Gun snobs

I had a professor in grad school who wanted color coded name tags for conferences.

One color for the serious people who wanted to talk shop.
A second color for the sort of serious people there to have a good time.
A third color for the people who only came to party.

That way nobody would waste any time getting to know the wrong crowd.

John
Don't talk to me, I can't hear. :)
 
At our local range, I have people all the time offer to let me shoot their weapons if I show an interest. These are strangers. If I want to be alone with my shooting, they respect that also. Maybe it's just the way folks are in my neck of the woods. People still say "good morning" and wave when you're out and about. I have met some gun snobs there but they are a little different in that they want you to be in awe of their weapons, so will proudly show you.
 
Wow. Im so lucky,None of that crap even comes to mind when go shooting.Have a stream on one side,backstop in front lots of shade trees.0 to 800 yards to use anyway I wish. NO A-holes,snobs,No waiting,Just me & a cooler a bench & lots of Ammo. I got it made & didnt even know it.:cool:
 
My personal experience with snobs is that they are rude and mannered and act the way they do because they are very immature and insecure-and not worth getting to know. Among the Great Lessons of Life I have learned is the Fine Art of Tuning Out and assigning undesireables or people who simply don't interest me-or I think are useless- to my list of PIPNATs-People I pay No Attention To. If people don't value my friendship and can't be civil to me- Cold Shoulders work both ways. If you have paid your membership fees, the range is otherwise convenient and well managed, then I would go there strictly to shoot and not to socialize.
 
gun snobs

When I used to go to range [I have room at home now in my field] I would get up very early to avoid dealing with other shooters. I did meet a gentleman on one occassion. the old man asked if he could look at my '88 commision mauser, and when I said yes, he picked it up, squeezed 2 knobs on side and removed the bolt! Since I bought the gun used I wasn't aware you could even do that! He also told me that even though my surplus rounds were smokeless, they still had corrosive primers and needed scrubbed thoroughly when I got home. But, unfortunately I have run into more people unaware than aware of range safety. By the way, the incident of which I just spoke happend 40 years ago.
 
If I've got to shoot on a range, I'd just as soon the other folks did their own thing and leave me alone. I'm not going there to shoot, not socialize.
 
I do like a certain amount of socialization at the range,,,

I do like a certain amount of socialization at the range,,,
But then I am basically a social animal.

When I go I always take a small cooler,,,
And several extra bottles of water.

I'll take a break and then offer a bottle to someone,,,
It usually ends up in a pleasant conversation,,,
And the swapping of a few rounds of fire.

Talking to people is how I learn new things,,,
And get to see/shoot different guns.

But I do have my ways of dealing with pests,,,
Two of my favorite rifles are H&R break-open single-shots,,,
I've gotten pretty accurate at ejecting hot brass back over my shoulder.

Keeps the lookie-loo's at a respectable distance. :D

Aarond

.
 
I'm a gun snob.....have nothing in common with Glock owners other than we might shoot the same ammo, nothing else to converse about.
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If I've got to shoot on a range, I'd just as soon the other folks did their own thing and leave me alone. I'm not going there to shoot, not socialize.
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Neither is reason to be impolite and rude. The OP stated in two posts he was not trying to strike up a conversation, just being polite and friendly. That's what normal folks do when they are new. Not wanting to get into a lengthy discussion with a stranger is one thing, range time is precious and focus on the task at hand is important......but not to acknowledge someone when they say hi in passing is being a butthole.
 
Just be your friendly self and try not to be rude. You bought the membership to enjoy your hobby not cater to few that are missing some manners. Perhaps once those folks get to seeing you around on more than a couple occasions they'll warm up to you. Maybe not. Whatever the case "You chose to develop a serious skill most do not have Sir. And that is your goal. " You can always socialize and make friends after church on Sunday or over the backyard fence while holding a beer in one hand and a plate of barbeque in the other. Heck if that were the case I myself would like to be your neighbor/ neighbor. :cool:_:)
 
I'm beginning feel like I did in my teens when others would sit around and bit*h about how lousy
their family was, how they hated their father (mother), and how their world generally sucked.

I hate to admit it, but I genuinely like my range (an IWLA) club, and its membership
(some of who are occasionally 3σ characters), as well as the fact that we have oldsters w/
weird guns and youngsters with the latest whizz-bang. We also have kids, boys, and girls
as well as an increasing number of women and young mothers out with their sons (& daughters).

All in all we have some deadly serious competitive shooters who are willing to teach, expert
handloaders who are willing to exchange decades of experience for a smile, and a next
generation willing to learn.

It's both social and serious. None of it structured. And all of it heartfelt as opposed to put-on.

Obviously a social aberration of some sort....

.

.
Oh, ...and did I mention that I (mostly ;)) liked my family when young?
 
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Glenn E. Meyer said:
I'll top you on that. I was in FL on business. Had a moment so looked up a likely LGS.

The front parking spaces of the store had a sign: Perverts Parking Only.

Should have been a hint.

The clerk inside was an old toot, sitting on a stool. He was wearing loose shorts and his 'ahem' and 'glands' were hanging out.

Bye, bye. Yuk!
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That was you? :D
 
I've been lucky most of the time I've gone to the range in regard to socializing and polite people. I also tend to think my presence is not overbearing, and have a fairly warm vibe. Also, I approach people with 'social caution.' I try to keep myself from saying 'that gun is awesome man!' or the like to the older demographics..I'm young, have a number of tattoos, and usually shoot 'tacticool' style guns, and though I have much to learn, I think the older crowd (who is more often than not the leave me be crowd) appreciate when I ask them or compliment them about their old trapdoors and the like. The younger crowd often appreciates when I let them put a few rounds through one of my guns without expecting anything in return. One of the biggest factors I think that turns people off to socializing with other shooters is that many shooters think their opinion is fact. This runs rampant in many circles where people are very dedicated to a hobby or lifestyle. Be it chevy vs. ford, skiing vs snowboarding, or Springfield vs. Glock, nobody wants to talk to someone who knows their way is the rightway.

On one outing, a gentleman let people put a few hundred rounds of .45-70 through his replica 1877(?)Gatling. I would imagine it takes someone of decent income to even own one of those, but to let people he didn't know shoot it was still very cool. Another outing, I had a box of 9mm that I had no use for so I asked the line if anyone needed some. I said I didn't have a firearm in 9mm so whoever wanted it could have it. A gentleman said he'll take it, but only after I put a few rounds of it through his CZ. Perhaps I've just been lucky ;)
 
As ardently as I defend gun culture and gun rights, the majority of my interaction with the gun community has been negative.

Family, friends, and friends I get into shooting for the first time and help buy their first gun are great, but I've always been treated like crap at gun stores and ranges. When you wear thick glasses, have a curly afro, and are clearly a giant nerd who knows as much about computers as guns, too many I guess don't think I'm manly or gruff enough to be a shooter? Nevermind my decent groups and pretty solid knowledge of and experience with firearms.
 
Sometimes there are folks that are ok to chat with at the range. But I agree with a couple of others here, I go to shoot. Usually I have the chrony set up and a note book and three or four rifles laying on the tailgate of the truck. In that last 10 or so visits to the range, I have not finished what I went out to do because of time constraints.

When the range is cold, it irks the heck out of me when a couple three shooters get into a conversation down range talking about a group or how a particular rifle is shooting. The rest of us are standing around waiting for these dudes to get their butts back to the firing line so we can go hot.

That being said, it is impolite to snub fellow shooters, ignore greetings or comments. Gun snobs or caliber snobs are kinda like grackles.....ya just have to ignore them. :D
 
Wait and see how they treat you once you've been there a while. It may be that they're just standoffish with new people. I've encountered that before. But once people recognized that I wasn't a kook, and handled myself properly, they were a lot friendlier.
 
I've never been in a pay to shoot situation but if I was I'd be shooting not shaking hands and talking. That's what TFL is for.
 
There is a local club around here with some people that act like they have some kind of social superiority to others. I went as a guest of friend that was a member. He warned that people were not overly friendly. Well the people there seemed like they did not even want to acknowledge that I existed. Well until I started shooting anyway. When it came time to check rifle targets, and they saw my targets down range they were asking me to join their team. I turned them down. I joined a public range, and am happy with it.

Yes I am going to the range to shoot. I spend all day at least one, if not two days a week at the range. I have some very nice guns, and some cheapo guns. Neither give me an excuse to look down my nose at people. Almost everyone that has showed up out there has been polite, and friendly. It must be some kind of Texas thing for all I know.
 
Relax

It's your first day in a new school. You're the new kid on the block. They have cliques. Maybe you'll be in one eventually. Maybe not. But be friendly and you'll see -- a year from now YOU'LL be a snob to the new members! You'll have earned that right. Wait and watch.
 
Always found it hard to talk at our free county range. I always have hearing protection on and the tables are about 20 ft apart.
Other than in the parking lot when you getting your guns is there a chance to talk.
 
snobbery is fail.

When i worked at ATT and State Farm I befriended the security guards and the janitors; most of my colleagues always looked at me like I had two heads. They would ignore anyone who wasn't in their job class completely. I ended up with a lot of great contacts in my network that way.

Snobbery has NO advantages.
 
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