Hi There,
So like most I've tried to avoid Wades unless there is something I need desperately. Having said that, I had a really good experience buying an AAC 300 blackout pistol from them. The price was ball park reasonable, service as helpful and no gun store commandos. Pretty cool.
So I went back there earlier this week, and had a couple of interesting experiences, one with their staff and one listening to a customer:
1) Youngish large male was in there looking at pistols with his mother who was in an electric wheel chair. Mom wanted a pistol and he had her convinced that she needed a little single action 380, because it was "concealable". "I carry a Walther, but I'm big...and can hide it". He then instructed his mother to hold the gun with her support hand thumb wrapped over the back of her master grip hand. He then went on to praise the "cup and saucer" technique. "mom, your palm is just like a table, you just lay the gun across your palm...". Well, at least she can't get her left thumb smashed that way...
SO if you are the male that was in there with your mom, bravo for bring her to the shop. Candidly, you need to get some instruction before you try and teach mom. She is going to get hurt.
1) she is in a wheel chair, and she is your size. She could hide a full size pistol in there.
2) tiny 380s are hard to shoot well.
3) cup and saucer and thumb behind the slide are poor techniques. Best case, she won't be as affective with cup and saucer, worst case, she is going to injure herself with her thumb placement.
How do you guys deal with that? Smile/wince and walk away or do you actually try and course correct? I overcame my impulse to interrupt him and went about my business
I had a really nice conversation with a clerk about the Beretta 92 compact in the case. We fondle it, I clear it, and hand i back to him. He mentioned they had an Inox version in the rental cabinet. So I over and the conversation goes like this:
Me: Hey there, what can you tell me about the stainless compact 92 in the case.
Clerk: Its stainless
Me - Internal Voice - No shit Sherlock. Me -Outside Voice: is the frame stainless or alloy?
Clerk, removing the pistol, clearing it and weighing it in his hand: It feels like an alloy. Its pretty light.
Me - reaching for the pistol: yeah?
Clerk - recoiling: I can't let you touch this pistol. Per the owner.
Me: I was just handling the blued one in the store. Why can't I touch this one? And how could I rent it if I can't touch it? Why can't I hold a used, dirty, rental gun?
Clerk: That's the rule.
To his credit, he was polite and professional, and I'm sure he is just doing what the owner tells him to do. But given that I can handle any number of guns about 15 paces from where I was standing, it just doesn't seem to make any sense. I gave him a "bless your heart" smile and left.
Every time I think Wades is turning the corner, they implement some policy that doesn't appear to make any sense.
Guess I'll order a compact from lowpriceguns across the street.