• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

St George Sportsman's Warehouse giving wrong legal advice re loaded OC w/ permit

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
I just finished writing my snail-mail letter to the manager of the Sportsman's Warehouse in St George. I was there on Thursday afternoon (July 26) with a student. While showing her several firearms, with the help of the usually very knowledgeable and friendly sales staff, the discussion turned to OC, as my student is from WY where it is not uncommon. The salesman noted that OC in UT must have the chamber empty. I politely corrected him that this does not apply if you have a permit. That's when the conversation became less than cordial. He got quite standoffish at being corrected and went on the defensive, telling me that he knows cops and that he was correct. He even threw up his hands, not wanting to hear my qualifications as a UT BCI certified state firearms instructor.

My letter is very polite. I cite where to find the actual wording of the law on the UT government's website, as well as detail my qualifications for teaching UT state firearms laws. In the end, I simply asked that he consider a policy that is very common in many stores (and may already be official policy there, who knows): since it is difficult to give accurate legal advice, salesmen should not be giving legal advice. I explained how he could have copies of the actual UT firearms laws from the BCI to hand out to customers with questions. I also offered a discounted UT CCW class to his store staff.

Anyone else hear this as a common error in UT? Anyone else frequent that Sportsman's Warehouse to see if they are going to stick with their story? I'm hoping this salesman learns to make sure of actual laws instead of passing on bad info from cops, ESPECIALLY when a customer tries to politely explain the truth, and has the credentials to back it up.
 
Last edited:

Steinmetzify

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
11
Location
Central Utah
Haven't heard it, but I don't frequent the store. They don't allow OC there, so I won't go in.
Good luck with it. Salesman+incorrect legal advice=me annoyed.
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
... They don't allow OC there, so I won't go in. ...

Interesting. The one in Las Vegas is posted that they specifically allow carrying of firearms and have never questioned me about OC. I was under the impression it was fine by corporate policy.

I happened to be concealing at this time because of some other activities that day. Now I wish I had taken the opportunity to swap to OC to test them.
 

Steinmetzify

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2012
Messages
11
Location
Central Utah
The one in Murray(?)off of 72nd S and State has a big sign on the front door that says for the safety of their patrons all guns must be unloaded and locked in a case.
Granted, I'd just started OCing when I read it, and I was trying to avoid bad experiences, so I went back to the car and put it in the console(wife was in the car)and went back in.
Been in there twice and both times were unsatisfactory experiences. I won't be going back.
 

hahah

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
32
Location
herriman
The one in Murray(?)off of 72nd S and State has a big sign on the front door that says for the safety of their patrons all guns must be unloaded and locked in a case.
Granted, I'd just started OCing when I read it, and I was trying to avoid bad experiences, so I went back to the car and put it in the console(wife was in the car)and went back in.
Been in there twice and both times were unsatisfactory experiences. I won't be going back.


I have never had any issues at all at any place. You guys must OC wrong.
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
... big sign on the front door that says for the safety of their patrons all guns must be unloaded and locked in a case. ...

The one on the store in Las Vegas is quite wordy, but it basically says this only applies to firearms that are going to be handled in the store.

I didn't bother to look for a sign at the St George store.
 
Last edited:

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
Inconsistent Application of Corporate Policy Is Not UNcommon

The Sportsman's Warehouse in Riverdale has a sign on the door that simply says "For our safety (blah, blah, blah)... If not holstered, guns must be encased" (or words to that effect). I don't recall anything about loaded/unloaded. The whole sign is probably 50+ words long, and I didn't try to memorize it. If I don't forget, perhaps I'll try to make a trip over there to take a picture of it soon. I could have misread it, but I don't think so. It's pretty common in large corporations for the left hand to not know what the right hand is doing. Most employees seem a bit :confused: when it comes to policy. Pax...
 

Gil223

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2012
Messages
1,392
Location
Weber County Utah
One Picture Is Worth One Thousand Words

So, here's that picture. It does become larger - and readable - when you click on it. As far as their handgun policy goes (according to this sign), it's basically: "UN-holstered" must be cased and unloaded. (Understand that I am assuming that's for handguns, simply because there aren't too many people walking around with a Henry "Mare's Leg" strapped to their hip). The rest applies to long guns, and those who plan to remove their "sidearm" while on the premises.
Anyway, the "bottom line" appears to be that Sportsman's Warehouse has no policy prohibiting OC/CC :) on their properties (unless perhaps they have different signs at different locations). Pax...
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
In case anyone was wondering, I never received any kind of reply. I might be up there again this week, though. We'll see what happens, as I will be OC, and cocked-and-locked.
 
Top