TFB B-Side Podcast: Gun Shop Horror Stories with the TFB Crew

Thanks Luke, that was lots of fun

Yeah, these guys have dealt with some idiots in their time. That's gonna happen if you work behind a counter. I'm disappointed to see their condescending attitudes and how many times they ignore the chance to educate someone and point that person in the direction of some good training. My adult life I've spent more than my share of time wandering gun stores and seeing what's the latest in stock or seeing how some new model fit my hand, and I've helped a lot of buddies when buying for themselves or introducing their wives/girlfriends to shooting. Most guys behind the counter are pretty good, but I've run across my share of doozies. One of my favorites was when helping my brother's buddy find some features he liked in 1911s and as we discussed the slide release, the counter-commando started a diatribe about how no "real" gunfighter would ever use it and telling me what happens in a gunfight regarding adrenaline dump and how you become a bumbling idiot with zero fine motor control. I told him I was aware of the body's response as well as the arguments against using a slide release and instead slingshotting the slide, then asked him since he has no fine motor control why does he care about a crisp 4lb trigger? He then doubled down on trying to explain to me how a "real" gunfighter trains and responds in combat. My brother's face was a hoot to see, and his buddy thanked the guy and said he'd look elsewhere. As we left the store, my brother was incredulous and asked me why I didn't tell the guy how many gunfights I'd been in, and I just laughed. Then you have the counter-commandos trying to upsell someone who wants a nice basic rifle, knowing they'll likely rarely shoot it, to some "enhanced" variant for 3X the price of what they asked for, telling them how the "S7 tool steel bolt is so superior to the mil std in what they asked to see." And so many more tales of woe.

And I'll never defend someone loading a round into a rifle at a gun shop, but these wannabes with their "and you have all these armed and bored workers looking to shoot someone" might want to head down to their local recruiter and put themselves in a position to do so.

I wonder if they laugh at all the tacticool guys buying NIB scuffed up "battleworn" guns and paying for name brands like they do at folks who know nothing and are trying to buy a handgun to defend their family and know enough to at least ask for a safety in the hopes of better keeping their kids safe. These guys just seem like dicks.