Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Working in a Gun Store

It came to me in a moment of divine inspiration, like Jake blues getting the band back together: Go get a second job at a gun store.

At first, I was really excited, much like a kid in a candy store, but then I got to thinking - is this really all that much fun?

I mean, there are a bunch of non-fun things to consider, not the least of which is the ATF.

You've got Mall Ninjas to deal with, and I don't suffer fools well.

The possibility of being held up is really scary, because anyone crazy enough to try it is crazy enough to shoot everyone in sight.

Then there's the money situation. How much do I stand to make? I'm pretty sure the real money is in commission, and being the new guy, would I get a shot at any good sales?

Of course, the upside is plain to see. Being around like-minded people in an environment that can be described as nirvana to a gun nut. Getting the inside scoop from gun industry folks, employee pricing on guns, ammo and other stuff, checking out new offerings like the one I'll be shooting soon (see next post) all seem worth it.

What sort of experiences have you all had out there? I'd love to hear from ya.

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4 comments:

Alan said...

You should talk to Tam about working in a gun store.

Rustmeister said...

Yeah, I'm hoping to get her input.

Don said...

Tamara says you should never take what you love and turn it into a job. I don't think it went well for her.

For what it's worth, my dad worked as a factory mechanic for over 20 years, and when they closed the plant and moved it south, he took his savings and opened Gwinn's Guns and Tackle.

He planned on profitability after five years. As the third year was about halfway over, he began turning a profit, but it was about that point that he decided he couldn't deal with the public anymore. We had an auction, paid off the bank (selling guns across a counter is for suckers--people pay twice as much at auction and never bat an eye) and today he works for the city pouring concrete, plowing snow and cutting brush. And he's happy at it.

Anonymous said...

I don't know of any gun shops that pay their salespeople on commission. Most of the countermonkeys (and I'm an ex-countermonkey) make something like $8/hr and sell guns part-time, as a second job.