Gun store "experts" say the silliest things

[rollingb]

My funniest tale doesn't involve a clerk but rather an old friend.  He was always into the hottest modern rifles and expensive ammo.  He knew I hunted only with a flintlock.  We often hunted the same farm and always talked a bit.  He told me he'd bought an in-line and would now take advantage of the primitive season.  When he saw my astonishment he added, "have you ever seen what one of those sabots with a modern bullet will do"?  I then asked him had he ever seen what a round lead ball would do.  He paused at that. I added that if I ever caught him out with an inline that I'd shoot him.  Hunting one day we met on the farm.  The first thing out of his mouth was, "I bought a sidelock".

:horse  

[Mad Irish Jack]

In the summer of 2013, my 43 yo son, made me happy and disappointed at the same time. I've been flintlocking since 1978. He's a LEO, since 1993, and an expert shooter of modern weapons.  He wanted to get a flintlock to hunt the PA seasons. Happy because he was interested, disappointed because he purchased a rifle without my consult. He purchased a .50 caliber Traditions Deerhunter, synthetic stocked flintlock. This was his first lesson. The rifle came with no flints and only an owners manual. I went to his home on the weekend and took some smaller flint he said the manual required. We went to the shooting range. We were starting with 65 grains of 3F Goex BP, Hornady .490rbs and a .015 patch. Before we loaded, we cycled about 28 drops on the hammer. NOT A SPARK. The flint broke. We used a second and played around some more. 30 more dropped hammers and NOTHING. We left the range for Gander Mtn store where he made the purchase. At the store, the counter person called for the (so called) Gunsmith. We'd asked for the manager. We told him the problem; The FRIZZEN wouldn't spark a single spark after more than fifty drops. The frizzen face was hardly scratched. I said it was over hardened. The gunsmith asked what I meant by frizzen??? I pointed to it. He said it's called the SPARKING BAR? We started arguing, got loud and the Manager came in. (Back from lunch). She asked what the problem was. I restated everything and he restated SPARKING BAR. He said that's what it does and that's what it's called. He knows because he's the GUNSMITH. I told them I've been fixing and building flintlocks since 1978. I told the manager I wanted her to see something. I pulled out the owners manual, showed the parts page, FRIZZEN, OOPS!!! and she told the kid to go back to his work shop, she'd handle the situation. Short story, she even exchanged the Deerhunter for a new HAWKEN WOODSMAN .50 caliber. We returned to the range; put a flint in it; checked the sparks a couple cycles; good; loaded our starting load; fired three shots at 50 yards. One inch group, 1/2 left. good to go. Found out two weeks later, Gander let the kid go and hired a guy in his fifties that had closed his own shop. Didn't know it's that hard to find knowledgeable workers for skilled positions.

[Ironhand]

. Didn't know it's that hard to find knowledgeable workers for skilled positions.

You have no idea. When I sold guns for a regional chain store I worked with a kid who was an engineering student. He and his father had parted together some modern rifles, that made him an expert.

I have been in the firearms business for over 30  years but he told me flat out that he knew more about guns than I did. Seems he had read a lot of books on the subject.

I started quizzing him and he knew almost nothing about BP except pellets and plastic. He did not even know anything about modern guns except for the current models and calibers. Still he insisted that he knew more than anyone else.

Eventually I just told the kid to get over himself. He literally had no idea what I was talking about.  He left for the summer to do an internship and, strangly, there was no job for him when he came back.

IronHand

[prairie dog]

How many experts do you guys know who would be willing to work for minimum wages on weekends?

Looking for expert advice, talk to a fine custom rifle builder.

[Fletcher]

I think Prairie Dog just about hit the nail on the head above...  Now I have been
following this post for the humor in it, but the more I think about it the madder I
git.....

In my home town we have about 3 big sporting goods stores, and the new Cablelas
Outpost a couple years ago make four.  There are 3 or 4 big box stores that also carry
some guns and ammo (unlike SOCAL which I am about to leave)  Now up until 4 or 5 years
ago there were 3 good little gun shops where the owners and staff actually knew their business.
If you had a good question, they were the go to guys.  The sporting goods stores had a few on
staff and forget the box stores.

I never good a really good answer for why it happened other than the feds tied up the
supply with huge orders that even went to agencies that never before had weapons, but
in the early years of the Obummer Admin, the supply of retail  ammunition virtually dried up.
Since it is very hard to sell guns if you cannot get ammo, all three of these little shops went
out of business - and with it went about 75% of the gun knowledge in the county stores.

It has gotten better, but still VERY hard to get powder (Black or modern) and primers anywhere
and if you can the cost has near tripled 10 years ago.  So mostly I just stay home  

[Hanshi]

There is a gun store back in Ga where I come from and the owner was a good friend.  It was a wonderful place to spend time and the guys who worked there were pretty up on modern firearms; no one was actually BP savvy.  Well the owner died and the place fell to his children to manage.  A daughter, not in anyway likable, seemed to be in charge.  The friendly atmosphere was toast.  One was generally ignored and they acted as if it one should be honored to rate any attention.  One older guy was a card carrying ASS and I avoided him.  A couple of others were rather okay guys and I dealt with them when possible.  There were a few newbees who didn't know much but were courteous and helpful.  The rest were embarrassments.  Still, there was not much knowledge there concerning BP guns and powder.  In other words, you had to school them - not the ass and the jerks - and know what you wanted.  A real shame.