SharpshooterOPD
Member
Ok, this is going to be a rant. I just feel the need to vent. If you are not interested in reading it, this is the time to click out.
You had fair warning.
This is one of those things that is becoming ever so common in an era where actual gun shops are being replaced by chain sporting goods stores that happen to also sell guns and ammunition.
I find myself in need of some .45 ACP ammo. Nothing particularly special, just 100 rounds or so of reliable ball fodder to help break in a new 1911. I chose the store in question due to the fact that it usually has fairly good ammo prices, especially if you happen to catch a sale. That's the good news. This store is arranged so the "hunting" section is located in the far back corner (Why is that? Are they ashamed they have to carry firearms, ammunition, and hunting gear for the local redneck population?) Anyway, the rifle, shotgun, and rimfire ammo is all situated on shelves in isles where customers can select what they want (An arrangement I much prefer, as opposed to having to rely on someone else to pick out ammo for me). Conversely, the handgun ammunition is in a locked case behind a counter where it can only be accessed by an employee. From my side of the counter, I can see several boxes of .45 ammo, to include both 50 and 100 round boxes of Remington/UMC that should meet my needs quite well. What I can't see, of course, is the price of any of the ammo in the case. So now I stand there like an idiot and wait for someone to help me. And I wait, and I wait, AND I WAIT!
Finally, when it appears unlikely that anyone will ever appear behind the counter, I walk all the way back to the front of the store where I locate the only visible employee in the building behind one of the cash registers. I approach him and ask if someone can assist me at the gun counter. Without ever even looking up at me, this pilgrim grunts: "uh huh." He then calls over the in-store intercom for someone to meet me.
Now I again make my way back to the hunting department, and wait for several more minutes. Finally, my 18 year old hero emerges from a back store room, and asks if he can help me. "Yes," I said. " I am looking for some inexpensive .45 ACP ammunition." In response, my young friend looks at me blankly and says: "Um, I don't know much about ammunition. Which one is that?"
Ok, I can forgive ignorance. I realize not everyone has spent the better part of the past 4 decades shooting, training with, and working on, firearms. I am also aware of the fact that the general population views those of us who have done so as being weird. I'm OK with being weird. In my young clerk's defense, I'm certain he was infinitely conversant regarding the various basketballs, sunglasses, and athletic shoes, sold in other parts of the store.
So now I find myself having to help the person who is supposed to be helping me. I lean over the counter and point to the case while saying: "The .45 Auto ammo, right there." So what does my friend do? He opens the case, grabs the first box he lays his hand on, and slaps it on the counter. Of course it is a 20 round box of premium defensive ammunition priced at over $30. Now, keep in mind that my patience is already wearing thin due to my endless wait at the counter, and having to have this kid paged; but it seems to me that even someone with NO ammunition knowledge could zero in on the fact that the customer said " inexpensive" ammunition, and the much bigger boxes in the case were less expensive than the little one he pulled out! But, I suppose I have to share some of the blame. The box he pulled out did say ".45 Auto" just like I said. The boxes beside it were marked ".45 Automatic" and that connection was clearly too great a leap for my friend.
Pressing on, I tell the clerk that I don't need ammo of that sort, and ask to see one of the "bigger green and white boxes" (I'm trying to keep it simple for him). So now he reaches back into the case and produces one of the 50 round boxes of Remington/UMC 230 grain FMJ's. The price is $23.99. Ok, not bad. I was hoping to catch a sale for $19.99 or so, but I can live with this. Still, I needed 100 rounds. So I ask my young friend to pull out one of the bigger green and white boxes; and here is where things really start to go awry. I should point out that the clerk seemed ever so slightly miffed when I hadn't just taken the first box he pulled out and gone away. I'm not sure what was going on in the store room, but it must have been far more interesting than me.
So now he pulls out one of the 100 round boxes of the Remington/UMC. keep in mind that the 50 round box was $23.99. So how much is the 100 round box of the same exact stuff? $59.99. Whoa! This can't be right. If anything, the 100 round box should be a little less than twice the price of the 50 round box. Believing the box to be mismarked, I pointed out the price discrepancy to the adolescent math-whiz behind the counter. His response? Rather dissmissively: "Well, I don't price it."
At this point, I'm starting to feel like I'm the butt of some kind of joke. So I tell the youngster: "Fine, I'll just take two of the 50 round boxes." Nope. You guessed it. The one already on the counter is the last one in the store. Becoming more annoyed by the second, I noticed that there was another 100 round box still in the case. I asked to see that one just to see if it was marked at the same price as the other one. Now, my young friend turns back to the case, and looks at the shelf below the one HE HAS TAKEN EVERY OTHER BOX FROM, and says: "That one is .38 Special."
"No, Einstein," I think to myself. "it's on the next shelf up," I actually said.
This time he gets it right, and Lo and behold, the other box is priced at $43.99. Ok, finally. So I grab that box before anything can happen to it, and again point out the price disparity on the other box (now with even more evidence). So what does our hero do? Does he call the problem to the attention of a manager? Does he set the mismarked box off to the side until it can be re-priced? No. He puts all the ammo back in the case so the mismarked box can be sold to the next unwitting customer, and then stumps off back toward the store room, acting like I'm some kind of jerk!
Caveat emptor, folks. Caveat emptor
HRF
You had fair warning.
This is one of those things that is becoming ever so common in an era where actual gun shops are being replaced by chain sporting goods stores that happen to also sell guns and ammunition.
I find myself in need of some .45 ACP ammo. Nothing particularly special, just 100 rounds or so of reliable ball fodder to help break in a new 1911. I chose the store in question due to the fact that it usually has fairly good ammo prices, especially if you happen to catch a sale. That's the good news. This store is arranged so the "hunting" section is located in the far back corner (Why is that? Are they ashamed they have to carry firearms, ammunition, and hunting gear for the local redneck population?) Anyway, the rifle, shotgun, and rimfire ammo is all situated on shelves in isles where customers can select what they want (An arrangement I much prefer, as opposed to having to rely on someone else to pick out ammo for me). Conversely, the handgun ammunition is in a locked case behind a counter where it can only be accessed by an employee. From my side of the counter, I can see several boxes of .45 ammo, to include both 50 and 100 round boxes of Remington/UMC that should meet my needs quite well. What I can't see, of course, is the price of any of the ammo in the case. So now I stand there like an idiot and wait for someone to help me. And I wait, and I wait, AND I WAIT!
Finally, when it appears unlikely that anyone will ever appear behind the counter, I walk all the way back to the front of the store where I locate the only visible employee in the building behind one of the cash registers. I approach him and ask if someone can assist me at the gun counter. Without ever even looking up at me, this pilgrim grunts: "uh huh." He then calls over the in-store intercom for someone to meet me.
Now I again make my way back to the hunting department, and wait for several more minutes. Finally, my 18 year old hero emerges from a back store room, and asks if he can help me. "Yes," I said. " I am looking for some inexpensive .45 ACP ammunition." In response, my young friend looks at me blankly and says: "Um, I don't know much about ammunition. Which one is that?"
Ok, I can forgive ignorance. I realize not everyone has spent the better part of the past 4 decades shooting, training with, and working on, firearms. I am also aware of the fact that the general population views those of us who have done so as being weird. I'm OK with being weird. In my young clerk's defense, I'm certain he was infinitely conversant regarding the various basketballs, sunglasses, and athletic shoes, sold in other parts of the store.
So now I find myself having to help the person who is supposed to be helping me. I lean over the counter and point to the case while saying: "The .45 Auto ammo, right there." So what does my friend do? He opens the case, grabs the first box he lays his hand on, and slaps it on the counter. Of course it is a 20 round box of premium defensive ammunition priced at over $30. Now, keep in mind that my patience is already wearing thin due to my endless wait at the counter, and having to have this kid paged; but it seems to me that even someone with NO ammunition knowledge could zero in on the fact that the customer said " inexpensive" ammunition, and the much bigger boxes in the case were less expensive than the little one he pulled out! But, I suppose I have to share some of the blame. The box he pulled out did say ".45 Auto" just like I said. The boxes beside it were marked ".45 Automatic" and that connection was clearly too great a leap for my friend.
Pressing on, I tell the clerk that I don't need ammo of that sort, and ask to see one of the "bigger green and white boxes" (I'm trying to keep it simple for him). So now he reaches back into the case and produces one of the 50 round boxes of Remington/UMC 230 grain FMJ's. The price is $23.99. Ok, not bad. I was hoping to catch a sale for $19.99 or so, but I can live with this. Still, I needed 100 rounds. So I ask my young friend to pull out one of the bigger green and white boxes; and here is where things really start to go awry. I should point out that the clerk seemed ever so slightly miffed when I hadn't just taken the first box he pulled out and gone away. I'm not sure what was going on in the store room, but it must have been far more interesting than me.
So now he pulls out one of the 100 round boxes of the Remington/UMC. keep in mind that the 50 round box was $23.99. So how much is the 100 round box of the same exact stuff? $59.99. Whoa! This can't be right. If anything, the 100 round box should be a little less than twice the price of the 50 round box. Believing the box to be mismarked, I pointed out the price discrepancy to the adolescent math-whiz behind the counter. His response? Rather dissmissively: "Well, I don't price it."
At this point, I'm starting to feel like I'm the butt of some kind of joke. So I tell the youngster: "Fine, I'll just take two of the 50 round boxes." Nope. You guessed it. The one already on the counter is the last one in the store. Becoming more annoyed by the second, I noticed that there was another 100 round box still in the case. I asked to see that one just to see if it was marked at the same price as the other one. Now, my young friend turns back to the case, and looks at the shelf below the one HE HAS TAKEN EVERY OTHER BOX FROM, and says: "That one is .38 Special."
"No, Einstein," I think to myself. "it's on the next shelf up," I actually said.
This time he gets it right, and Lo and behold, the other box is priced at $43.99. Ok, finally. So I grab that box before anything can happen to it, and again point out the price disparity on the other box (now with even more evidence). So what does our hero do? Does he call the problem to the attention of a manager? Does he set the mismarked box off to the side until it can be re-priced? No. He puts all the ammo back in the case so the mismarked box can be sold to the next unwitting customer, and then stumps off back toward the store room, acting like I'm some kind of jerk!
Caveat emptor, folks. Caveat emptor
HRF
How come you didn't buy it, it was more than twice as good as the 50 round box, right?
