Henry Rifle Forums

Stopped in the new Field & Stream City PA and asked if they had gotten in any of the new Henry 327's yet. Clerk asked me "What is a 327 Federal Magnum?". You must mean a 357 Mag says he. I just looked him straight in the eyes, turned around and left. Good luck to that store with that quality of help.

I've been carrying a .327fedmag revolver, of one manufacture or another, off and on for more than 5 years now.
Almost every time someone asks what I'm carrying and I say, "a .327..." I get the same look of confusion.
I also get the, "Do you mean .357...?" and I say "No, I mean .327..."

I know quite few gun shops that I introduced the caliber to.
Not everyone eats, sleeps, and breathes firearms, why I'm unsure.

I absolutely love the round, and even more so now that I have my Henry Big Boy steel in .327 Federal magnum.

Not all store clerks know much more than the stuff that rotates through and sells quickly. If they had one in .327, he might have known it from seeing the tag. Just because a guy or gal doesn't know right off what you are asking does not mean that he is a moron and you should walk out and shun the store.

Speaking as a former gun salesman who had a very steep learning curve. And I was always getting all the darned Glock, Sig, and S&W pistol model numbers mixed up.... and still do.

If something like that happens again, just ask to talk to his boss. He will know what you are talking about, especially if they have actually received one.

Be nice....

John Davies
Spokane WA

Not surprised to hear this. The 327 has always lived in the shadow of the 357 and probably always will.

As a former retail employee, though, I strongly agree with John. Be nice. Maybe even take the time to inform and educate. Doesn't cost a thing other than a little of your time. The guy may have been filling in or just helping out.

I've run into some clerks at Cabelas that sometimes don't know answers to questions, or even much about a specific firearm. And recently, more than one of their clerks have been unfamiliar with the Henry models now becoming available. Partly because Henry is somewhat loading up the market with new guns ---- good for us!

Not a surprise to me that you got this response at your F&S shop. I look at the Cabelas long gun shelves behind the handgun display cases, and there are hundreds of guns for sale. Who would know everything? Not very many folk.

OP, I heartily agree with comments already made to consider a spot of kindness when you chat with these service folk. I noticed you wrote that you "Stopped in the new Field & Stream City PA" when this happened. Well, I'd definitely give the person some slack. A new store could also mean a new employee, or even an employee in training, possibly working with firearms for the first time. Lots of reason for not knowing about a .327. I'm a good example. I've been into Henry rifles for just over four years now. Only recently when reading our Forum posts, I learned about the .327 caliber for the first time. Never had heard of it before. So I'm learning something new most every day. I bet that clerk is, too.

In spite of that clerk and your experience, that shop might be a good location to find your next Henrys!! One never knows.

Considering that there's a high probability that gun dept. training is 90% about how not to screw-up Gov't paperwork and protect the store's FFL from being pulled due to some minor infraction, 7% how to keep your customers from stealing, and 3% gun knowledge and keeping an ever changing stock of 100's of guns clean...
... I would be surprised if a new employee at a new store could remember how to tie their shoes!

You could have shown some empathy and helped a new guy learn. You obviously had some time on your hands (you were shopping) but chose to be rude and be (in the clerk's eyes) one of "those" gun owners.

So, ya...unbelievable

Breathe everybody. Let's be careful on this thread to not get personal. Please keep it civil. Thanks.