Shops other than Gunstop

[1911fan]

Give john a second chance, his manner is often to walk away from the customer while they are talking as he is taking you to the area where you need to get what he has decided you need. I am used to it, most others are too, I am pretty darn sure that he was not "not interested in helping" but actually on the way to show you what he thought he had that could help you.

If you are willing to risk the trip again, any one of us would be willing to meet up and offer to help.

[justaguy]

Maybe it was the suit I was wearing since I'd just done a funeral at Fort Snelling. And thanks for assuming I'm a bad customer whoever said that. Actually, kinda funny. In my line of work, we call those folks EGR's. Extra Grace Required. I'm not that guy. Either way, I couldn't even get to the point of asking what I would need to get started, he just didn't seem to have time. No worries, I'll just give another shop a try...

Do what you feel is right its your money and if some other clowns like going there great, you dont. Giving another shop a try its not a terrible idea. I have only talked to this John guy a couple times. I think the guy is **** hilarious, but everyone thinks I'm a prick so that might not be a good thing. Watching people that dont seem to know him interact with him is what I call entertainment.

I have noticed that when its slow he will BS more. If its busy he is in a hurry and cuts to the chase, and you need to be prepared.

Am I the only one that finds it amusing that people from this forum are giving others advice on sucking it up and growing some balls.

[mnglocker]

Bring a well behaved bird dog with, or a small kid. You'll be in good graces automatically.

[Shipyard]

i'm new to reloading. i have a base knowledge and that's it. John is hard to know how to deal with at first. he will walk away from you virtually mid sentance. he is curt and to the point. he answers a lot of my questions with another question. he makes me uneasy at times...

but you know what? every time i walk in there i walk out with EXACTLY what i need wether i thought i needed it or not. sometimes i walk in ready to drop $200 and walk out with NOTHING becuase i really didn't need it and john talked me OUT of buying it!!! a week later, i realize what he meant and apreciate not spending the money on something i would have outgrown in a day.

i walk out smarter. i walk out humbled at times but i still have all my digits and more money in my pocket

john can come accross like a jerk for sure - have some patience and roll with it. IMHO you'll be better off in the end.

f-gander and f-cabellas. ignore those 5 words of advice and you'll find out why right quick.

[mitchx3]

Maybe it was the suit I was wearing since I'd just done a funeral at Fort Snelling. And thanks for assuming I'm a bad customer whoever said that. Actually, kinda funny. In my line of work, we call those folks EGR's. Extra Grace Required. I'm not that guy. Either way, I couldn't even get to the point of asking what I would need to get started, he just didn't seem to have time. No worries, I'll just give another shop a try...

What was your request of Jon?

[DeanC]

You have to understand, John is the Oracle of All Reloading Wisdom and needs to be treated as such.

It's not always appropriate to approach the Oracle.

That is why you need a Guru. The Guru will answer your basic questions and filter out the stupid stuff and keep it from irritating the Oracle. The Guru may approach the Oracle on your behalf to pose questions to which he does not know the answer, or he may refer you there yourself.



I joke, but there is some truth to it. You wouldn't march in and ask for a meeting with the head service tech at Superior Ford to ask a question about whether to use 10w30 or 10w40 in your truck.

Feel free to ask your questions here and some kind Guru may adopt you if you don't already know one. Me? I'm still mostly a Padawn learner.

[EJSG19]

two years ago I walked in with some limited research and asked john "I want a dillon 550, I want to reload .45acp and .223. What do I need?"

John spent 2.5 hours with me, while helping other customers as needed. I learned how much I knew, and then worked off of it. His questions could have been taken as blunt and condescending but his method is the shortest distance between two points. He keeps you safe, he doesn't spend your money needlessly, and to do that he has to get an idea of where you are coming from.

Sounds like you are just getting started from your last post? If you've given us the whole story, I would suggest you swallow some pride and go in humble. I see lots of customers let their pride get in their way of learning something from John. Thats a shame.

Otherwise, if you just want supplies to reload, you can get those anywhere. But that isn't the important part of getting started in reloading. The key is to know what you are doing. Manuals can't tell you everything you need to know unfortunately. You will have much less trial and error if somebody like John helps you get going.

Ammocraft in Hopkins also sells powder and things, but Gunstop is THE place for depth of inventory. Good luck!

[mrokern]

Odd. I've dealt with John, he's direct, but never been rude. He has always taken time to answer my questions.

Larry on the other hand, has never been anything but rude to me, my colleagues, and my friends. All on separate occasions, AFTER I recommended the shop...and after everyone had spent good money there.

So, I go to Frontiersman for everything except reloading. Problem solved.

-Mark

[revluke]

Yeah folks, like I said, it was no big deal. I know nothing about reloading so i was just looking at what it would take to get in to it. I've read most of the stuff on the forum and have the ABC's of reloading coming in the mail today. It seems as though people have read too much into my initial statement. I was just wondering if GS was the only show in town. I've got a buddy that reloads .45. I'll sit with him sometime and run through the process, then I'll have a better handle on what I need. Based on the loyalty to John here, I'll give the guy the benefit of the doubt and be more prepared next time if he is busy. Thanks to all who responded with good advice.

[livnlg55345]

Too many times I have witnessed people at various times over the years pop off questions to staff..does not matter it if was Scheels in many locations, Goose Mountains, Cabelas in a few states, and a couple smaller gun shops...

"How much will I save?" What a broad question.....an asute person would have done some research. And, what I get from many interactions is .... some people are flat out obnoxious. And, then they do not seem to listen.

Things to remember about the Gunstop Reloading Shop:
#1 John does not sell crap! Famous words....you are someone else's problem especially when concerning Lee Progressive Presses.
#2 Crabby Mondays
#3 There is no better stocked (save primers and powder at times) reloading shop in the upper midwest in IMHO. That includes SD, ND, IA, Western WI, and Eastern MT. Not many places have the fancy stuff people want at times.....I can think of only two things John does not have Giraud Trimmers and Acculab or DI scales on the more technical end of reloading. His store is bascially a in person version of the Sinclair Catalog.
#4 The amount of Dillon stuff....
#5 It is funny when staff from other Gun Stores in the metro shop there.....
#6 When seeking supplies always have alternatives in case there is not in stock.
#7 Do not be afraid to call ahead to have stuff put aside for you if possible.
#8 He ships stuff too, save primers and powder that may save you time....UPS is probably cheaper then gas at times.
#9 Always check the used section there are deals there at times. Saw "used 550b" with strong mount, bullet tray, and cover with a conversion that was pristine for 400 bucks. Have seen 650's there for decent deals. Never hurts to ask....

[westberg]

I took a different approach with John. the first thing I said to him was I knew SS and then I got the impression he felt sorry for me.........

Actually John thinks highly of SS.

[macphisto]

Definitely give John another try. Maybe he was having a bad day. Maybe it was the suit. Forget about it. You will miss out on a lot of knowledge if you don't talk to him.

When I was getting into reloading a few years ago, John spent a good deal of time on the phone one day walking me through the setup of my new press and dies. With his help, I reloaded my first batch of ammo that day. Here's the kicker: I BOUGHT THE PRESS AND DIES AT GANDER, NOT GUNSTOP. John didn't care, just wanted to make sure I got set up correctly and safely. I've spent a lot of money with him since. His prices are good and his advice is invaluable.

[plblark]

Another Joh tip: Tell him if you know nothing.

I went in with a list of items and a couple specific questions. All after talking with Pinnacle about what I wanted. John had some of it, asked me a clarifying question. Good to go.

Then I went off script and asked something stupid. Well, not stupid but noobish.

John got this look on his face, backed up and asked: How much do you know about reloading? I said VERY little...

So, often his questions are intended to gauge how much background and or warnings he needs to give with his advice.

[Snowgun]

It took me a while to get use to his natural direct short sentences, but he is a great guy once he gets to know you.

Went there for the first time yesterday to see what all the fuss was about. Everything people said was pretty much spot on. The gun guys were knowledgeable and helpful, but reserved and eyed you a little till they decided you weren't some yahoo. After a little conversation, they went a little out of their way to check some catalogs and such to answer some of my questions.

On the reloading side, John was exactly what people said. I just walked up to him and asked about reloading 45 acp. He started out a little terse and cranky and fired off a bunch of questions: "which bullet", "do you have brass" etc. I just laughed, apologized for my ignorance, gave him some info to work with, and asked him to tell me what he thought. He then smiled, walked off, and came back with a couple of pamphlets on various gear, pointed out what I was looking for. Then he spent some time ringing up all the gear I would need so I could get an approximate $$ per 50 rounds price for reloaded bullets. I asked him some more info and he waxed philosophical on single stage vs progressive, great info.

He tends to give his opinions and proclamations with terse authority that some people could mistake for rudeness or arrogance, but I think it's confidence due to knowing his ****.

[1911fan]

He tends to give his opinions and proclamations with terse authority that some people could mistake for rudeness or arrogance, but I think it's confidence due to knowing his ****.

Yes, he does. +1