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Old June 7, 2014, 09:08 PM   #1
Joe_Pike
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Another "Silly Things You Hear In Gunshops" Thread

I know these threads pop up from time to time, but I heard a couple in the last couple of days that I thought were kind of amusing. I work in a pawn shop that also sells guns (well, claiming I sell guns at this point is kind of funny itself). Anyway, one of the guys that also works there was explaining to a customer today why there is no .22LR. He told the customer it was because it was just as cheap for manufacturers to make .223/5.56, so, that is what they are doing because their profit margins are greater. Now, I don't know what their profit margins are, but I do know that .22LR is less expensive to make than .223/5.56.

Yesterday the same guy was showing another customer an old beat to heck Mosin and was leading the guy to believe that 7.62x54R was the same as 7.62x39. The owner finally straightened him out.

I'm used to hearing customers saying things that are not quite right, but I still find it amusing that gunshop employees get so many things wrong. When I don't know something or am not sure, I just say so. I may sometimes be ignorant but I'm always willing to learn.
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Old June 7, 2014, 09:33 PM   #2
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i was once told that must not know anything about guns because i disagreed with someone who thought a 30-40 krag gets 5000 fps

i was also once told the 30-06 is no good because it starts turning end over end after 300 yards,likely a 150 gr bullett with a 1 in 10" twist.any over stabilized bullet will do that
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Old June 7, 2014, 10:40 PM   #3
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The sound of a pump being worked on a shotgun will induce involuntary bowel movement and a sudden desire to reconnect with a higher power in an intruder.
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Old June 7, 2014, 11:04 PM   #4
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Heard a customer say to an employee at LGS "My friend bought a 30-06, I told him that's useless, you cannot even kill a deer with that caliber."
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Old June 8, 2014, 12:39 AM   #5
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I'm looking for some 223. Do you have anything that's not FMJ, because I'm gonna just be plinking with them.
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Old June 8, 2014, 12:55 AM   #6
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Me, “excuse me do ya’ll have any Colt 1911s”

Gun Shop Guy, “naw, we ain’t got no Colts they only sell to the guberment”
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Old June 8, 2014, 03:56 AM   #7
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I was talking to a guy at a gun show here in NH one day and he said he had converted his AR 223 to 300 blackout because here in NH 30 caliber is the smallest you can use to hunt deer. I asked him where he got his information and he said..it just is..I suggested he read the NH laws..Here in NH any centerfire is legal..He just looked at me perplexed and said..I guess I better check..
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Old June 8, 2014, 08:28 AM   #8
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Note to self: Convince my good friend who's worked for many years in a large gun store to write a best seller book on this topic.

Racking a pump shotgun will cause involuntary bowel movements... ha ha, I hate it when that happens.

Last edited by Unlicensed Dremel; June 8, 2014 at 08:47 AM.
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Old June 8, 2014, 08:41 AM   #9
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I had a gun dealer tell me he got rid of a 22-250 because the bullet dove down into the target at 25 yards and then climbed and veered off to the left.

He was quite serious.
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Old June 8, 2014, 08:48 AM   #10
Unlicensed Dremel
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Boomerang gun - Well I'll be damned. Guess you'd best duck after firing it.
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Old June 8, 2014, 10:06 AM   #11
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^^^^^ Yeah. I always do. . .better safe than sorry
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Old June 8, 2014, 10:42 AM   #12
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things heard in gun shop

I was in a new gun shop one day just checking things out, an I over heard this guy trying to sell a 45/70.The customer obviously didn't know weapons,the clerk was telling him with out a doubt that,that rifle could take down a hog at 500 yrds.So I kicked the guy, an he looked at me an I nodded no.The sales man looked at me an said what do you mean no,i told him I would put up $ 500.00 an we would go out back an put up a target an he couldn't hit the target.well the scope is not sighted in this and that, an its lik this an that, i'll give you a day to do what you have to do an we will be back.And it was like you cost me a sale,i told him if you would quit lying to customers you might make more sales.I couldn't let that guy buy that rifle an be dissaponted.Sorry but the 45/70 is not going to cut the mustard at that distance.
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Old June 8, 2014, 10:50 AM   #13
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Yes, you can shoot 22 LR in that 22 mag revolver.

About bullets coming back - that's not so silly. Depends what they hit. We've had a guy shot in the shoulder by a 223 on the rifle range and I personally saw a guy get whacked hard in the noggin by a return shot. Saw a 45 ACP light load from a 625 come back off a tire and whack a guy. Army guy said that when they were shooting tracers in practice, every once in awhile, some would hit something in the ground and go straight up in the air and disappear.
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Old June 8, 2014, 11:46 AM   #14
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Quote:
About bullets coming back - that's not so silly. Depends what they hit. We've had a guy shot in the shoulder by a 223 on the rifle range and I personally saw a guy get whacked hard in the noggin by a return shot. Saw a 45 ACP light load from a 625 come back off a tire and whack a guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QokV7HzJhG4

In this video, a guys shoots a target (unknown target or distance) with a Barrett 50 cal. You can hear the bullet whizzing and at the 20 second mark it hits the ground in front of the shooter, bounces up and knocks the hearing protection off of his head.
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Old June 8, 2014, 01:28 PM   #15
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Let's see what I can recall today.

"9mm? That won't do nothin' to a bad guy. I shot a guy in 'Nam with a .45, and it blew him to pieces. Real mess. What? No, I'm 31 years old. Why? So, um, yeah, I need a gun for the wife. I'm thinking something in .25 or .32."

"I need choke tubes for my .30-06. Yes, son, they do exist. Don't get snarky. I need it to tighten up my groups. If you don't know what you're talking about, get someone who does. What? You're sold out? OK, you could have just been honest and told me that up front. Why are you crying and banging your head on the counter?"

"This was my father's gun from World War II. He used it to kill Tojo personally. No, I'm not mistaken. See? It says 'Series 70' right there on the slide."

"The 9mm Parabellum was invented when the military realized the 9mm Luger didn't have enough knock-down power. The problem was, it caused the Berettas to blow up in soldiers' faces. Like, thousands of folks died. So, they switched to 9mm NATO. Son, are you OK? I think you've got coffee coming out your nose. You oughta get that checked."

"Somebody told me you could get me one of those 'class 3' permits so I can buy full-auto shotguns like on the Red Jacket TV show."
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Old June 8, 2014, 02:50 PM   #16
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A guy I used to work with swore up and down he was the only guy on the east coast permitted to carry a 8" .44 magnum for private security officer duties. Said he had a friend load him some special 350 grain loads that shot so flat they wouldn't even drop an inch at 1000yds- same trajctory from muzzle to 1k. I never smelt alcohol on the dude, but I guess he could've been under the influence of something else.
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Old June 8, 2014, 04:18 PM   #17
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My brother had a friend that swore that a 410 slug gained velocity after midrange since it was now traveling downhill.
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Old June 8, 2014, 05:51 PM   #18
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These are hilarious!
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Old June 8, 2014, 06:33 PM   #19
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"It's sometimes better to say nothing and be thought a fool, rather than opening one's mouth and remove all doubt."
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Old June 8, 2014, 07:21 PM   #20
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(Back in the 80s when AMT .380s were popular as backup guns for LEOs.) Florida Highway Patrolman comes in and wants to know about one of those ".180 autos" he's been hearing about.
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Old June 8, 2014, 07:49 PM   #21
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Wonder if that Florida trooper caught portions of two separate conversations? Armalite did make a neat lil AR-180 that I always wanted to take a look at.
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Old June 8, 2014, 08:18 PM   #22
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In Walmart between Christmas and New Years 2007. Some guy got a new 7mm-08 rifle for Christmas and asked if they had any 7mm-08 ammo. The clerk said all they had was 2007 ammo in stock, but would get some 2008 ammo in next week.

Another guy walked into a gunstore asking if they had 357 Sig ammo. Clerk walks to the ammo and asks "how much you need?" Customer replies, " I have one 13 round magazine and one 10 round magazine, I'll take 23 rounds", as he hands the clerk the magazines to fill up.

Had a gunshop employee once tell me that Winchester Silvertips started to expand as soon as they left the barrel.

A young mother was in Walmart telling the gun salesman her son wanted a 22 automatic for Christmas. Clerk tells her they don't sell such a thing, they are illegal. Technically he was at least partially right, but both ended up very confused. I couldn't stand back and ignore this one. I stepped in and explained the sematics to both of them and explained that either the Ruger 10-22 or Marlin 60 in the display would do just fine.
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Old June 8, 2014, 08:32 PM   #23
Unlicensed Dremel
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Tom, that's ONE day?!?!? Oh man oh man, please write them all down.
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Old June 8, 2014, 09:14 PM   #24
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Tom, that's ONE day?!
Things like the awe-inspiring sound of the pump, the fake war stories, and the caliber hyperbole are pretty much daily occurrences in some form or another. Then there's the inane politics...the constant barrage of that is another story.

Then there are the weird things I hope aren't true, like the claims that Joe Bob loads primers into the hollowpoint cavities of his carry ammunition for shock and awe or the guy who said he built an automated flamethrower for home-defense.
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Old June 8, 2014, 09:39 PM   #25
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Then there are the weird things I hope aren't true, like the claims that Joe Bob loads primers into the hollowpoint cavities of his carry ammunition for shock and awe or the guy who said he built an automated flamethrower for home-defense.
Lmbo!
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