He can only be speaking of Smith & Western Model 53 revolvers. They say ".22 MAGNUM" on the barrel, and shoot both centerfire and rimfire .22 cartridges.
It is not simply the guns counter guys. Having worked on the far side of the counter for almost a decade, it is gun people in general. The great thing about America is any one can own a gun(s). This result is "any one" does. Dreadlocked, unbathed, flip flop wearing, patchouli smelling, save the Earth hippy dipshits buy guns too.
This is one incident that sticks out in my mind from several years ago. A couple is having issues with their GSG-5K pistol. It was jamming because they were holding the magazine while shooting. Any way the former Vietnam Green Beret husband had bought the ridiculous toy pistol for the wife, as home protection. After all it held twenty .22 cartridges, plus with the laser/light installed is was "extremely intimidating".
It was easy to tell the wife had little to no interest in the GSG, in fact she has a Glock 26 she carries and is comfortable with. He did not like the 26 because it was small and he thought it had too much recoil for her. Although she never gave me any indication she felt that way, she did say she loved the baby Glock.
We ended up taking the GSG back and selling her a few G17 and G18 mags. Not a funny story. Sad really. He may or may not have been a Green Beret. If he was, to me it just makes it worse. He should have known better.