I was in a local gun shop today and had three Beretta 92's (Beretta 92FS Inox, Beretta Elite, and Beretta Elite II) on the counter trying to decide which I would buy. I was in a conversation with one of the employees behind the counter when behind me I hear a voice say, "I wouldn't even consider buying a Beretta 92".
I turn around and here is some know-it-all in his mid-twenties acting as if he were the source of all truth regarding firearms. I ask why he wouldn't want a Beretta 92 (like I wanted to hear anything else from him). His response? "Didn't you see Lethal Weapon 4?" I immediately knew what he was referring to (scene where martial arts master removes slide from Mel Gibsons Beretta). I ask him what about it?, and he proceeds to explain how someone could dismantle the firearm before it could be used for protection.
I ask him to show me and hand him the Beretta Elite II (for those that haven't seen it it is based on the Brigadier model with the heavier slide). He fumbles around with it for 10-15 seconds trying to activate the takedown lever with his finger (holding the gun as if someone were pointing it at him), then turns the gun around so he can get his finger up over the lever (harder to do on that gun because the slide is wider) and finally gets the takedown lever activated. Meanwhile the shop guy says something to the effect of "who's going to wait around while you field strip their weapon?". Idiot gets done and pronounces, "see! wouldn't buy one!" I ask him if he thinks there is really anyone on earth who could do this in an actual confrontation (I wanted to ask if he would recommend one of those Colt SA's that I've seen in the movies that you never have to reload). He immediately goes into a diatribe about how the 9mm is ineffective anyway and doesn't have enough "knockdown power". "A .45 will put them down every time" he says. The shop guy kind of rolls his eyes. I decide its time to ignore him. He decides he's through talking with us, since we obviously don't know good advice when we hear it and wanders away.
I guess the thing that bothers me most about this (besides the fact that the idiot doesn't even know what I'll use the gun for, obviously thinks a total stranger can't make a decision without his enlightened input) is the fact that if I were a novice I might have sucked up every word he puked out. Also, there were other people around who very obviously were new to handguns (buying Christmas it looked like) and probably very impressionable. A punk like this runs his mouth off and gives them the idea that they really can believe what they see in the movies. Or worse, hey maybe I should get a larger caliber even though I don't know if I can handle the recoil effectively.
People like this really piss me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, I did put the Elite II on layaway, it is one sweet machine!
Shake
I turn around and here is some know-it-all in his mid-twenties acting as if he were the source of all truth regarding firearms. I ask why he wouldn't want a Beretta 92 (like I wanted to hear anything else from him). His response? "Didn't you see Lethal Weapon 4?" I immediately knew what he was referring to (scene where martial arts master removes slide from Mel Gibsons Beretta). I ask him what about it?, and he proceeds to explain how someone could dismantle the firearm before it could be used for protection.
I ask him to show me and hand him the Beretta Elite II (for those that haven't seen it it is based on the Brigadier model with the heavier slide). He fumbles around with it for 10-15 seconds trying to activate the takedown lever with his finger (holding the gun as if someone were pointing it at him), then turns the gun around so he can get his finger up over the lever (harder to do on that gun because the slide is wider) and finally gets the takedown lever activated. Meanwhile the shop guy says something to the effect of "who's going to wait around while you field strip their weapon?". Idiot gets done and pronounces, "see! wouldn't buy one!" I ask him if he thinks there is really anyone on earth who could do this in an actual confrontation (I wanted to ask if he would recommend one of those Colt SA's that I've seen in the movies that you never have to reload). He immediately goes into a diatribe about how the 9mm is ineffective anyway and doesn't have enough "knockdown power". "A .45 will put them down every time" he says. The shop guy kind of rolls his eyes. I decide its time to ignore him. He decides he's through talking with us, since we obviously don't know good advice when we hear it and wanders away.
I guess the thing that bothers me most about this (besides the fact that the idiot doesn't even know what I'll use the gun for, obviously thinks a total stranger can't make a decision without his enlightened input) is the fact that if I were a novice I might have sucked up every word he puked out. Also, there were other people around who very obviously were new to handguns (buying Christmas it looked like) and probably very impressionable. A punk like this runs his mouth off and gives them the idea that they really can believe what they see in the movies. Or worse, hey maybe I should get a larger caliber even though I don't know if I can handle the recoil effectively.
People like this really piss me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By the way, I did put the Elite II on layaway, it is one sweet machine!
Shake
gents who have actually shot the weapon and have some knowledge. I'm lucky in that a very good friend of my Dad's is a gunsmith and lives close to us. He's of reasonable age, 62.