Recently my dad has been helping me pay my legal bills for my divorce, well I have some extra cash so I figured I would buy him a new gun.
He is a big fan of large bore SA revolvers so I thought about getting him one of those Ruger .480's.  Well I found one the other day at a gun shop and when I asked to see it the guy behind the counter says "You don't want one of those for self defense, come over here and take a look at one of my Glocks".

Why do some people think perspective buyers are ignorant? [BD]

It sounds like the owner of your weapons emporioum

A) had too much money wrapped up in Glock inventory,

B) was saving that .480 for his drinking buddy,

C) knew your ex-wife's temper,

or

C) all of the above.

[BD]

Waldo has a point.  One of my buddies thought that he was fulfilling a life's dream when he got his FFL and opened a shop.  Within a year he packed it in, because of all the crazies that slithered in under his door.

Some examples:

"Dude, can you tell me what I have to file down to make that auto?"

"Dude, I'm buyin' it for myself... not the guy in the 50's, gang colors and bandanna that pointed to it in the case and handed me the money!"

"Dude, where can I get a flamethrower for duck season.. yeah.. that's it... duck season."

"Dude, I can get that AR at the 'gunshow' for $300 New In Box!"

However I've also run across my share of dealers who've lost many sales because of their attitudes.  

Examples:

"Naw boy, ya don'ts needs ya' an AR lower.  How's about buyin' one a these here Jenning derringers?"

"Why would ya' want a 'Booooschmaster'?  Heck, I can gets ya' these here Century AR's for the same price!"

"The Ruskies designed that there AR ta shoot .223 also!"

"Don't get no Remington rifle.  Here's a fine Savage over there on the rack!"

Easy there Schnert.  I own a couple of Savages.  The 112 HB was sub .5 moa with factory loads right out of the box.   A little polish on the trigger and it is now .3 MOA with factory (Federal Premium) loads.

My 1960's(?) model 110 will shoot 1-1.5 MOA with any round you want, no need to adjust your point of with ANY factory load.  Weird gun.  Just chamber any round, from any manufacturer, and watch it hit within an inch of where you aimed it.

Not many factory guns (even a 1960's model) can make that claim.

Everything else I agreed with, btw.

Editted to add.  I have witnesses and targets to prove that a dime would completely cover all three shots from the 112 (.22-250)  Not everyday am I that good, but my Savage 112 always is that good!

TheRedGoat

There is one shop that I have been too had an old grumpy man sitting behind the counter playing Hearts on the computer and if you were not there to buy he told you to get out....and if you were there to buy say an AR or a 1911 it HAD to be a Colt, this dude tried telling that Bushmaster is crap, and Kimbers aren't as accurate as they say they are and are subject to jams.
Oh well, time to go to work

There are a few shops like that around here.  Some guy and his buddies hanging around all day jacking their jaws, manuevering with practiced ease through the tangled array of dirty, aging ordnance as they fill their coffee cups and drawl imprecations at each others' favorite sports teams through the thick pall of stale cigarette smoke.  The rare customer is ignored by default, and treated with the barest indifference when they insist on getting a response from the proprietor.

It's anybody's guess how they keep the doors open.  

There was a FFL in Louisville, KY that got pissed when one of my co-workers took out a pen and a pad of paper to record the price of a pistol.  The guy didn't address us directly but just started talking so we didn't know he was talking to us for a few seconds. The fact that we didn't hear or understand him initially seemed to piss him off.  He accused us of spying on him for the other gun shops in town.  He got very jumpy/tweaked/paranoid and looked like he was going to kick our assess. He did have very low prices but since he got so freaked by us just attempting to write done the cost of one pistol I never went back.

Brought a former girl friend into one of the local gun shops to pick out her first gun. The owner told her she should get a .22 Smith revolver becasue that's all she could handle, since that's what his wife kept in the night stand. Another gun shop down the road was more than happy to sell her a 686+ Mountain Gun, which, by the way, she shoots like a champ.

Let me guess...Custom Gun Shop on North Franklin? [pissed]

There's a place like that close to where I live as well. The first couple of times I went in I had to manuver around all of the old guys blocking the front door. They stock mostly old bolt actions and shotguns. Occasionally there is an AR of FAL in there that is so overpriced I'm surprised when I see one has been sold.

I kind of felt ignored the first few times I went in and just bought little stuff like a holster and some primers, some mags and the like. I later bought a Remington 700 and a scope/mounts/sling/case and a few other little things to go along with it. I could have got most of the same stuff at WalMart or off the net but I decided to spend money with the little guy. He was really friendly that day, and the next time as well when I bought a couple of $150 scopes for my 10/22s.

However, unless I'm spending a few hundred bucks it's the same old "ignore Ponyboy" routine. Needless to say, I finally quit going there and haven't been back in probably a year and a half or so. Guess I'm just not one of the good ole boys.

You're joking, right?  He should have to explain why he wants the gun?  Nothing, absolutely nothing, pisses me off more in a gun store than someone trying to sell me something I don't want when I know exactly what I want/need.  

A better way to ask the question would have been, "Are you looking for self-defense, or sport?"

Still better would have been no question at all while handing over the .480 for inspection.

My favorite was the gun shop guy who, when I asked how many ARs they sell, said "Only about 3 or 4 a year."  He then went on to explain that they are usually purchased by guys who have never been in the service.  He said that the guys who had been in the service never want to handle one again & besides "they are only good for killing PEOPLE."

Yep, hard to guess that one.....I don't know what his name is, I just refer to him as "old grumpy"

VTHOKIESHOOTER's post brought me out of hiding.  As another SWVA gun nut, Ive had the misfortune of dealing with some of the places he's talking about.  You might try Fagan's over in Radford for your Dad's revolver.  They opened a new shop on Third Avenue and it looks like he has more than five guns at a time on hand now.  The owner (Len Fagan) is friendly, does FFL xfers and will order stuff for you.

(No, I'm not being paid by the owner, I just like to see a gun shop that's not run by grumpy old men do well)

I familiar with Fagans.  Len is a great gun shop owner, however already got the gun (my mom bought it for me in some gun store in C'ville) it is going to be a fathers day present now.  I doubt dad will  ever take it hunting....hell he has rugers in .41, and .44 and a Colt in .45 LC...he just likes look'n at em more than anything.