Sunday Stories #1 The Valentines Day 700

So, I got laid low with a stomach bug. And then we lost two guys at work. So, that's what happened during my four day hiatus. You didn't miss anything. And now back to our regularly scheduled gun blogging.

Gun blogging ain't all hot chicks and free gun. It's an old computer and dead trees for research

So, the above was my attempt to both work from home on Sunday and watch the Braves. Neither of which did very well. But anyway, on to our story:

Valentine's Day 2016, Gander Mountain #309

It was about the mid point of my shift. I had opened that day, and was pulling a double. Meaning I would leave the store around 1900 or so, give or take. Which had thrown a wrench into my V-Day shopping plans. However, in exchange for a Frosty, the perky cheerleader who worked part time as our cashier said she would take my card and run across to Target for me. Thus allowing to continue selling guns. Gotta chase that dollar.

So, with Anna off spending my money for Jackie, I was left to my own devices. Being Valentines Day, we were kinda slow, mainly couples browsing or boyfriends picking up some .380 as a bag filler. I'm actually playing with our big game ammo day dreaming of charging cape buffalo when I get the ever popular
"Do you work here?" from a well dressed, slightly flustered lady. 

No, I just wear the vest to carry snacks. 

"Yes ma'am, I do. What can I help you with?"
"I want to buy my husband a rifle."
"Great, what kind?"
"A Remington 700."
At which point my heart sank just a tad. At that point, at my best guest Remington, had over 100 different variants of the 700 cataloged. At store #309 we had around thirty variants on the rack, give or take.
"What kind?"
"Black?"

Internally, I wished to be back working for the Boy Scouts, back jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, back in the fraternity house sweating over constitutional law, but no, I was at Gander Mountain wearing a stupid vest, about to hunt for the perfect "black" 700.

As an aside, unless you are parachuting into Pakistan to kill the current Number Two of Al-Queda, buy a rifle with a walnut stock. Or I will mentally call you a peasant.

We finally, find her a rifle that sorta meets her hazy recollection of what her husband wanted, and she asked the question every gun salesman since Colt looked at a ship's helm loves to hear,
"What else do I need with it?"

"Well, ma'am, you bought a nice rifle. A really nice rifle. You're gonna need a Leupold scope, rings, bases, three boxes of Federal Premium with Sierra bullets, a soft case, a sling, oh, and we're running a special on bi-pods."

Okay, so maybe, just maybe, I kitted this guys rifle up like something Chris Kyle would nod approvingly at.

I happily ran her background check, swiped her credit card, and walked her out the store. And then inwardly cringed when Anna got back and gave me debit card and a Target sack. No 700s in my immediate future.

Even though this beauty will be coming home with me in 30 days

Coming up this week, we'll look at General Clay and how we won the Cold War. We'll take a look at the Ruger American Predator in 6.5 Creedmoor as I decide to embrace a new caliber. The "little sister gun" we'll get a day in the lime light. We'll talk about pocket pistols and flash lights. And we'll see how the Braves are looking on Sunday. Thanks for stopping buy.