M1 carbine at local big 5 with idiot clerk

[dfxjedi]

looked at a m1 carbine at a local big 5 store,all the metal (reciever,action,barrel) seemed to be in good condition,the stock was really dented and pitted and the upper hand guard was about ready to fall off,but could probably be restored with some work.
The price was/is $999.99 which seemed like a whole lot to me,but could be the usual price for one of those carbines(i'm not familiar with the usual price of these).

Is $999.99 a good price or is it too much?

The guy that was in the gun department just happened to be a complete idiot in the ways of gun handling.
He got the gun off of the shelf,didn't even check to see if it was loaded/unloaded and on top of that pointed the barrel right at me!!

Needless to say I gave him a earfull about how stupid he was/is around guns and how he has no business being around guns if he doesn't even know how to propperly handle them.

After I was done looking at the guns I turned my attention towards the knives and let the customer that had just walked in the store after that incedent take my place at looking at the guns.
The other guy asked to see a over/under shotgun,the clerk broke open the barrel like he's supposed to do,but while he was handing it over the counter sideways he happened to aim the barrel at me again!!! Boy,that'll get your adrinalin going.
Luckily the customer decided to let the clerk know about how stupid he is in handling guns.

[Shaun]

you can get the same thing if not in better condition from cmp for $419. try checking out www.odcmp.org

[oldjarhead]

That's too much for the condition described. CMP is the best place to go unless your looking for an exemplary wall hanger that you just want to look at, then Fulton Armory or MilTech.

[toolman]

Big 5 is pretty stupid on some of their gun prices unless they have a sale, and then their prices are pretty reasonable.

[.22guy]

That is way too much for a M1-Carbine in that kind of shape. Look into CMP, but you'd better hurry.

[rfc357]

Don't expect much from minimum wage clerks. The male clerks in my local Big 5 are pretty ignorant about guns. However, there is a young lady who knows a bit. She had only shot .22s. I convinced her to buy a Mauser, and now she is hooked on big bore. She is skipping lunch to save money for ammo. Is this a great country or what?

[Windwalker]

Greatest Country in the world. Please help keep it that way.

[mosineer]

Yep, the price and the clerk are way out of line and as all have agreed, CMP is a good way to go. Gunbroker .com has better deals than that. Good luck and hope youn find a good one. They are great little firearms....

*****************************************************
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing

[dfxjedi]

Last year I got some info in the mail from CMP and from what I saw the prices were great,but seemed like it's kinda a hassle to buy from them.

[jimb2]

I think the the "hassle" is definately worth the several hundred dollars you save on many of the rifles. Once you qualify, you only need to do a minimum of updating, like sending in your club renewal if you go into another year. Its worth the money too when you consider that they ship right to your door. No hassle or extra expense of going through a dealer to receive it.

[oldjarhead]

The "hassel" will take you perhaps an hour or two to deal with. You only have to resubmit every 3 years except, like Jmb2 states, the annual resubmission of the club affiliation proof. The prices are good and the customer relations/service are beyond compare with any other outfit I've ever dealt with. Like the old saying, "try it, you'll like it" and if you don't the only things lost is a little time and 41 cents.

[Semislinger]

I went to my local Big-5 and they had one with a sign qualifing the high price by stating how special it was that they had a limited number of these carbines. The rifles are very well worn. I didn't dare ask to see it after the story above. To make matters worse they were selling 50 round boxes of UMC .30 carbine ammo for $38.

[nathangdad]

Too expensive as you can find many better quality guns in Shotgun News, etc. Also, if you check the reloading manuals and factory ballistics on the .30 carbine cartridge, you may not want the gun unless it is of special appeal to you. Beyond the carbine and a Ruger single action revolver chambered for the round it did not go over well in the private sector. It is easy to get upset with the help in stores but take into consideration most of them are minimum wage with little real training and nothing to look forward to if they do a good job but more minimum wage. Stores seem to settle for high turnover as opposed to retaining and
rewarding good employees. I went through all this when I had teenagers.

Note to Oldjarhead: I agree with your statements as to various manufacturers but again state the people you mention as going out of business, models no longer in production, etc. do buffer my viewpoint of guns/calibers not going over well in the private sector. Note the major ammunition firms that still produce the .30 carbine round do not produce a wide selection of bullet loadings, etc. for the round. Perhaps my concept of going over well in
the marketplace is more constrained than is your concept. But, that is o.k. as we are all different.

[oldjarhead]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

Beyond the carbine and a Ruger single action revolver chambered for the round it did not go over well in the private sector.

When Thompson Center came out with the Contender around 1968, one of the first accessory barrels they presented was in .30 Carbine.
Ruger has been producing its' Blackhawk in .30 Carbine for well over 40 years and still list it.
Irwindale Arms produced a 1911 format semi-automatic pistol chambered for the .30 Carb which is a great pistol and now in popular demand; unfortunately IAI has gone out of busness.
Iver Johnson produced a pistol based on the carbine called the Enforcer; pretty good seller until the government stepped in and 'requested' for them to discontinue production.
CMP has continually sold out within days of opening orders for the carbine.
It was, prior to the M-16, the most cloned military rifle ever.
So it must be well accepted in the private sector for some reason. You are correct to say the ballistics are not impressive for a long range shot but for a close-in (100-200 yds) source of protection it will serve the purpose. Light-weight, easy to handle, rapid deployment, good fire-power.
The one feature it lacks is a last shot bolt latch...I hate that final click and no bang.
I apoligize for the soap-box derby.

[squirrelbaster]

Originally Posted by nathangdad

Too expensive as you can find many better quality guns in Shotgun News, etc. Also, if you check the reloading manuals and factory ballistics on the .30 carbine cartridge, you may not want the gun unless it is of special appeal to you. Beyond the carbine and a Ruger single action revolver chambered for the round it did not go over well in the private sector. It is easy to get upset with the help in stores but take into consideration most of them are minimum wage with little real training and nothing to look forward to if they do a good job but more minimum wage. Stores seem to settle for high turnover as opposed to retaining and
rewarding good employees. I went through all this when I had teenagers.

Note to Oldjarhead: I agree with your statements as to various manufacturers but again state the people you mention as going out of business, models no longer in production, etc. do buffer my viewpoint of guns/calibers not going over well in the private sector. Note the major ammunition firms that still produce the .30 carbine round do not produce a wide selection of bullet loadings, etc. for the round. Perhaps my concept of going over well in
the marketplace is more constrained than is your concept. But, that is o.k. as we are all different.

i understand minimum wage but there is NO excuse to ever point a gun at someone unless in selfdefence and i DO include ignorance