Irritating visit to Collectors Firearms today

[YabuUS]

Went by Collectors to look at the Kel-tec PF-9 today. Yep, it's a Blue model with the latest improvements - longer feed ramp, metal mag release button, and metal follower. The gun seemed OK, but the $349.00 price put me off. Then I asked about some wood grips for my Taurus 605 snubby. Only ones they had were selling for $119.00! Passed on those too. The guy behind the counter said they don't handle much "Taurus stuff", just their guns. I did buy the Aguila .380 ammo (90gr JHP) for $38.95 for a box of 50. But what really annoyed me was the guy behind the counter. Everybody who works in a gun shop wears a gun. This guy had a frontier model six gun in a western style holster hung low like a gun slinger. The holster nearly reached his knee. Seemed almost comical to me. I got annoyed when I started asking a few questions about the PF-9. He knew absolutely nothing about the gun. Am I the only one who gets upset when you find out you know a lot more about the gun than the guy trying to sell it to you? I asked him about the ammo - same answer "I don't know...". At this point my fun was over and I walked out. Maybe I'm just getting old and cranky; but I like dealing with people who know what they are talking about.

[karl]

That's a serious bummer. When I bought my 1911, the guy had no clue (said he was an AR kinda guy). But if I wanted, I could have asked another working there and they would have been able to answer any questions I would have had (didn't have any).

Gun Emporium is kinda slow on weekdays though, I imagine if you went to Collectors after work it was pretty busy, where other employees may have been helping other customers.

Maybe he just really wanted the commission and didn't care to ask for help

[Mithras61]

To be honest, the attitude you describe has been typical of my experiences with Collectors Firearms.

I much prefer the friendly folks at Carter's Country and Gun Emporium (among many others) to dealing with that sort of snobbishness. I find that I can get most anything I want through one of the many local dealers, and if they don't have it in stock, they'll special order it for me, or I can get it online and they'll FFL it for me with no hassle and no negative attitude.

[sss]

After comparing the prices at Collectors, Carters, all sorts of ranges, and even Academy to online dealers such as Buds, I can't help but wonder why people buy guns from these places in the first place. Almost everything seems to be at least $100 less online!

[Purplehood]

I wore a 9mm for a year almost down to my knee. But I bet that guy wasn't wearing body-armor.

[Pete92FS]

I wore a 9mm for a year almost down to my knee. But I bet that guy wasn't wearing body-armor.

You also were't wearing a western rig with six shooter looking like Don knott's in the "Apple Dumpling Gang".

[Keith B]

I wore a 9mm for a year almost down to my knee. But I bet that guy wasn't wearing body-armor.

You also were't wearing a western rig with six shooter looking like Don knott's in the "Apple Dumpling Gang".

Wonder if that guy kept his one bullet in his pocket??

[WarHawk-AVG]

Well...at least you have to hand it to the guy..he said "I don't know" instead of blowing some "armchair commando" smoike up your skirt.

I hate talking to "tacticool" gun dealers who think they know about guns but when they open their mouths they just sound like a walking talking sales flier.

[DoubleJ]

I did buy the Aguila .380 ammo (90gr JHP) for $38.95 for a box of 50.

You still bought something, even though you hated the experience. specially for twice what that ammo should cost.

anyone can work in a gunshop. they aren't all experts. go to Best Buy, not everyone will know where to find the USB cables.
However, they BETTER find someone who can!

[YabuUS]

You still bought something, even though you hated the experience. specially for twice what that ammo should cost.

Yes, I bought the ammo because .380 jhp is very hard to find. Even at $38.95 for a box of 50, it was still cheaper than American Shooting Centers. I agree it cost more than it should have; but it's over priced everywhere. I took what I could find.

[Purplehood]

Sometimes I felt like Don Knotts. I was the oldest guy on my FOB (including the Battalion CO).

[DoubleJ]

I'da recommended some Hornady FTX ammo from MidWay, which last I checked, had plenty of it, and it delivered within a few days.
sorry you had a terrible time there; my point was that hitting them with a loss of business woulda been a good way to convey that you were displeased with your experience.

[MechAg94]

I have bought a couple of guns at Collectors over the last couple years, but both are harder to find guns that no one else had. For more common guns, I don't think their prices are all that great.

My last gun bought there was a S&W 625 JM revolver. I was trying to decide if I wanted it and the sales guy knocked 5% off the price. That put it more in line with other prices I had seen and I was happy. The sales guy wasn't an expert on THAT gun, but he was okay and they have a lot of people working there.

I guess it is a matter of expectations. If I have done my research on a gun and know the specs and have checked out the forums, I can easily expect that I know more about that specific gun than the guy selling them. They sell a lot of different guns and I don't expect them to know everything about each one beyond generalities.

[Otto N. Sure]

I find the same attitude at a lot of car dealers too. They may know everything about the top of the line, but ask a couple of questions about the little guy sittin' in the corner of the lot and you get a big sigh, and not much info.

RE: Wearin' a sixgun in a gun store, my best friend worked at a gun store in Las Vegas. Everyday he went to work heeled with his pair of Colt Single Action Army's and a cowboy hat. You got to remember that there are a ton of shooters that still think that the SAA is the ultimate in man made firearms. My buddy usually had more loyal customers than any of their other salesmen.

[Bill]

I will have to defend them (to some degree) even though I have a post somewhere about how the manager made me mad. I have bought a Kahr mk9, had a hard time finding them, a Bushmaster, used but like new for 750.00, this was a good deal even a couple of years back. I am looking for a Mossy 930spx and they usually have a couple.

They are overpriced 10-30% on most items, however who has close, i mean close to their stock. What a selection, no one has the the 1911's like they do. Les Bear,Brown,Nighthawk,Wilson, maybe 50 or so. Ak's, Ar's H&K, Sniper rifles, Great hunting guns, not to mention older collectibles. As a business man I can tell you its not cheap to be them. They have more holsters than anyone too. They can not operate on the margins that Internet and box store run on. I like to browse the book collection they have.

I am not trying to sell for them, but lets be fair for what they are.
Bill