Being 18 and liking guns just dont mix...

[hoppinglark]

I've felt your pain

when i was young I got the same thing...but sometimes still do...it's not always age some gun store owners are just stupid.. or rude or both....
The real fun is writing you College Freshman English paper on something like Eddie Eagle and then having to present it to the class....

 

[zahc]

No disrespect meant, but I can see their side. Why not look at long guns in the mean time? A lot of fun can be had with a short barreled shotgun or quality rifle. Start with what you can leagally own. I still have the shotgun and rifle I bought the summer I turned 18. 21 comes fast enough.

I can't believe I hear things like this on the the highroad. Do you not think it insane that a 20 year old man must have his PARENTS come with him to the store so that he can buy a handgun? Are you not outraged that said 20 year old cannot purchase .25 acp cartridges? 21 comes soon enough eh?

 

[Dionysusigma]

illuminatus99: Same story for me, only it's a week-to-week thing. Trench coat? Not so often anymore...but I still like to wear all-black. Often band t-shirts, jeans, combat boots. Then, next week, I'll be in a decent button-down shirt, khakis, and nice shoes. *boom* The service increases dramatically. I always do business with the same people, and they're good guys too. It must be a psycological factor, then... either

1) The sales staff thinks I look like trouble and doesn't want to sell me anything in case it is used illegally, or

2) Other customers think I look like trouble and "won't return to a store where they cater to THAT kind of person," thus resulting in the sales staff not wanting to look like they'll help anyone just to make a buck.

I don't blame 'em. But some places, they treat you like garbage no matter what.

 

[LiquidTension]

I never had any gun shop guys be openly rude to me, but I did have a hard time getting someone's attention. They looked at me, saw that I was young, and assumed I didn't have money. If they had looked more carefully, they would have seen that my clothes and such were not the cheapest around (thanks mom ) and that I didn't go for the cheap guns. After I started buying long guns they started paying more attention. After buying a Kimber, I get friendly hellos from the guys that know me. At gun shows I still get the "why are you looking at my table" looks from some vendors. They don't get my money - the good guys do.

I think that gun shop employees should be nice to the younger crowd, even if they obviously can't buy anything. If a kid goes into a shop and is treated with respect, he/she will remember it in the future when they DO have money. Many gun shop employees are incapable of planning anything more than 5 minutes in the future

 

[Black92LX]

sorry to hear that man. i am 20 and have had no problems what soever. everyone around here (cincinnati) is pretty cool. especially at costellos it's just 2 old guys and they could chat away the day no problem.

 

[slh02]

Keith: I fully agree with your point on appearance its just that it does not really apply here. I am fortunately blessed that I have two very hard working parents who currently support me while I make my way through school (I have a part time job but dont make that much). My mom is a beautician so I always have a nice clean cut and to be perfectly blunt, I am usually dressed nicer than the guys behind the counter are. No black or baggy clothes and usually "name brand" stuff. I personally take pride in my appearance and always try to look my nicest. I would have an extremely hard time believing that I am treated the way I am based on my looks or attitude.

I'm starting to think its mostly the "you are young with no money, dont bother me" assumption as others have suggested. That assumption only hurts business by loss of future customers.

It is good to see that my age may not be the big factor that I originally thought it would. Unfortunately it seems that some of the older members here are treated the same way I am! And gunshops wonder why they are not making any money...

 

[GD]

Just go to any gunshow and you will be treated like an idiot and you will the most outrageous stories ever. Just about nowhere else will you see a Mosin labeled as a Mauser or hear stories of how rare a Marlin .22 semiautomatic is. It is not your age, it's the people selling.

 

[Destructo6]

Experienced the same when I was younger.

One time a few buddies and I went to a shop in downtown San Diego, when we were stationed around there. One buddy wanted to look at a Mini14 or something, but none of the clerks would come over to that side of the store, even though there were 4 of them and only 1 other customer. My smart-### buddy picked up the phone on one side of the store and dialed the other side without their notice. He asked, "I'm 19 and am interested in a Mini14, would you show me one?" When the guy said, "yes", my buddy said, "Well, look to the other side of the store, here I am!"

It was priceless.

 

[556A2]

Everyone is right about going in an being a patron of the shop you visit. I'm 19 and the shop I go to, everyone is friendly to me, and tells me basically the same infomation I get here at THR. The last time I was there, I was glaning over a Colt 1991 and they asked if I wanted to see it, I said no of course, but because I go in and support them, they treat me well. The shop really does matter the most.

Start with what you can leagally own

Funny, I'm 19 and I can legally own my CZ-75B, and my Colt Trooper Mark III. If you want a 1911 or a Glock, why get a FAL or an 870?

 

[Hk Paul]

SLH, I feel sorry for you.

This may seem silly, but I am 18 and I never have a problem in a gunstore, because I only go to one, and its the one I work at.

But if you want to get noticed more at a gunstore, become a regular coustmer. Show them you know.

 

[Remander]

Little off topic: my young bro-in-law is part of the pierced and dumb group, at least in the eyes of this old 30+ fogey.

He recently asked me about my guns and said he is going to buy a pistol. He was full of BS trying to show he knew all about guns, but only succeeded in showing his ignorance.

My first thoughts were to ignore his inquiries or point out his goofy mistakes about calibers, makes, etc.

Then I realized that what I should do is take the kid to the range and, without a bunch of macho BS or telling him he is an idiot, show him some different pieces, show him how they work and teach him how to handle them safely.

I plan to do so soon. Maybe he will go from pierced and dumb to a responsible (or at least better educated) owner. After all, the children are our future... [intro uplifting music here]

 

[MAURICE]

Just turned 20 myself the other day, and I did have the same problem for a little while. Show them you are serious and they will treat you well.

Mike, those fellas seem like a pretty tight nit group.Every time I am in there I see the same customers. Once they get to know you, they're a bunch of good old boys...just watch out for Rick. Hes crazy

 

[coldshot03/04]

My nephew has been shooting with me for the last 10-11 yrs, he is now 21 yrs old and we both know the feeling your talking about. He would be with me just looking and the store owners were like are you 21 young man? I mean he was just looking. I also know the feeling of beening followed around a good bit too. Like we were going to carry the place off or something. Me and My nephew finally found a good place to go and buy our guns and even join in on the gunshop gossip. Dont worry about the dumba$$es you will find a good place that values their customers.

 

[eschang1]

Yea, I'm 18 too. Theres two "gun stores," one is a large pawn shop, and the other shop is a tiny shop next to the owner's house. The pawn shop guys have lied to me on several occasions. "Does this rifle have a chrome lined bore?" (DPMS varmint rifle) "Yea, of course it does." I look in the chamber and bore, and it doesn't. I say, "It doesn't look chrome lined, that's just 4140 steel." Give him one more chance, he pulls out the catalog and points to a different model of rifle, in a completely different chambering (7.62x39mm) and says, "Look, it says it's chrome lined over here, I'm positive." What, does he think I can't read either, that's not even the same kind of rifle in the catalog!

The guy with the smaller shop has always treated me respectfully and sometimes he may add in a colorful bit of hype about something, but he's never tried to rip us off and is straightforward and quick to work with you if you aren't satisified with a purchase. I shop with him, even if the prices are higher. Got to know him better and sometimes I can negotiate the price down a bit since I'm a repeat customer. He has a very fair $20 flat rate on FFL transfers too. Only good dealer in this town.

 

[redneck2]

Try the other side of the counter for a while...

and have a 16 year-old ask to look at 50 different guns he can't buy...

sweeps everyone in the store while going "WHAM, WHAM...God, I could REALLY blast some ***hole with this!!!"

this is real impressive to the father that's got his 8 & 10 year old kids with him

of course, he slams the pistol down on the counter and says "LEMME SEE THAT ONE...IT'S BIGGER!!!"

if you think this doesn't happen, think again. After going through this a few times, it gets old quick

As above...dress decent. It amazes me that kids (or adults for that matter) dress like a hard*** then wonder why people treat them like a hard***.

If you want to see something, take a responsible adult, and you should act responsible. And don't ask to look at every gun in the case, particularly if I have 10 other people stacked up behind you.

We have over 500 handguns in the store, and no, I don't know every single variation of every single one.

And, stores vary. There's one in my area that has the meanest SOB for an owner I've ever seen. If you didn't buy a particular gun from him, it's junk no matter who made it. I went in to buy a reloader and walked out after getting treated like crap...and I'm 52.

 

[BHPshooter]

I know how you feel. I've been into guns since I can't remember when.

I am 19 and own a handgun, so I guess I'm in a little better shape than you are, maybe because I live in Utah. It also helps that everyone around me that doesn't know me well swears that I am at least 25.

It's okay though, use the young years to your advantage. At your age, if you're like me, you didn't have enough money to buy any of the guns you wanted, so I spent my younger years researching, learning, and deciding what I like. But, as I said, I look old, and I have never had a problem with asking to see a gun, handgun or otherwise.

Be patient, your time will come.

Wes

 

[Moparmike]

Maurice, is he the guy with short red hair? If he is, then you are right. He is completely nucking futs. Sounds like the kind of guy that rogue gub'mint hating "militia" groups are looking for (or looking to avoid, if that makes enough of a statement ).

Oddly enough, he was pretty cool after I bought something. Amazing what a little money will do. It is pretty sad that the original premise that has gotten good service in the past, "That you are interested in spending money here" isnt good enough to get good service. It now is "You have to spend money to get good service." In any business, guns or otherwise, this seems to be inescapable. Even in some area restaurants.

 

[Guntalk]

I spent the day today with 900 people under the age of 18, who all had guns, who all were shooting, including the youngest, a girl who is 8 years old and in the 2nd grade.

They are competing in the championship of the Scholastic Clays Target Program, at the Grand American Trap Shoot in Vandalia, Ohio.

No one thought anything about it, and the stores were happy to sell them (okay, their parents) guns. Each of these young people carried guns and ammo all day long.

It all depends on where you are and who you hang around with, I guess.

 

[Capital Punishment]

SLH02, i notice youre from maryland. So am i. Im also 16. What city do you live in? What stores did you go to?

The reasoning for the evil looks and replies and such? Youre in Maryland! I hate this state. With a passion.

 

[slh02]

CP, Im in Glen Burnie about 2 minutes away from the Select Fire target range (who are a bunch of cool guys IMO). The worse shop was a little pawn shop on B&A blvd. Unless I'm with my step-dad, I seem to generally be unwanted in just about every shop besides Barts Sports World and On Target.

Like I said, the Select Fire guys are really cool and I come in with my 10/22 every once in a while (its the only long-gun I own that can be fired there). Unfortunately they are not really a stocking dealer... just a lot of used and consignment pieces.

 

[coldshot03/04]

Redneck in Indy? tehe......

Redneck that sounds more like a 10 yr old kid that your talking about. I have seen grown men act worse damn near fight over whose got the best gun or whose gun sucks the most. tehe... These guys & gals are young men and women not kids. Your place is one that I would avoid. If I couldnt check them out the hell with it. Id go somewhere else.

 

[Blain]

I know what you guys mean as I am just a yound man in a very gun hostile enviorment myself. We have some terrible dealers in MA, though I do have quite a few dealers around me. All of them will BS you to some degree, either because they think you can be duped, or out of general ignorance.

I have had friends whom I've taken to a gunshop tell me about how they have gone back to that very same gunshop without me and been asked to not touch anything, or to leave because they didn't have their licenese's on them.

I have found that while some will be cranky to everyone and anyone, all will give you more respect and treat you better if you act confident, firm, serious, while showing them that you posess knowledge of guns through conversation.

Most of the times I dind't buy at a shop was not because I couldn't afford something, or not even because they didn't have what I was looking for in stock (some did). It was because that most of their guns (some of their used and nearly all of their new) were way overpriced. The price discrepency between what they want and what I can get from other sources was simply too high to bother with.

I could afford any gun in any one of their stores. Heck, I spent over $3000 on guns the first year I could legally own them and have continued to spend $2000+ per year on them every year since that. I am able to do so because I always work hard throughout the year (esp. during the summer months that I have off) and put my money toward guns instead of food (going out to eat), rock concerts, CDs, jewlery, cars, booze, and the other junk that young people typically like to waste money on. I know kids that blow $50-$200 bucks EVERY weekend "having fun" and "partying".

Conserve your money wisely, work hard, and you'll be able to buy any gun that you're little heart desires.

Might as well buy the guns you want now while you don't have bills to pay, yourself and possibly a family to support, etc.

 

[Futo Inu]

It's in part your age and location, but also in part the fact that that's just how a lot of peeps in gun stores are, for whatever reason. I'd guess they don't get paid much. Dunno why so many gun people are a$$holes, but they are, and not just in gun stores. To the extent that it IS your age, don't expect anything to change until you have grey in the beard and temples - the clerks associate the age with ability to buy their wares (most of the time, correctly). I'm 34 but people tell me I look only 27ish, and I still get short shrift in the gun stores that don't know me personally when I'm in jeans. When I'm in a suit and tie, whole different story - I get much more attention then. Funny though, the one place in town who has workers that are nice and friendly even if they don't know you (H&H Shooting Sports Outlet in OKC), was that way to me the first time, and whaddya know, now they DO know me, because I bought a gun from them way back when, and have continued to buy many items from them. Shop around until you find somewhere that you're treated well - if there is no such place, look around at the shops, and buy off the internet and gunbroker.com and whathaveyou. Find an FFL who won't gouge you for transfers, and visit places like www.brownells.com and www.midway.com - there's gotta be humpteen dozen fine internet sellers, and midway and some others round up your total to the nearest dollar if you wish, and give it to the NRA to protect your gun rights. Vote with your $.

 

[MAURICE]

Moparmike,
yeah, thats him.

Chang, good to see another knife guy here.

 

[Azrael256]

Never had that kind of experience in a gun store. When I was 18-ish, I was fawned over when I walked into a gun store. Even if the guys there figured out that I couldn't necessarily buy anything, they were still VERY nice. When I brought in a girl who's tattoed with green hair and more piercings that I want to know about, they were much more than happy to show her every gun in the store, and offered to let her try out the two she was looking at to see which one she liked better. I guess I have been lucky to find some good shops with some good people. Anybody who doesn't meet that standard of service doesn't get my money.