I'm not proclaiming to be better than anyone but I am officially done with sporting goods stores when it comes to firearms.  Today I went to you-know-where with the simple mission of finding a cheap 30mm Weaver scope ring to stand in until my entirely too expensive Aimpoint QR ring come in the mail, because I really want to mount my sight on my rifle and point it an things.

Well, first of all, they had their scope mounting hardware behind the damn counter on a pegboard and with my good, young, vision I could NOT read the packages, but thought I saw a few that might fit the bill.

So, I had to wait for 20 minutes until the two ~clerks~ who I swear thought they were God's Gift To Firearms slowly helped the three people waiting ahead of me.  As I stood there and glared, waiting, they proceeded to make a huge melodramatic scene over the damn paperwork for a man purchasing a cheap bolt-action rifle, and they watched him fill out the WHOLE thing, instead of helping other people.  It was lame in all aspects.

When the older one was finally free, he eyed me like I was an idiot (apparently I didn't meet the tight-jeans-leather-belt-over-forty standards for their idea of a gun enthusiast) and asked me what I wanted.  What I wanted!  How polite.  I wanted him to eat his stupid belt, but I told him that I needed a 30mm Weaver scope ring, and I asked if he might have one.

After turning and looking at almost EVERY item on his rack, some of which weren't even rings, he turned back and said "I don't think you NEED a 30mm ring, all WE seem to have are 1" rings..."  I didn't know what to say, and before I could respond he then asked "What's it for?"

"An Aimpoint sight for my assault rifle." - I added "assault rifle" because at this point I was about sick of this guy and wanted to add a little pepper to my answer, and besides, it was true.

"What kind of rifle?"

-pause-

"I don't think that's important, do you have 30mm rings available or not?"

"Well, I don't think so."

He didn't think so.  At this point I said "Jesus" and left.  DAMMIT!  Now I can't mock mount my sight and I wasted my time and was made to feel inferior by a man with his balls packed into jeans so tight that they have to leave marks!  They were rude to almost everyone, they apparently don't stock common components, and they slack off - plus they don't know anything past a shotgun.

I didn't even get to see, for myself, if perhaps there was a ring that would work, for Pete's sake!  I swear there was a larger than 1" ring there, too.

Never again.

Edit: fixed speliing

Garts is well known for their idiots at the gun counter.  I'm not a big fan of large sporting goods stores until I found Sportsmans Warehouse.  People and prices are excellent.