What was he thinking?
- Thread starter mgulino
- Start date
This is more my sentiment... what goes around eventually comes around and bites us on the a$$! I know that in the past I've probably turned some folks off by treating them in a condescending manner concerning guns even though I wasn't trying to. I proactively try and catch myself when I think I am doing that. My experience has been that younger folks, especially younger women (again, MY experience) have this incorrect stereotype of "bubba know it all" when it comes to firearms. Who wants to be part of that world? As others have said, we all started out rookies. Not all of us had a father and grandfather giving us good advice and training from day one as I did, sending me off into the field to shoot groundhogs that were making holes that damaged farm equipment when it slammed down into them. I was taught from day one never to point that 22 at anything I wasn't prepared to shoot... how to keep the safety ON when traipsing through the fields until ready to actually shoot... basics. So... NOTICE when a rookie does something wrong, maybe say something TACTFULLY if the situation warrants.cslinger said:
buck460XVR said:
+1... EXACTLY!
dogtown tom
New member
Then you should never again enter a gun store and certainly not a gun show.
I think at every gun show there are around 2,000 guns pointed at me at once.
So, there's a newbie who knows little about guns, is hugely intimidated by the very idea of it but probably has a reason to be afraid and feels he should buy a gun to solve some external problem. All too often, I see new people at ranges and gun clubs and the old-timers tend to ostracize them and make sideways comments about them instead of offering to help them.
In the stores, you have to hope that the gun counter salesman is going to get the newbie started, including some safety info. But if you see someone who's obviously uncomfortable in that environment, offer to help.
Gun owners aren't the only snobs, either. It happens in almost every hobby I've been in, including motorcycles, R/C airplanes, etc. etc.
--Wag--
In the stores, you have to hope that the gun counter salesman is going to get the newbie started, including some safety info. But if you see someone who's obviously uncomfortable in that environment, offer to help.
Gun owners aren't the only snobs, either. It happens in almost every hobby I've been in, including motorcycles, R/C airplanes, etc. etc.
--Wag--
Were you born knowing how to drive a car ....or did someone have to teach you how to drive .
Not everyone has a Father or Grandfather to teach them safe gun handling and shooting.
We should all make an effort to teach the new people and get them interested in shooting.
Be nice,
Gary
Yup...I'm taking a dual citizen(Peru and US) guy shooting today..he has never held a gun in his life(he's 67). I'm going to show him the 'great fun' part of shooting along with basic safety, handling, basic mechanics of the gun and shooting BUT I'm not there to make fun of him just cuz he's never handled a gun before. Ya never know, maybe there's a Glock in his future, he certainly can afford it..
cslinger said:
Thanks for that post.
I do wish gun stores as a group would respond to these situations very simply with a few lines and a take home paper.
The paper would say:
You could even underline what they did that identified them as a newbie and politely show the right way.
The best part is 99% of the folks you give this to will think they are gun experts.....which should cause them to reflect on why Joe would hand them this paper.
Double Naught Spy
New member
But it probably won't. Either they won't understand, will ignore it, or they will be insulted that somebody had the audacity to try to point out to them, gun expert that they are, that they might have done something wrong.
reynolds357
New member
Agreed. Far too many would demean him for not knowing how the shotgun held its ammo. They would then dress him down about "clip vs magazine."
reynolds357
New member
"To those people who actually believe that they have never inadvertently felony menaced someone or had trouble operating a firearm when they started out....yeh, keep telling yourself that, at least you’ll believe it."
I'll admit, I made lots of firearms handling mistakes when I first started handling handguns.
I'll admit, I made lots of firearms handling mistakes when I first started handling handguns.
50 shooter
New member
At least he was asking questions and not being a typical Male! Who could've just walked in, bought the gun and then walked out.
Most guys suffer from their "ego" getting in the way! Instead of using their brains and asking ???'s about stuff they don't know about. Don't want to look stupid in front of another guy, I should know it all already, just like every other guy!
Most guys suffer from their "ego" getting in the way! Instead of using their brains and asking ???'s about stuff they don't know about. Don't want to look stupid in front of another guy, I should know it all already, just like every other guy!
"not being a typical Male! Who could've just walked in, bought the gun and then walked out."
We're talking about buying a gun, not a house! A 1st gun costs about as much as a push lawn mower or a decent pressure washer. How "wrong" can someone go by not knowing much about guns and telling the counter guy "I'll take that one"? If it's a semi-auto, it'll probably be a 9mm. If it's a revolver, it will probably be a 38/357. People put way too much emphasis on which 1st gun to buy.
We're talking about buying a gun, not a house! A 1st gun costs about as much as a push lawn mower or a decent pressure washer. How "wrong" can someone go by not knowing much about guns and telling the counter guy "I'll take that one"? If it's a semi-auto, it'll probably be a 9mm. If it's a revolver, it will probably be a 38/357. People put way too much emphasis on which 1st gun to buy.