Over heard at my local RK

[Plague421]

Maybe it's because I see the question as a bit condescending, or I just don't like being probed. But my standard response to that kind of question is similar: "whatever I want." Now the real answer is a target, and maybe varmints. Genuine interest gets a genuine response. Condescending interrogatives are meant with ambiguous sarcasm.

I disagree that that the clerk asking what he was trying to shoot at 500 yards was anything other than an inquisitive response.
The clerk may have simply been trying to find out what kind of target so he could recommend the most appropriate gun for the customer's needs.

Look at this situation objectively:

The man walked in and asked the clerk "What gun do you have that will shoot 500 yards?" This is fairly uneducated firearms question with a very specific target distance.
Anyone who is actually capable of hitting targets at 500yds would already know what guns are capable of shooting 500yds, and probably wouldn't ask that question.

All the clerk really did was offer the man an opportunity to back out of making a obviously uneducated and seemingly spontaneous purchase.
The man wasn't refused a sale, or treated badly by the clerk.
Perhaps the clerk enlightened him to the fact that maybe he isn't experienced enough to be attempting to shoot 500yds, and an AR-15 wasn't really something he needed.

 

[DRob]

I think this is a classic illustration of the various types of shooting people want to do. Contrary to what many here may think, ARs, AKs, and SKSs are not what everybody shoots. We shoot at small targets which are 500 yards away but don't often hit them because we just don't have guns for the job. OTOH, we have absolutely no use for an AK or SKS or the round for which they are typically chambered. We do have one AR but it's intended to be a bench gun. Heavy fast twist barrel, scope, buttstock intended to ride bags, etc. That said, I would think nothing of a guy asking about any of those guns at a gun shop. Everybody here was a newbie at one point.

 

[Woobie]

I disagree that that the clerk asking what he was trying to shoot at 500 yards was anything other than an inquisitive response.
The clerk may have simply been trying to find out what kind of target so he could recommend the most appropriate gun for the customer's needs.

Look at this situation objectively:

The man walked in and asked the clerk "What gun do you have that will shoot 500 yards?" This is fairly uneducated firearms question with a very specific target distance.
Anyone who is actually capable of hitting targets at 500yds would already know what guns are capable of shooting 500yds, and probably wouldn't ask that question.

All the clerk really did was offer the man an opportunity to back out of making a obviously uneducated and seemingly spontaneous purchase.
The man wasn't refused a sale, or treated badly by the clerk.
Perhaps the clerk enlightened him to the fact that maybe he isn't experienced enough to be attempting to shoot 500yds, and an AR-15 wasn't really something he needed.

The way the OP worded it didn't leave me with the impression that the clerk was really trying to be helpful. But I could easily be wrong. Not hearing the tone and seeing the body language makes a big difference, like CM said.

 

[calcot7]

Unless it was a BB gun they all will shoot 500 yards.

 

[Balarrison]

I see you're from Columbus as well. I go into that RK quit often. If it was the shortish, older guy. He is always very rude with me and I don't like dealing with him.

 

[tbhausen]

Here we go again... Gun owners being our own worst enemies. All because we're better and smarter than the next guy and can't wait to tell everyone so.

 

[tcecil88]

Now down around the Ohio River, it would be fie hunnert, but they're just unedjimicated.

Hay!

 

[GNRPowdeR]

You western Hoosiers with your wierd dialect. Everyone knows it's fie hunndret. Now down around the Ohio River, it would be fie hunnert, but they're just unedjimicated.

Careful... I was raised down around that there "O hi a Rivr"...

 

[NIGHTRIDER]

Was at RK in Muncie,passin thru a week or so back,they had a one day 12% off sale,and had Anderson lowers out the door for 55 bucks.Did paperwork on 2,and the BATF went down.Waited,and waited.The site was still down at closing.Sales guys were pretty knowledgeable. Did not get my lowers.Their RKguns website does not list the lowers.Would anyone happen to know the part no.? They eat the transfer fees.

 

[migunner]

I would love to see us concentrate on beating Hillery instead of being fearful of what the Biatch would do.

 

[possum_128]

I would love to see us concentrate on beating Hillery instead of being fearful of what the Biatch would do.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Obviously we will only be able to speculate here because nobody can say for sure what his intentions/experience with the rifle were.

What bugs me however was his response to the question "What do you want to shoot that's 500 yards away?"
If he had no malicious intent, why was his answer so ambiguously worded? I am not trying to imply that he did have malicious intent, however one must consider that possibility in their analysis of the situation. For that matter based on his reply, one could infer that the man may not know what a proper target is, and intends to shoot whatever crosses his backyard. While that intention itself isn't inherently a bad idea, it does give the impression that he has no idea what he's going to be shooting at and clearly displays a lack of experience.

Had the man replied with "a target" or "really I just want to buy one before they ban them" I doubt that anybody would would have given the conversation a second thought.
This man's response could easily cause somebody knowledgeable in guns to suspect at best he's unfamiliar/inexperienced with guns and at worst possibly has malicious intent.
While I fully support 2A Rights, I do not support a person buying a gun without at least having some form of proper firearms education before purchasing their first gun.

The last thing we need is another irresponsible and inexperienced gun owner with an AR-15 having an accident because his buddy told him to go buy one. These things make us all look bad.
I'm not saying that this man shouldn't have been allowed to buy the gun by default, but I think the clerk made a judgement call. Given the fact that the man ended up not buying the rifle, it was probably a good judgement call.

I fully support The Second Amendment BUT.....

 

[Woobie]

Careful... I was raised down around that there "O hi a Rivr"...

Lol, just a friendly poke. My mom hails from well south of the river, and my dad spent part of his childhood not too far north in Jennings county. I might wind up down on the river someday myself. They keep clearing out fence rows and clear cutting woods up my way. All this corn is starting to look the same.

 

[chef1231]

Cool story, bro

LOL

 

[Slawburger]

I would love to see us concentrate on beating Hillery instead of being fearful of what the Biatch would do.

I think you are looking for the Non Sequitur thread.

 

[Gluemanz28]

The conversation would have been better if the Guy asking the clerk at RK about the rifle, then asked if they sold antidepressants.

 

[Plague421]

I fully support The Second Amendment BUT.....

I assume you are implying that I want more 2A regulations?

To be clear, I was/am playing devil's advocate here. Perhaps I should have mentioned that in my reply.
We could have ended the thread with what LPMan59 said.

Cool story, bro

BUT I was trying to engage in discussion/speculation given the lack of more detailed information from the OP.
I was bored...

 

[bonkers1919]

I guess I don't understand what's weird about this other guy's request. His friend advised he obtain an AR before the election, I don't consider that weird at all, considering it's the most popular semi auto rifle and the top Democratic candidate has an agenda to try and take away this type of firearm from the marketplace. He wants to be able to shoot to 500 yards, again not weird, lots of people shoot that far. The clerk was able to talk him off of what ledge? The guy just wants a popular semi auto rifle capable of shooting 500 yards while they're still obtainable. Again, I don't see what the point here.

All your points are valid. Great salesman, in this case, the clerk, are masters of reading body language. The customers body language; gestures, pointing, nodding of his head, etc. was just "off".

I may have seen and heard the conversation in a different way than the clerk and his friend did. Yet I believe we all thought there was much more to the 500 yards story.

Another INGO member wrote that his spider senses were tingling. That sums up how I felt when leaving the store.

 

[seagullplayer]

I am thinking that optics for a 500 yard shot might cost him more than the rifle he was asking about.
Maybe that info would have slowed him down.

But as they say, a fool and his money are easily parted.

 

[bigbaloo95]

Sounds like typical conversation to me. The clerk may have been trying to narrow down choices for the customer. If someone comes in and says they want a gun shouldn't you try to discern what kind?