgun. It looked Germanic, but didn't have any markings on the barrels.

The price was interesting--if the gun was in overall good shape. I'm a regular customer there, so didn't feel shy about taking off the forend and shaking the gun to see if the action was tight. It wasn't, rattling a little, but wasn't super-loose either. Took the barrels off the action and they rung like a gong, indicating the solder between 'em was still good.

Had just gotten the gun back together when a new clerk who I'd never dealt with before (they've gone through a few lately) walked up and said, "That's a nice tight gun," in a little too hearty a voice.

He appeared to be in his late 60's, old enough to know better, but maybe he'd never had the gun apart. I said, "It's a nice LIGHT gun," then put it back in the rack and picked up my action.

"Looks like a nice Swedish 96," he said.

"It's a 98," I said.

"Oh, a small-ring 98," he nodded, smiling.

"No," I said, holding it up a little higher. "It's a large ring."

"Oh, yeah, it is. What're you gonna make it into?"

I smiled. "Dunno yet."

"I just had one made into a .30-.308. A very nice round, doesn't kick much at all."

By that time I didn't even ask what the hell a .30-308 was, so mumbled, "Sounds interesting," and headed toward the cash register.

Someone put the new guy up to ribbing you. Surely....

Oh my; let me guess. Just retired. Picked up a part time job

Hey, I resemble that remark! (Only I haven't picked up that job yet.)

I have been retired 15 years, and I don't want a job.. Didn't want one when I had to have one.. Loafing and doing my thing is just WONDERFUL!
But a guy does wonder where some of these guys in gunshops come from!!!! Maybe Wal Mart failures...

Maybe he intended to say "33-08" rather than "30-308". Wonder how dumb he'll feel when somebody tells him that you're the most famous gun writer in North America. Well, maybe the second most famous gun writer in North America after that gun writer from Vermont, the guy whose name I can't recall.

Jeff

John You might want to go back and buy the man a cup of coffee. Might be an article there

I believe there could be the makings of a good article there.

Ask him about the B-29.

I will hopefully resemble it soon too..

I always wanted one of those 30-.308s........... almost as much as I'd like to get a 7.62mm-06.....

If you look up retired/useless in the encyclopedia, there will be a picture of me.

While not as bad as that, try talking to the guys behind the counter at Cabela's. The young guys act like you're a bother and the old guys at least admit they no nothing about "Modern" scopes.

Dang, John - I generally feel their counter help is more knowledgeable than most shops, but now you have me intrigued. Guess it's gone downhill since ingwe left - I'm about due for a visit and will watch for this guy

i miss ingwe....he was a captive audience when i stopped into harass him when i was in Helena....now he can hide from me

He's probably too busy to do a lot of case-necking, so it made sense!

Sycamore

John,

Ha! So glad I'm not the only one having trouble with all the "new" help at the gun counter. I actually turned around and walked out of there a couple times, once while I was looking at that same shotgun and they (a couple of them tag teamed me) tried to impress me with their (lack) of knowledge about 16 gauges......not that I know all that much about them to begin with.

Anyway, I think Dave had a little talk with some of them because the last time I was in they all greeted me by name (we hadn't been introduced) and then pretty much left me alone.......so I bought that Monkey Wards .308 with the nice FN action

Few places will peg your bull-[bleep]-o-meter quite as quickly as a your average LGS.

I had my first suspicions about the average gun counter clerk at age 12, when I accompanied my father to a few stores. He'd decided to get back into deer hunting, since I was about to start. Of course, I'd already been reading GUN DIGEST and AMERICAN RIFLEMAN for a year or so, so knew a lot more than I do now.

At one of the stores the guy tried to sell my dad on the "new .30-08," because it kicked less but was more powderful than the old-fashioned .30-06. My dad was always a hard sell, so there was plenty of time for me to catch a glimpse of the tag on the rifle and discover, as I suspected, that it was a .308.

And no, my dad didn't buy the rifle.

That clerk may be related to the one that claimed that the reason a 340 wtby hit so much harder then a 338 win mag was because of the difference .002" makes!