Very entertaining (and some cringeworthy) tales; keep 'em coming!
THE BOINGER BASH AT QUIGLEY HOLLOW. MAKING GREAT MEMORIES SINCE 15th JUNE, 2013.
NEXT EVENT :- May 17/18, 2025.........BOING!!
Currently looking for Baikal Makarov pistols with the following prefixes to the serial number: 98, T01,
Prefer boxed or cased but will consider loose examples too.
One of the first RFD’s that I ever visited (established since the 70’s) did exactly the same with a HW80 right in front of me![]()
It completely put me off them at the time but a good few years later I thought about giving them another chance so I returned with a potential scope purchase, however they had the nerve to remove ‘free’ manufactures mounts from scope deals and proceeded to sell the mounts separately whilst retaining the original RRP on the scope now minus free mounts![]()
The strange thing is my uncle was a good customer of there’s (spent thousands) and no amount of chat/arguing was getting anywhere plus they really had a knack of being reet miserable barstools….
Needless to say I’ve never returned or bought anything from them.
Do you sell that special gun diesel?
"But we have our own dream and our own task. We are with Europe, but not of it. We are linked, but not comprised. We are interested and associated, but not absorbed."
Winston Churchill 1930
Few amusing stories I encountered whilst working at an RFD briefly about 15 years ago.
Customer was interested in purchasing a pcp but was concerned about the costs of recharging. Crunching the numbers with the customer it turned out he thought that once the divers bottle was empty he had to buy a new oneno wonder he thought it was going to be rather expensive
We’ve all heard the usual Billy bull stories about ranges and crazy power had a few of them but I remember one chap claiming some outrageous things about his long range antics so as he was looking at scopes I asked him what he thought the rough range was to a certain landmark out the shop window yep he was totally full of it.. a 30m landmark is not 100m away
Talking of scopes one chap was struggling with a scope he had recently bought so running through the obvious I asked him to bring his rifle in so I could just double check everything for him yep you guessed it the scope was mounted with the elevation turret to the left and windage on the top
One chap wanted a sling stud fitting which was no problem told him to bring the rifle down when I discovered he had already tried as there was three holes in the cheek piece FFS![]()
Another one I remember although not really amusing as it was more concerning
We had a fairly big batch order of the usual SMK stuff think it was at least 20 break barrel rifles maybe more and everyone of them when Chrono testing was either over or dangerously close to the limit
The whole order had to be sent back to the supplier![]()
One of the perks was always with the reps that frequented.
I remember when the Prestige Kub had just come out and the rep gave me a kub demonstrator to tryout down my local club as he wanted feedback on it.
It was absolutely awful and had many flaws, I gave the rep a detailed report on my findings and never did hear back from him
Just noticed I’ve still got the report on my emails![]()
Following the Bosnian/Croatian wars, a buy back scheme was introduced to get the AK's out of circulation. My son was working for a dealer, involved, they were in crates, & my son said roughly every 3rd one had a live round up the spout.....
Fill probes was another one as I’ve seen a few that had knackered chewed up o rings that would never seal properly to a chap constantly blowing the buddy bottle seal on his rapid until I showed him that if he burped the action first it will save his buddy bottle o ring.
Not only the probes o rings but even the whip line to probe fitting not fitted right and air pissing out the connection.
The best one was a chap with a used ultra that couldn’t fill it turned out there was no o rings on the probe at all FFS![]()
Last year I went to collect a BSA break barrel from a dealer near the bash.
It started badly as I took the dog in whilst a few shotguns were being fired outside. She dragged me in past reception and upstairs looking like something off some mothers do 'ave 'em, then nearly stole the assistants sandwich.
I went over to the till to pay and asked if I could shoulder an over and under standing next to it.
I pointed it at a wall away from us then instinctively pulled the trigger. IT CLICKED
I still shudder now in case it had been left loaded but thank goodness the lad did his job properly.
I must say I am impressed by how light and shoulderable it felt and will go back as a guest clay shoot sometime when they've had time to forget about me.
Is shoulderable a proper word?
The more I think I know, the more I realise the less I know.
Talking of scopes one chap was struggling with a scope he had recently bought so running through the obvious I asked him to bring his rifle in so I could just double check everything for him yep you guessed it the scope was mounted with the elevation turret to the left and windage on the top
I confess, I did this many years ago - but sussed it within a few minutes - didn't take it to a dealer!
Bru
Webley Mk3 x2, Falcon & Junior rifles, HW35x2, AirSporter x2, Gold Star, Meteors x2, Diana 25. SMK B19, Webley Senior, Premier, Hurricane x 2, Tempest, Dan Wesson 8", Crosman 3576, Legends PO8. Kral Puncher K.