[The Handgunner: Topton, Berks County] Happy Customer

[wwhite72082]

Well, today I decided that it was the day to take a peek at a couple of pistols I've had my eye on for practical shooting. After talking with a guy I work with, The Handgunner in Topton PA came with a very positive recommendation. I hopped in the car and took the short trip to Topton.

When I got there I was the only person in the store and I was greeted by an older gentleman behind the counter (I don't remember his name) He asked if he could help me with anything and I explained that I was in the market for a 9mm pistol to be used primarily for competitive shooting. We began to talk about competitive shooting and what class I wanted to start in.

During a lull in the conversation another person behind the counter asked if I was planning on going to any clubs in the area. I told him that I was going to check out the club in Topton, at which point he introduced himself as Dean and explained that this particular club does USPSA shooting and that he is very involved with it. Dean now began helping me as the other man greeted the next customer through the door.

I told him that I wanted to get a pistol that would allow me to compete primarily in USPSA shooting but would allow flexibility so that I could shoot in IDPA on occasion as well. At this point we got to talking about the different classes and how the production class was where I should probably start.

He put a few pistols in my hand and had me raise the gun to see which one naturally fell into my field of view and explained why they did, or did not do so.

In the end I felt most comfortable with the Smith and Wesson M&P. I made the purchase and we talked a little more about competitive shooting. Because I was on a budget I opted to wait on my S&W rebate to arrive to pick up extra magazines, a Holster and Magazine pouch.

Dean then invited me to come to the club for the shoot and told me that if I was interested in shooting that day (I originally planned on just spectating) to give him a call at the shop and let him know. He said that if i wanted to shoot, he would bring some spare magazines, a spare holster and a mag pouch so that I could check it out hands on. He even offered to let me shoot at the end of the match so that I could move as slow as I needed to while getting a feel for the course and not feeling any pressure from the match.

All in all, I was very satisfied with my purchased and very happy with the service. The price was inline for the most part with some that I found online ($470.00) and the S&W Special ($50.00 rebate with 2 spare magazines) made it well worth it in my eyes.

Sorry for the long drawn out story, I just wanted to share the positive experience with anyone interested