Whats the stupidest thing you've heard at gun store/range?

[Mongo59]

Heard a lady ask a clerk what the effective range of a snub nose .38 special was. She was looking at one for self defense. He proceeded to tell her that the gun in the right hands could shoot out to 1000 yards

In the right hands you could throw it for 50...

 

[BigRed]

Heard a lady ask a clerk what the effective range of a snub nose .38 special was. She was looking at one for self defense. He proceeded to tell her that the gun in the right hands could shoot out to 1000 yards

And she said, "I only need it for three inches".

So many old jokes.

So many better examples of women taking care of themselves,

 

[Amishman44]

I understand being ignorant. I am often ignorant. I do not understand why some folks need to be so aggressive in their ignorance.

Arrogance is often a compensation for ignorance...because if an individual truly knew their stuff, they could either:
a) explain it properly to another individual (aka, educate them), or
b) adequately defend their position in a conversation!

 

[BugI02]

I think of them the same way. Kind of a handgun for people you don't have time to train to shoot a handgun. Still a lot of fun. Sort of like the lever actions that shoot .38 SPL.

Yes, seems like a PCC could fill any niche the M1 carbine is considered for more capably

 

[BugI02]

You are completely right about the trick shot vs reality.

At Camp Perry they shoot the .45 Pistol Nationals a week before the High Power Rifle Nationals. The pistol shooters stand by the 600 yard line shooting full power hardball .45acp and targets are set 25 & 50 yards out. The bullets drop and skid to the ground at the 200 yard line and lay on top the ground. They still look good enough to reload again. From a standing shooter to impotent on the ground in 400 yards.

The 357 Mag is far faster, but like you said, it is a trick shot, no one is making hunting kills at 1000 yards with a normal pistol.

Yeah, essentially to hit that 1000 yd target, the overhold would need to provide more than 380 inches of height above the sightline at the 500 yard/mid point. To achieve that handheld you are lobbing the rounds in, not aiming

In order to try to calculate an 'aim point' it is a more complicated calculation than some might think. The flight path is parabolic but not symmetric because as the round slows the rate of curvature increases. The flight path will wind up looking more like a segment of a logarithmic spiral

 

[nonobaddog]

I didn't see any M1895 Nagant ammo on the shelves so I asked the kid behind the counter if they had any 7.62x38 ammo.
He asked "Whats that for?"
I told him a Nagant revolver.
He says "Oh yeah, I had one of those but had it converted to 7.62x39"
I didn't call him on it.

What I should have done was get the name of his gunsmith - that guy must be great!

 

[Floki]

At Midwest Gun in Mishawauka several years ago and a lady asked the kid behind counter whats a good gun for first time buyer?
He could hardly wait for her to get the question out when he spurted "Glock" and took her over to the counter.

Nothing wrong with Glock per se, but no conversation about the mission, hand strength etc. Many options abound for newbies.

 

[DadSmith]

Awhile back I seen a guy at the range that was about to fire a glock and he was holding it like this.


Yes I said something about it but he know how to shoot a pistol etc etc is what he told me. I then explained to him what would have happened if he fired it holding it like he was. I believe it was a 40S&W IIRC. He did move his thumb down. He never even said thank you. I wonder what that would have done to his thumb if he had left it up there?

 

[wtburnette]

Awhile back I seen a guy at the range that was about to fire a glock and he was holding it like this.
View attachment 152710

Yes I said something about it but he know how to shoot a pistol etc etc is what he told me. I then explained to him what would have happened if he fired it holding it like he was. I believe it was a 40S&W IIRC. He did move his thumb down. He never even said thank you. I wonder what that would have done to his thumb if he had left it up there?

I've had plenty of the "I know what I'm doing" when I've offered suggestions to people. Watching women shoot semi-auto's using the teacup grip is always a facepalm moment, especially when the pistol is flopping all over the place and their rounds are all over the target...

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I wonder what that would have done to his thumb if he had left it up there?

Created learning via slide bite. Unless they are likely to kill someone, I never talk to anyone I don't know at a public range. They'll figure it out or they won't. I seldom go to a public range, though. Usually just to meet NHT3.

 

[actaeon277]

Awhile back I seen a guy at the range that was about to fire a glock and he was holding it like this.
View attachment 152710

Yes I said something about it but he know how to shoot a pistol etc etc is what he told me. I then explained to him what would have happened if he fired it holding it like he was. I believe it was a 40S&W IIRC. He did move his thumb down. He never even said thank you. I wonder what that would have done to his thumb if he had left it up there?

Something like 1:20

 

[ECS686]

Saw a guy once going on about his 45 shield doesn't have any more recoil than the 9. All fall to hardball Yada Yada Yada. In watching him shoot he has a green lazer constant beam.

The beam goes at about 80 degrees up as the beam was on the ceiling. Whole mag was that way. I laughed to myself and just thought we were very lucky we didn't have a cat on the range!

 

[DadSmith]

Created learning via slide bite. Unless they are likely to kill someone, I never talk to anyone I don't know at a public range. They'll figure it out or they won't. I seldom go to a public range, though. Usually just to meet NHT3.

I couldn't stand by and let the guy get hurt. I had to try. He did learn i hope that day. Who knows he may have tried it again and found out what I was talking about. His whole left thumb was behind the slide just about that would have been very painful.

 

[Gunsmiff12B]

https://www.atf.gov/firearms/qa/may-licensee-sell-firearm-nonlicensee-who-resident-another-state They were correct.

I've seen .380 fired in a Mak. It doesn't work well, but it can be done.

Did you mean to provide personal examples for the thread?

Too bad I read this online and didn’t overhear it at a store or I’d have another few examples

 

[DadSmith]

I've seen .380 fired in a Mak. It doesn't work well, but it can be done.

That wouldn't be very accurate unless up close like 3yds maybe 5yds. The 380 is 0.355" and the mak is 0.365" diameter bullet. I'm thinking smooth bore accurate. Unless it actually catches the rifling somehow.

 

[Mongo59]

Well, if you wave it back and forth fast enough, like in the movies...

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I couldn't stand by and let the guy get hurt.

I can, assuming it's an adult.

Pain is a good teacher.

 

[DadSmith]

I can, assuming it's an adult.

Pain is a good teacher.

That's true. I think we all learn not to touch hot things by doing exactly that.

 

[ECS686]

I couldn't stand by and let the guy get hurt. I had to try. He did learn i hope that day. Who knows he may have tried it again and found out what I was talking about. His whole left thumb was behind the slide just about that would have been very painful.

I will add as someone that has ran ranges for years. One of my observations is. Out of all the slide bite cases I have seen folks with the Beretta 92/M9 get it the worst. Those have some of the sharpest points.

Tried to tell one guy politely a couple times he might want to change the grip. He said he was Military and knew about guns. I said OK and excused myself, sat back and waited About 3 shots later we are bandaging his hand up.

 

[nonobaddog]

That wouldn't be very accurate unless up close like 3yds maybe 5yds. The 380 is 0.355" and the mak is 0.365" diameter bullet. I'm thinking smooth bore accurate. Unless it actually catches the rifling somehow.

The specs on the 380 bullet are 0.3535 to 0.3565 and the bore on the Makarov is 0.3543 so there could be some minor engagement with the rifling depending on the lot of bullets, but certainly not as much as desirable.