Buying guns as a lady......

[RHenriksen]

Had a chance to educate a dealer at the gun show today about the slide stop issues with the older model Walther PPS and also the difference (besides the model number ) between the standard and MA models. My husband just stood back and smiled. Kinda cool.

Heck, educate me, please! I had a slide stop problem with my 3-4 year old PPS. Is there an update?

[Songbird]

Those with a date code of BA or before had the old slide stop. Evidently, Walther switched to the new one sometime during 2010 (BA). The ones with a date code of BB or BC have the "new & improved" slide stop. Here is a VERY lengthy thread on the subject from the Walther. That's where I learned everything I know! Can't take credit for being smart on my own! Did you send yours back to get it fixed? There are great comparison pics of the old and new ones on the thread.
http://www.waltherforums.com/forum/pps/ ... -stop.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[loblolly]

I walked out of my local Academy and never looked back. The women behind the counter where I finally bought mine was great.

[leftyonly]

Standing at Academy in Tomball, talking with my wife about 380's. I explained to her the the little Rugers were double action only, and the Sig P238 was a single action. The nitwit behind the counter piped up to correct me and let me know the P238 was DA/SA.... Huh

....I explained to him that he was mistaken. He handed me the P238 to look at while he rushed over to his computer, eager look it up on the internet and prove me wrong...he found out otherwise and sheepishly admitted his error...

[randomoutburst]

When I was shopping for my S&W 60 I encountered a guy who said, "Oh you don't want that. How about this nice little Airweight in .38 special?"
I replied, "I don't want a .38 special. I want a .357 for a reason."
"Well, ladies can't really handle .357 that well."
"Do you have a 60 or not?"
"No, we don't, but I can show you these .38 specials --"
"Have a nice day." And I left. Didn't go back, either.

When I recently bought my Sig P238, my sales guy (and the Sig rep) were very kind. The Sig guy tentatively asked me if I wanted to see the pink one when the others didn't satisfy me and I laughed at him. He smiled and said, "Didn't think so."
A sales guy who had been observing while I filled out paperwork followed me into the holster aisle when I was searching for one I could use to carry at work and asked, "Oh, looking for a holster? We don't really have purse holsters."
I looked at him, looked down at my sides and then said with a smile, "Does it look like I carry a purse?"
"Oh. Huh. Well, where do you carry?"
"On my hip."
"Oh. Uh, well, we have some belt holsters here..."
"Yeah, I think I've found what I want."
"Okay. Well, uh, thanks."

The guys at the place where I got my Sig are pretty lady-friendly (Sharp Shooters in Lubbock for any ladies in the area) but that one guy had obviously seen many ladies try to get a small little cute gun to carry in their purse. Can't blame him, really. Every lady in there was woefully uneducated in everything gun-related. I took to talking to a couple of them, explaining that for home defense they shouldn't get a small gun if their hands fit a bigger gun. Bigger gun in the same caliber = less noticeable recoil which = better handling. In general, of course, YMMV. I told them they should go to a range (or find friends willing to let her shoot their guns) and test out as many as they can before buying. They stared at me with wide eyes, probably wondering why a girl my age knows that much about guns.

I kind of want to get my instructor's permit and teach ladies' CHL classes. And basic gun safety courses, too. With only one range out here, though, I don't know how well that would work since they don't allow outside instructors to use the range for qualifying.

I was telling my husband that instead of finding a degree-relevant job (since that's not working out so well) we should open a gun range of our own. I'd love that. No capital, though. I'd love to start one and cater to women, offering women-only courses in addition to general courses just so these women aren't carrying around a weapon without knowing how to use them or even if they would use them!

[jimkellam]

WOW. I am NEVER going to Academy. Too many other REAL gun shops that are better.

[fickman]

A few months ago my female cousin asked me to go to Cabelas with her to pick out a gun for her and her husband. It was to be his Christmas present. She wanted me along for my opinion and to make sure the salesman didn't make her buy something she shouldn't. I was pleasantly surprised with the salesman. He was very knowledgeable, and didn't pressure her to buy anything she didn't like. He just said she should buy something that felt comfortable. She was on a bit of a budget and ended up buying him a Taurus Millenium Pro. In all, i didn't really have to do much except admire the guns i couldn't have and update my with list.

I believed this story until you claimed you were actually able to get the attention of a gun salesperson at Cabela's.



Still, it does sound like a nice story, if only it were possible in real life. lol

[OldCannon]

I believed this story until you claimed you were actually able to get the attention of a gun salesperson at Cabela's.

In the words of Larry the Cable Guy, "I don't care who you are, that right there is funny!"

[LSUTiger]

I've never bought guns as a lady, but I've helped a lady buy a gun.

My approach to helping a lady or anyone select a firearm is:

1. Don't make any assumptions about the buyer? There was an old lady at my CHL class who could shoot a .357 Mag revolver pretty darn good, so don't judge a book by it's cover.
2. Find out at what skill level the buyer is?
3. Find out for what purpose the gun is for?
4. Find out how commited or passionate the buyer is about firearms and learning how to use one.

For example:

I helped both my Wife and Mother select a type of gun a to buy and even recommend a few makes and models.

In both cases, I knew they had never fired a pistol before but wanted something simple to use for self/home defense and was not likely to shoot very much. So for them I recommend a 4", 6 shot .357 Mag revolver and for them to shoot .38spl or .38 spl+P.

I recommended the S&W, Ruger GP100 or SP101 or maybe something in a Taurus if cost/low level of use was a factor.

My wife has a 4" SS Taurus Tracker .357 Mag 7 shot w ported barrel that she loves and percieves the ported barrel to be of great benefit in reducing recoil. It was enought to get her in to shooting at all so I am happy. I do notice an occasional undesired flash with the ported barrel but my wife shoots with her eyes closed anyway so she doesn't mind at all My wife has since graduated to a Glock 19 and obtained her CHL. I am so proud. Now I want my own .357 mag and my own Glock 19. I am a .45ACP guy but I like them a lot.

My mother said she would get what she could afford even though I encouraged her to afford a little bit more for something better. She ended up getting a Rossi 3" 6 shot blued.357 Mag Model #R46103. She also bought some Federal Hydrashok .38spl low recoil ammo. I ended up getting her 2x100 round of UMC .38spl +P value packs because thats all they had on the shelf at the time, but that should tide her over until the apocalypse. She went all by herself to Academy and bought one. It was not the exact gun I would have bought for myself or wanted her to buy but it was better than her not buying any gun at all. The fact that she is now a gun owner is still quite a truly amazing accomplishment for her. I am so proud.

I could have bought something better for her but I know I would have just kept it for myself. ;)

But the moral of the story is to get the story behind the buyer.

[AtypicalChl]

Know that this is common and not personal,just simple chauvinism. Do business where you are treated with respect.

[baldeagle]

Reminds me of my daughter. When she graduated from college she had saved over $7000 in her bank account and decided it was time to buy a car. She went online, did her research and determined that the ideal time to go to the dealer was late in the evening on the last day of the month. She asked me to take her there and stay with her in case she needed my advice. She didn't. She beat up on that salesman so bad he had to leave and go get his manager to help him. When the manager came in, he said (looking straight at me), "I just wanted to see who was beating up on my salesman so bad."

I looked him in the eye and said, "Don't look at me. SHE'S doing all the negotiating. I'm just here to make sure she has a ride home if she can't make a deal. She drove home a brand new car at 15% off of list.

There's lot's of places where women get no respect at all, especially in places that once were considered men's territory.

Personally, I wouldn't put up with it. I'd call the manager and explain to him what happened right in front of the employee and tell him if he wants my business he'd better straighten out his employees.

[Wes]

When my girlfriend bought her first gun she was completely blown off by the cabelas salesman and I am one of those that won't argue or talk to a manager, I'll just take my business else where. Well, the cabelas manager overheard me speak up and say just that to the disrespectful salesman and walked with us to the front door. Surprisingly, I turned around and took a free case, free ammo, and a 10% discount with us when we bought the gun she wanted. Women do get the short end of the stick sometimes but there are still a few good guys left, only reason I still shop there to be honest.

[TexasGal]

Salesmen just need to be taught to tactfully inquire as to a lady's level of gun training before proceeding. It does get tiresome to have salespeople just assume over and over that you know absolutely zero about guns just because you are a girl. I will never be a swat instructor, but I am past needing someone to describe to me in detail what a fanny pack is starting with "a gun goes in it..." Just ask me first if I am a novice or have some knowledge. It's not that hard. I do know people are not telepathic. I am green on lots of things and may want an explanation on something. Just ask me. Talk to me in normal English. Don't talk to me like I'm three years old. And if I want an explanation, please be courageous enough to admit if you don't know either. I'd rather get no info than the wrong info.

[RPBrown]

It seems to me that at least in the Acadamy stores, the sales people at the gun counter are usually young guys (25 or under) that want you to think they know more about guns than you do. Problem with is. In a lot of cases they are working there while in school and want to show how smart they think they are. It is sad that they recieve very little to no training on the products they are selling much less how to treat a customer.

[Ruger3]

My husband has experienced it with me first hand twice now. Once at a local gun shop that I will not set foot in again, we walked in and salesperson/owner asked if he could help us, I answered and he said he'd be right with us (he was helping another customer). Gets finished with customer and comes over and asks my husband what he wanted to look at, I spoke up and told him what I wanted - after all I was the one that was going to be buying. He just flat out ignored me and I walked out with hubby right behind me.

Had a lady at Academy keep telling me the ammo I was asking for behind the counter was "critical defense" and I kept telling her I knew that and that was what I wanted. She finally did give it to me but I was about to ask for someone else.

Almost all of my business goes to Unique Guns now. Everyone in there has treated me with respect and has been very helpful whether my husband is with me or not, I have no problem going in there alone. Highly recommend them.