Sharpshooter's/Gilbert's off 7100

[chfaunce]

Guess I'm just lucky...

I'm pretty lucky, too. Been going there on and off for 3 or 4 years now, and I've not had a bad experience. My wife has been in there a few times with me to peruse and shoot, and they've not treated her any differently. We've actually experienced more attitude in our local bike (bicycle) shop.

In every instance where I was looking to purchase a firearm, they were very helpful and very patient - I'm prone to analysis paralysis. If I were selling a firearm to me, I'd pretty much be like "When you're farking ready to make a decision..."

I will say that the range is now a LOT better than it was when they were Gilberts - not that I need lots o' frills. I buy things like cleaning supplies there, as well as my targets, and I think I've bought a couple of holsters as well as a speedloader for my magazines. Sure, I could probably have paid a little less online, but I'm one of those instant gratification people.

Still buy my ammo at Wally-Mart - prices can't be beat if you can find what you need on the shelf.

I'm not here to plug Sharpshooters - just saying that I've had decent experiences there. Your mileage may vary. Speaking of mileage, the 10 or 15 minute drive from my house is also a HUGE appeal.

[Diomed]

Since steel core 9mm is forbidden from commercial importation (or domestic manufacture), yeah, it's pretty unlikely.

Cite?

Armor piercing ammunition is (relevantly) defined at 18 USC 921(a)(17)(b)(i), and is forbidden from manufacture or import at 18 USC 922(a)(7). Steel core pistol ammo meets the statutory definition of AP ammo.

[zephyp]

Guess I'm just lucky...

I'm pretty lucky, too. Been going there on and off for 3 or 4 years now, and I've not had a bad experience. My wife has been in there a few times with me to peruse and shoot, and they've not treated her any differently. We've actually experienced more attitude in our local bike (bicycle) shop.

In every instance where I was looking to purchase a firearm, they were very helpful and very patient - I'm prone to analysis paralysis. If I were selling a firearm to me, I'd pretty much be like "When you're farking ready to make a decision..."

I will say that the range is now a LOT better than it was when they were Gilberts - not that I need lots o' frills. I buy things like cleaning supplies there, as well as my targets, and I think I've bought a couple of holsters as well as a speedloader for my magazines. Sure, I could probably have paid a little less online, but I'm one of those instant gratification people.

Still buy my ammo at Wally-Mart - prices can't be beat if you can find what you need on the shelf.

I'm not here to plug Sharpshooters - just saying that I've had decent experiences there. Your mileage may vary. Speaking of mileage, the 10 or 15 minute drive from my house is also a HUGE appeal.

Yup, I'm about 10-15 minutes if I take backlick south...

[chfaunce]

Yeah, I'm really trying to take more and more secondary roads these days - I'm one of those people that have some unnecessary urge to get onto an interstate for no good reason - drives the wife batty. Lots of time spent sitting on 495 in awkward silence.

[zephyp]

Yeah, I'm really trying to take more and more secondary roads these days - I'm one of those people that have some unnecessary urge to get onto an interstate for no good reason - drives the wife batty. Lots of time spent sitting on 495 in awkward silence.

And thats why Al Gore invented the iPod and audio books...along with global warming, climate change, and of course the internets...

[CowboyT]

Well Cowboy. You and I look like the lone wolves **whoooo howl** and maybe one more.

Reminds me of the time I had a real butthole for a boss. Everyone else really like him and thought he was a nice guy. Not to me though...no matter what I did I stayed in the dog house.

I'll stick with Sharpshooters unless they start treating me like that old boss did.

Same here.

BTW, got a new li'l surprise for you to try out when you get back. Should bring back memories.

[chfaunce]

And thats why Al Gore invented the iPod and audio books...along with global warming, climate change, and of course the internets...

Yeah, I don't have one of those iPod inputs in the car, and I'm too cheap to invest in a new stereo. Actually, I'm not cheap, I'd rather just blow my money elsewhere on other things

[zephyp]

@Cowboy - Hey, I look forward to that. We're leaving in the morning for 8 days and 7 nights along the Shenandoah...cant wait...I can feel those smallmouths tugging on my line already...

@chfaunce - I use a cassette insert that plugs into the iPod. Costs about $10 on Amazon and works great...much cheaper and better sound quality than those pesky FM transmitters...all you need is the cassette deck and an iPod...

[gunderwood]

@chfaunce - I use a cassette insert that plugs into the iPod. Costs about $10 on Amazon and works great...much cheaper and better sound quality than those pesky FM transmitters...all you need is the cassette deck and an iPod...

So you have to use ancient tech to get your ipod hooked up to the car.

Disclaimer: I don't have an ipod or similar device, don't want one, and have no way to hook it up to any of my auto-mobiles.

[chfaunce]

@chfaunce - I use a cassette insert that plugs into the iPod. Costs about $10 on Amazon and works great...much cheaper and better sound quality than those pesky FM transmitters...all you need is the cassette deck and an iPod...

So you have to use ancient tech to get your ipod hooked up to the car.

Disclaimer: I don't have an ipod or similar device, don't want one, and have no way to hook it up to any of my auto-mobiles.

I'm totally screwed - I don't have a cassette deck, either. When I bought the car (2003 Subeast Outback), I thought the 6-CD changer was a pretty big deal. Heated seats weren't so bad, either.

Fortunately, it's not that big a deal to me - it'd be nice to have, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I do have an iPod, though - I was wayyyy behind the curve buying it (by years!), though I really only use it at the gym when I'm on the stationary bike or something. And I will say that is has it's benefits - it's a lot easier to carry around than a Walkman, and it's really nice to have hundreds of songs / artists / albums all on one device. That, and I get to feel trendy, if only temporarily. The downside: it's pretty small, so I can see myself losing it really easily.

I refuse to get one of those *&%#ing iPhones, though. Ha!

[Taggure]

it's a lot easier to carry around than a Walkman, and it's really nice to have hundreds of songs / artists / albums all on one device

You just showed your age there

[chfaunce]

D'oh!

[zephyp]

@chfaunce - I use a cassette insert that plugs into the iPod. Costs about $10 on Amazon and works great...much cheaper and better sound quality than those pesky FM transmitters...all you need is the cassette deck and an iPod...

So you have to use ancient tech to get your ipod hooked up to the car.

Disclaimer: I don't have an ipod or similar device, don't want one, and have no way to hook it up to any of my auto-mobiles.

Yep. Hey iPods are handy...music..pictures. My favorites though are audio books...great for the commute and exercising...I'm "reading" ISniper right now. Its pretty good. You can also load podcasts...and there are a bunch. You just subscribe to your favorite news, sports, language lesson, synch up and go.

[jrswanson1]

I go to Sharpshooters once a month for parts. Most of the guys there know my face. I've purchased 3 firearms from them, plus lots of AR parts. The old guy and the guy with the mustache are pretty easy to work with. The Spanish guy is kind of funny, and he's into 3-Gun so he's cool. The heavy guy seems to be the smart ass, and the youngster is there for the employee discount. The older lady is the manager, I don't interact with her much. The ROs there are younger than the sales folks, they like shooting. It's a typical Northern Virginia retail experience.

Jim

[nova]

I've been going to Gilberts and have been a member since 2005. The people there know me and are always nice. Sometimes there's no chit chat, others when it's not busy it's the opposite. They get a lot of idiots coming in there who know nothing about guns and have never heard about gun safety. They have to deal with the people their sister company Ares brings in for armed guard training. I go there to shoot at least every week so I guess they see me often enough they aren't concerned with me doing something stupid.

[CowboyT]

Nova's experience pretty much equals mine. Apparently they figure that if you're there on a regular basis, you're serious, and that's good.

The RO's aren't total Nazis, but they do focus on range safety rules. For example, when DK and I went shooting recently, there was a German family there, clearly pretty new shooters, with whom I was talking. They liked my SRH and we let 'em take a few shots w/ the "Magnum" rounds. They definitely liked it.

HOWEVER...being nice folks and wanting to show off their firearms too, they forgot the rule about not taking firearms out of the lane booth. and they ended up sweeping the range with an empty (slide was back, I could see it) 9mm semi. DK and I told them "PLEASE point it THAT way!", meaning downrange, and we were reaching with our hands to get 'em pointed as such. Both RO's were already in motion to charge on in, but the family got the message pretty quickly, and the RO's saw that we got 'em straightened out. The RO's did come in, just the same, to talk w/ them, but they could now do so in a more relaxed manner. They were polite, but very firm nonetheless, as was proper to be. Total professionals. The family got the message and didn't repeat that mistake.

[zephyp]

The ROs at Sharpshooters are actually OK guys. You just have to show a little diplomacy and chat with them. Same as anything or anywhere else - a little chat and hand shake goes a long way. If you simply march in there like you own the place and peer at them with contempt you might leave thinking they are little nazis...

[IanMcC]

I Like how everyone pisses and moans about how we operate at Sharpshooters, we operate as a range should. Blue ridge is just a bunch of people just working there to get the employee deals. We probley have the best employees there, everyone has the knowledge on different things, we have an AR excpert who has been dealing with them since he was in the military, we have a 1911 expert who breaths, sleeps and lives 1911s. we are the only range in in the Metro area that has a range and dosnt charge out the ass, i have shot at Silver eagle, Blue Ridge and of course the NRA Range. Also the range has been updated, probley not the best equipment, and its not ou fault the company who put it in left us high and dry and not teaching us on how to fix the problem, i have had to teach myself on how to fix everything. so lets all be big boys and grow up if you dont like it and think you know EVERYTHING how about you buy some property and start your own gun range and see how long you last cause i know we've been there since 1986 longer then alot of the stores and ranges in virginia, and thats all i got to say. sincerley your weekday rangemaster

[popgunn]

I guess it's all about what you expect when you walk thru the door. I've purchased rifles, handguns and a shotgun from them over the years and never experienced a personell problem. Their gunsmith has done some repair work for me and did an excellent trigger/timing job on a S&W 617 for me.
I wanted a Browning XS Sporting with a great piece of wood and I was in no hurry to get one. I prowled all the gunshops, Gander MT., Green Top, Clark Bros. etc - looking for "my gun", and probably driving a lot of sales people nuts. Finally Ernie at Gilbert's, (a former employee) called me and said that he had what I was looking for - did he ever! - and the price was slightly negotiable.
I haven't had a good experience at Blue Ridge yet! Clark Bros. make me feel like just another one of the great unwashed and I haven't had a good experience there since the old man died and "Big John" left.
Guns N Ammo, and Va Arms in Manassas as well as Hatfield Gunsmith are great places to do business. They all provide good customer service. No.Va. Gunworks has a couple of the best pistolsmiths in the country and have provided the expertize to make parts for me, and do some great tune-ups for many of the top competition shooters in the area.

[tursiops]

There is nothing that turns me off faster than a business bad-mouthing a competitor, especially in writing. Nice job, IanMcC. You tell others to be big boys and grow up? Try it yourself.