Annoying Staff at Lowe's

[budney]

My birthday present from my wife arrived a week ago (a Saiga 7.62x39), and the parts to customize it are trickling in this week. I went to Lowe's to get the misc. hardware and tools I'd need, so hopefully I can start on it by this weekend. But the experience left something to be desired.

The first guy I met did help me track down some small tools. But they didn't have a #33 drill bit, nor a 6-40 tap, nor a brass drift... after a while he said, "We don't seem to have anything you need," and went sorrowfully about his business. I ended up getting the 6-32 tap, and then finding 6-32 machine screws to match it, so that wasn't too bad.

But to my chagrin, the stock set I'd ordered didn't include a grip screw. I thought it would include the screw, so I only ordered a nut. I figured out that it was an M6-1.00 screw I was looking for, but the biggest one I could find was 3", not the 4 1/2" that would be needed. So I asked the nearest hardware guy, an older gentleman, if they had that. He looked through the same drawer I had, led me up and down the aisle, told me over and over that he didn't think they made 'em that long.

Finally he said, a bit testy, "Look, can't you substitute?"

"Sure, if it fits this nut!" I said, showing it to him.

"So why don't you just substitute the nut as well?"

"Um, you got any nuts in here look like this?" I showed it to him again.

"Maybe! What is it?" He asked.

"It's a pistol-grip nut from an AK-47." :banghead:

I looked around, but he was gone. Apparently he'd run into the back to see if he could find what I was looking for. But even though I waited and waited, he never came back.

--Len.

 

[SomeKid]

I actually had a similar problem a while back on my AK. I needed the threads on the screw extended, but couldn't find a place to do it (or a place to sell me the stuff for under $100).

I went to random places looking for help, then of all places went into a machine shop that really wasn't built to do things for me. After asking why, I told it to him straight, it was for my rifle. He nodded, extended the screws, didn't charge me a penny. God bless that man.

 

[4D5]

At any Borg

They are all part of the collective.

I learned long ago, if you have to ask for something at any of the Borg stores you're wasting you time and might as well be on your way. Even simple things where the "associate" might have a clue are nearly impossible to locate.

 

[RH822]

Uhhhh.. Lowe's is a home improvement center, not a gun shop. You don't go to a home improvement center to get gun tools or parts. You will not find a 6-40 tap any where except at a gun tool supplier like Midway or Brownell's. Pretty much the same story for the AK-47 parts. A good source for parts is Numrich arms (gun parts corp).


RH

 

[trueblue1776]

Just go to a place with "Machine and Tool" in the name next time. They will probably have more bolts than you have imagined, and can make custom bolts/nuts of any flavor.

 

[pacodelahoya]

Try s and s fasteners in Ambridge, right there on Duss ave by rt989.

 

[Glockman17366]

With most hardware stores, it's going to be difficult to find the correct thread for firearms...especially if they're metric.

However, I was amazed when I found the correct metric thread at my local Ace Hardware for an AK folding stock.

 

[22-rimfire]

If I were looking for gun stuff (parts etc.), I check out places like Brownells. I find the associates in Lowes to be very helpful and many are considerably more knowledgable than I am about the mechanical workings of household things, plumbing, etc. I have not had as much luck at Home Depot and generally do not visit their stores unless it is for an extension cord of something and there is no Lowe's available. My money gets spent at Lowe's and Ace Hardware. Ace can be a great resource. They seem to sometimes have some amazing stuff in stock and can't be beat when you need one or two screws, a nut, etc.

 

[Mal H]

I've gotta agree with RH822. You were looking for specialized tools and fasteners in a home improvement store. If you had reported that you had found a 6-40 tap there, I would have been more surprised than that you didn't. Now, they should have had the brass drift or a reasonable substitute for it.

Sounds to me like they tried to help you, but couldn't since they don't carry what you need. How does that make them annoying? Of course, the last guy shouldn't have just disappeared. It's not clear what the explanation is for that. Maybe you scared him silly by even mentioning the dreaded AK-47! He probably never came out of hiding for the rest of the day.

 

[Alphazulu6]

"Um, you got any nuts in here look like this?" I showed it to him again.

Ok this is why I wouldnt work in ANY type of service retail store because I would not be able to contain myself and add a really inappropriate remark to your question!

"Maybe! What is it?" He asked.

"It's a pistol-grip nut from an AK-47."

I looked around, but he was gone. Apparently he'd run into the back to see if he could find what I was looking for. But even though I waited and waited, he never came back.

You probably scared him away when you said AK-47. That would do it for most home improvement people that are really just interested in updating your faucets and fixtures

 

[blo0dyhatchet]

I work at Lowes as a Department manager. Most people we hire have very minimal training, especially in their specific departments, mostly because of the high turnover rate in retail. I have been there for 5 years, so i know where everything is, and a good bit about each department. Customers that shop at mine a good bit look for me, and a few others, since we know what we are talking about. I work with some idiots however, and they seem to be the ones that never get fired, lol. I have helped people build all kinds of crazy things (damned school projects, beer funnels, target stands, etc.) and I would have went out of my way to help you for a gun project, most people that shop with us have no idea what they want, so we have to mindread a lot.

 

[Babarsac]

Sometimes when I need an oddball piece I opt not to go to Lowes but to head over to one of the older hardware stores here in Charlottesville. They're a little bit more expensive but the staff has been working there longer then I've been alive, and the knowledge is worth it.

 

[FireArmFan]

I work in the Plumbing Department at a Menards store (for those who don't live in the midwest, Menards is basically a Home Depot or Lowe's) and I can't count how many potato guns and marshmallow guns and target stands i've helped make. PVC is popular with the gun folks.

 

[Logan5]

Heh, had that happen at a local hardware store when I wanted to pick up a set of metric feeler gauges to check headspace when I was CETME shopping. I knew the range I needed to measure, but the guy kept asking me what it was for... Finally he said something like "look, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine" and so I explained (at length, about roller locking, and roller wear, and what headspace is, and Century, and ground bolts.) He said something like "Well that's a new one..." and found me the proper gauges. I got the impression that I sort of made his afternoon; at least I wasn't boring.

 

[GRIZ22]

Auto parts stores usually have an assortment of taps, dies, and othe hardware in SAE or Metric.

 

[budney]

RH822 and Mal, fair enough. Somewhere amongst the Saiga conversion pages it was claimed that I could get what I needed from Lowe's or Home Depot. The parts list came from here.

Griz, I didn't think of parts stores. Good idea.

pacodelahoya, I found S&S Fasteners, and quite a bunch more. Makes me wish I hadn't jumped the gun and ordered the grip nut online last night (about $15 incl. shipping).

--Len.

 

[foghornl]

I remember the little "Mom-n-Pop" hardware store where I grew up. Go in, tell one of the guys what you needed, or what you needed to do if you didn't know what was required, and 999 out of 1,000, one of them would walk over to a shelf, and pick up exactly what was needed. If they didn't have "IT", could tell you where to get "IT".

 

[carpenter]

You don't go to a home improvement center to get gun tools or parts.

Yeah. I went into a Dunkin Doughnuts looking for a Fender Stratocaster made in America. The little oriental woman told me they didn't sell musical instruments and that I was in the wrong store. I said, "But you are a retail establishment and why don't you sell guitars?" She ignored me and got back to doing her job.

The nerve of some people. I'll never go into a Dunkin Doughnuts again.

 

[gp911]

Carpenter,

I'm stealing that.

gp911

 

[budney]

I did find the #33 drill bit at Ace Hardware, so after settling for the 6-32 thread instead of 6-40, I found everything I needed at either Lowe's or Ace (except the grip screw).

Carpenter, excellent parody.