I was walking around when they had a customer sell them an AK underfolder and it caught my eye. I wandered over, and guys behind the counter were trying to figure out what roll mark was on it. Gun appeared to be in decent shap and was in a rather tattered box. I leaned over to see what the roll mark was (Norinco), and the guy holding it pulled the it back and told me to mind my own business.

Now, I've worked a gun counter before. I get that sometimes customers can be know it alls. But never in a million years is it ok to be so incredibly rude to a potential buyer.

Horribly rude and I'll never go back.

Maybe had a third hole, and they knew it?

If it went the way you wrote it, (and maybe it just reads different) you sound like the one who was rude by leaning in and sticking your face in the guy's space.
You should have waited until they were done doing their inspection and then started asking if you may look at the gun and offering your insight.

The leaning was more of head turn and the gun was over the counter. I wasnt in the guys face by any means. I also didnt say a word, I just looked at it.

When I worked the counter and had trades like that, the guns were taken into the back immediately to avoid looky loos (like me in this case). As you mentioned, he probably felt I was in his space and I have no issue being asked to take a step back if that's the case, but the guy genuinely had a bad attitude and could have been a lot more professional about it. Either way, I'm not going back.

I was fifteen feet away from him. I witnessed the whole thing. Viper wasn't out of line even a little bit.

The counter guy was a complete, total unmitigated jerk, a real asshole.

Fuck that place.

Years ago I bought a rifle from them but not until that counter guy is gone.

Counter guy was worried you'd tell AK guy he was about to get raped.

I haven't been down there in roughly 10 years.  I've bought a few things from them in the past but since 2012 I've avoided the joint.  Something tells me I need to continue doing so.

Basically the same, though I’ve never bought one there.  Was there 10-15 years ago, they were assholes then too.

I don't recall ever having a bad experience there myself. Only ever bought one gun there though that I can remember and it was a long time ago.

Bought a USP-C there that they had in stock. It came with 10-rd mags. I was buying it while on leave from Iraq. When I told him I'd take it, guy I was dealing with told one of his coworkers, "go get him some standard cap mags, he may need them". I explained that I appreciated it but so he knew, it's not like I was taking it back to Iraq with me. But he still followed through on it. That was 2005.

My experience as well. No interest in going back.

I haven’t been in there for a couple years.  Used to work in Washington so on occasion I’d stop there look around.  Have bought a couple guns there over the years, mostly handguns.  They do have a big selection or always used to.  So you can look And ask to handle it, and then if you can get a better price elsewhere, that’s what to do.
I can’t say I’ve had a bad experience with their sales guys, but did manage to hear one completely derp conversation between one salesguy and a customer from WV, and customer was lamenting the future inevitable passing of “Bobby Byrd”, and then their conversation moved on to he knows several KKK members, and the salesman said “they’re good people too”.  The whole thing was pathetic, but maybe salesmen sometimes have to be like that - connect with the clientele -  even if a HiPoint is near the top end of the whoopie’s budget.
I don’t think I know any of them by name, but I’ve never bought a gun through that salesman to my recollection.  I’m sure I’d recognize a couple if I stopped again.  I tend to just keep things to business anyways in most gun stores.  
But gun shop people and gun shop customers - especially the ones that just come in every day and hang out for hours - they can be a weird bunch.
The rest of their merchandise is way overpriced.    Guns mostly not too far off.  Well under the old conditions anyways.  I suppose we’re still in the latest panic mode.


Now, I’m thinking of getting a Mini 14 stainless to put a Samson A-Team folding stock on, just for fun.  If they had one there, I might buy it.   Or if anyone knows where one might be around PGH right now.   Alternative is to see if I can get a used one and save a couple hundred $.

I go there frequently to peruse their used firearms selection, which is quite well stocked and frequently has some gems. Pricing on new stuff is kind of "Meh" but not usually too far off the mark for the area.

Their counter guys are hit and miss. There are a couple guys that are super friendly and some that are just kind of indifferent typical gruff gun store guys.

I bought a used Glock from them a few months ago and discovered a crack in the corner of the slide where it rides the frame rails when I got home. Was only about a mm long and indistinguishable from a scratch until I closely looked at in under magnification. I went back the next day asking they take it back, they insisted on sending it back to Glock for a new slide, which I didn't want as it was a Frying Pan finish slide that I bought for that reason. Guy looked at me like I had two heads but finally relented and gave me store credit. He made it very obvious he was not real happy to be doing so, but I didn't want a mix master Glock with the newer inferior finish they use.

Be a shame if someone called BATFE and voiced concerns about activities at that location.

Because of the OP's story?

Nope.

As big of an asshole the guy was hat would be bullshit.

Besides they did nothing illegal (not that I care)

Why would you want to call BATFE on anyone?

I used to frequent Ace when I lived in Lebo.  New firearms are overpriced, used firearms are over priced, rude employees.  Once in awhile something good will hit their used list that’s rare or at a decent price - I’ve bought at least ten firearms from them.  I believe OP’s story as their counter people are just “off”.  Not sure if any of you recall Chris when he worked the counter (this goes back maybe seven or more years), the guy was solid and knew his stuff.  Once he left and I started having to work with the other counter people I just lost interest in the place.

During Covid, I was down in the area on business and thought I’d stop in. They had a large guy standing at the door who was screening customers.  It caught me off guard as I wasn’t prepared for him to ask me what I was interested in buying.  I said I was there to look and he turned me away citing only people buying were allowed in the stores due to limited area / social distancing.  Interestingly enough, the parking lot was empty.  I never went back. Won’t ever go back.

Seems like it's not just me it happens to.  Made a stop just to see what was available about a month ago.  Weekend, not long after they opened.  Made my way around the cases and headed back towards the AR wall.  I got about 10 feet from the counter about mid-way down and the counter guy dog whistles me and jerks his thumb the opposite way.  Glanced to the right and there were a couple of older guys in a transaction.  Looked like they were buying some hunting rifles to be honest.

No idea why the counter guy didn't want anyone down that way and if it was so sensitive, take them in the back somewhere.  Turned on my heel and just walked out.

Same guy was a total ass to me when I took a handgun in to see what I could get either in sell or trade.  Rude, rolling his eyes, then told me he didn't want it because they were hard to sell when new (it was a Sig P227 for the record).   Could've just told me that when I popped open the case.

I've bought a fair number of rifles and handguns there over the years and still get the idea to stop in, but those two incidents have me looking elsewhere these days.

Multiple people have stated they are weird and even potentially sketchy, including people in this thread.  Make no mistake, given the option of cheering on BATFE or the Taliban, I'll pick the Taliban all day.  My comment about it being "a shame" was meant to be humorous because in the current environment, even a whisper to BATFE will be met with glee by their field cadre who would be happy to descend upon their store like spotted lantern flies.  At the same time, dealers like that give a bad name to the entire gun community and I suspect that in a matter of time, they'll self-implode.

Sad to hear another once good shop go down the tubes.

Just like how Anthony Arms collapsed. Chick who worked there was embezzling tons of money, got caught, and killed herself after the ATF and IRS started talking federal charges.

Now that’s a name I haven’t heard in years.

^^^This^^^
Counter guy was probably going to offer AK guy $300 for his preban Norinco 56S-1, and didn't want you to "spoil the deal" by telling AK guy what his 56S-1 is worth, or worse yet, making him a fair offer for it.

Wasn't he the guy in Tarantum?

Try this sometime.

"Wow, that's a nice gun, do you mind if I have a look at it?"

Try that.

West Mifflin.