Gun store scare

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The last time I visited my favorite gun store, I was so shocked by what happened that I was speechless. An employee, that I hadn't seen before, was helping me.

I asked to see a gun that was on display under the glass counter. He picked it up with his right hand, wrapped his fingers around the grip, put his index finger ON the trigger and then handed it to me with the barrel pointing at my head!

I thought this was his idea of a sick joke because surely the staff is taught basic gun safety. But he was serious as if he hadn't done anything wrong. It was very crowded in their and he was helping someone else before I could say anything.

I decided the owner was the one I should talk to and did. Have any of you had a bad experience due to someone's ignorance in gun handling?

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:what:

No, I haven't.

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Yes, just yesterday, but not in a gun store.

A customer of mine cameto my shopafter hours to look at an AK-47 I might be willing to sell. He had his 17 year old son in tow. I have never gone shooting with him but he seemed reasonably knowledgeable and told me previously that both he and his son have attended DNR hunter safety and NRA rifle safety courses.

They were standing on the "customer side" of the counter and I was on the "office side" of the counter. I retrieved the AK from the back room and carried it out where they could see it. I removed the empty mag and dropped it in my back pocket, ensured the chamber was cleared 3 times, dry fired and then engaged the safety. I then handed it over to dad who looked at it with nosafety violations. Asthe gunwas going to be for son it was then handed over to him for a look. Just then my new puppy knocked something over behind me and I turned to see what it was. When I turned back I was looking down the barrel of my AK-47. Not a good feeling.

I immediately grabbed the barrel and pulled it out of his hand. Fortunately I felt sure the firearm was safe after having cleared it myself. We then had an animateddiscussion about firearm safety and they were invited to leave. They won't be looking at any of my guns again anytime some.



Gun store scariness. My local gun store, right up the road from my shop is owned by a guy who thinks he's God's gift to the firearm industry. Twice in the last 9 or 10 years now he's shot himself, in the store, with customers present, while clearing a gun prior to showing it to a customer. To make matters worse, it was hispersonal Glock 23 both times. One time he hit his leg and the other time he shot himself in the hand. How does your hand get in front of the muzzle to begin with? Fortunately no customers were hurt during the stupidity.

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hp-hobo wrote:

Gun store scariness. My local gun store, right up the road from my shop is owned by a guy who thinks he's God's gift to the firearm industry. Twice in the last 9 or 10 years now he's shot himself, in the store, with customers present, while clearing a gun prior to showing it to a customer. To make matters worse, it was hispersonal Glock 23 both times. One time he hit his leg and the other time he shot himself in the hand. How does your hand get in front of the muzzle to begin with? Fortunately no customers were hurt during the stupidity.

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Is there a gun store owner that doesn't think he's god's gift to guns? Lol I know there is, but seriously it seems like there's someone with that attitude in every gun store/show you go to.

I've had to remove a gun from some idiot's hand at a firing range after the owner called a seize fire, and the guy next to me decided to turn his handgun directly at me to say "what?!". It took about 2 seconds for the owner to understand the situation, and the idiot was kicked out. As soon as I get my own ballistic vest, I'll be wearing it whenever I'm at the range.

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When I was shopping for my Walther P-38 I was at a local shop in Southern Indiana.. I asked to see the P-38 in the case.. The employee opened the case.. took the gun out.. practiced good gun safety by pointing the muzzle down and away then racked the slide to check it.. and ejected a live round.. :shock:

We both paused.. looked at each other.. then he shrugged and said "Well? that's why we check 'em"

-Adam

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Wasn't in a gun shop but was as RSO while on the range during a self defense course of fire....

Fellow turned to talk to me... loaded gun in hand... finger on the trigger... barrel pointed at my stomach.

I slowly reached out and moved the gun aside.... and chewed him a new one. Now most RSO's would have instantly tossed him off the range never to return... but seeing as how he was new to guns and had absolutely no training I went the other route and took a personal interest in training him... right there on the spot. Spent most of the day with him... and made a safe shooter out of him.

But it took 3 hours for my anus to come back down from somewhere up near my belly button.

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I have never had a problem with any employees at the gun shop I go in Leesburg. Customers on the other hand are another issue. I usually avoid the issue by buying on Gunbroker and having the gun shipped to a guy with an FFL that I trust with firearm safety.

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open4years wrote:

The last time I visited my favorite gun store, I was so shocked by what happened that I was speechless. An employee, that I hadn't seen before, was helping me.

I asked to see a gun that was on display under the glass counter. He picked it up with his right hand, wrapped his fingers around the grip, put his index finger ON the trigger and then handed it to me with the barrel pointing at my head!

I thought this was his idea of a sick joke because surely the staff is taught basic gun safety. But he was serious as if he hadn't done anything wrong. It was very crowded in their and he was helping someone else before I could say anything.

I decided the owner was the one I should talk to and did. Have any of you had a bad experience due to someone's ignorance in gun handling?

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Oh, yeah. There are dealers I will not visit at the Chantilly Gun Show simply because they've swept me and others while handing someone a gun. One swept a bunch of people, with his finger on a trigger, while showing the lady next to me a firearm. I gulped visibly and asked him to please consider gun safety. He told me no firearms there were loaded, so I left and only shopped elsewhere.

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Tess wrote:

Oh, yeah. There are dealers I will not visit at the Chantilly Gun Show simply because they've swept me and others while handing someone a gun. One swept a bunch of people, with his finger on a trigger, while showing the lady next to me a firearm. I gulped visibly and asked him to please consider gun safety. He told me no firearms there were loaded, so I left and only shopped elsewhere.

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Like the firearm mentioned in post #6?

This is why we need redundancy.

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eye95 wrote:

Tess wrote:

Oh, yeah. There are dealers I will not visit at the Chantilly Gun Show simply because they've swept me and others while handing someone a gun. One swept a bunch of people, with his finger on a trigger, while showing the lady next to me a firearm. I gulped visibly and asked him to please consider gun safety. He told me no firearms there were loaded, so I left and only shopped elsewhere.

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Like the firearm mentioned in post #6?

This is why we need redundancy.

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Isn't it safety rule #1?Handle ALL firearms as if they are loaded.

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I had an idiot at Shooter's Express in Belmont, NC (color added for emphasis) come from around the counter and ask if he could see my sidearm. I said, "it's a bone stock 1911. You've seen plenty." He then asked if it was loaded. My response was, "wouldn't do me any good if it weren't." His next move threw me off. He said, "well you can't have a loaded gun in here," and proceeded to try to take it out of my holster. I told him to keep his hands to himself and asked the manager (Denny) if there was a problem here. He said, "naw Louie, you're good." I haven't bought anything from them since.

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I was in a gun shop looking to buy a new AR, at the counter were two guys shooting the breeze, one was a retired homicide detective from Las Vegas and a buddy of his, I just finished looking at one and had set it on the counter and was pointing out another one that I wanted to look at when the detective's buddy said I have one just like this but..... and as I was turning to look at him he had picked up the AR from the counter to show me something and was swinging the muzzel across my chest...I grabbed the barrel and jerked it straight up so fast he alomost fell over, the look on my face must of revealed what I was thinking, he just sort of stuttered a "sorry", I handed the rifle back to the clerk and said, you need to post some gun safety signs.

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Task Force 16 wrote:

eye95 wrote:

Tess wrote:

Oh, yeah. There are dealers I will not visit at the Chantilly Gun Show simply because they've swept me and others while handing someone a gun. One swept a bunch of people, with his finger on a trigger, while showing the lady next to me a firearm. I gulped visibly and asked him to please consider gun safety. He told me no firearms there were loaded, so I left and only shopped elsewhere.

Click to expand...

Like the firearm mentioned in post #6?

This is why we need redundancy.

Click to expand...

Isn't it safety rule #1?Handle ALL firearms as if they are loaded.

Click to expand...

When I was a kid, I would wait for my father to get home so I could handle and dry fire his duty gun, which at the time was a Smith and Wesson .357. As he unloaded it and handed it to me with the cylinder open he would say, "What do we say?" And I would recite back "ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED ALL THE TIME!" I think he made me repeat that everyday from the time I was 4 until probably 14. I've never forgotten it and every time I pick up a piece that saying flashes across my mind. I wish everyone was like that...

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My NRA Basic Pistol class (for CHP) was two months ago. We had to leave the classroom and drive to the shooting range for a practical. Students were allowed to bring their own guns and ammunition- everyone was told to load their pistols in the waiting room of the gun range.. Well that's all fine and dandy.. What happened next was not so fine and dandy..

Lady with her husband has a nice Sig 9mm and a standard holster; she loads her magazine- loads the magazine in the pistol- and places the pistol in the holster- in her purse.

Here's where shit gets ugly.. The pistol, loaded, in her purse- the Muzzle of the pistol is NOT pointed straight down at the ground.... The pistol is laying in her purse- muzzle sideways. The barrel of the pistol was literally pointed right at my knees for about 5 minutes; and I was STARING at the gun with her purse zipper wide open. I told the person standing next to me; that person left to the back of the line because of it. The couple actually saw me staring at her pistol/purse for a while- Never said a single word. Neither did I.

I REALLY really Wish I would have said something now. She would have been booted out, maybe, but more importantly the rest of the class would understand the Number One Rule of Firearms Safety- always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Needless to say- I STARED DOWN the lady and her pistol and her purse for the remainder of the waiting line. I wasn't going to take my eye off that loaded pistol.

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I took my mom gun shopping a few month ago to replace a rifle that was stolen from her.

through about 6 gun shops I started getting irritated having to tell her to keep her finger off the trigger, and watch that barrel... whatever, still my mom.

then at the last store we're looking at a nice little bolt .22 and the guy behind the counter starts showing her how to work it, shoulders it and points it down the counter. I believe there were about 5 people directly down the barrel of this rifle inside 20 feet, my mom smacks the barrel and says "watch out!".

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For years I worked for retail stores that had sporting goods sections where we sold firearms. As I would hand over the firearm to be inspected by the customer I would always show that the firearm was "cleared" and the action open. It was amazing how many people would close the actionand then start swinging around the firearm like they were going to shoot a herd of monkeys and me with them. I would quite often grab the firearm from them and lock it back up in the case. They would look at me like I was crazy and ask why I took it from them. I would basically say that weobserve strictfirearm safety and that their privileges were revoked, or something to that nature, and if they wanted to see another one, I would hold it. Even though I had many customers leave after that, my manager always backed me up. We (I) also turned away many sales because the person would jokingly say, "Yep, I'm going to shoot my wife or father or neighbor or boss or etc., ha ha ha!" Our reply was to tear up the paperwork in front of them and say that our business was concluded. They would say that they were only "joking", and I would say that this is not the time to be joking about something like this. Goodbye!

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I was recently visiting Cabela's to try out (and purchase) a new EOtech for my AR15. Having never dealt with any form of optics before beyond iron sights, I brought my AR with me in a soft-sided case so that I could test-fit it to the rail before plunking down my cash.

As I walk in the front door, as expected, I am confronted, asked if there's a firearm in the case, etc. The lady then has me lay the case on the counter, open it, and she begins to check to make sure it's unloaded. In the process of clearing the action and dry firing into a metal tube thingy next to the counter(which had a red piece of plastic inserted into the chamber that sticks out of the ejection port, and it was of course very much unloaded without even a magazine in the case) she swept me, two of her co-workers, and probably a dozen customers that were passing by. With that kind of muzzle discipline, I'm surprised she even knew how to check an AR.

In any case, she slaps a trigger lock on there, cases it back up, and off I go to the firearms department. All goes well there, I get my shiny new EOtech, and mention to the gun counter person my little experience at the front door. She IMMEDIATELY high-tails it to the front counter to track that person down and reams her a new one. Hopefully that is a lesson learned.

While I fully understand their 'reason' for clearing guns that they know you intend to uncase/fondle/mess with during your visit, I still found the whole thing funny since i was OC-ing a .40 USP w/Jet Funnel the whole time.

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The first shop I ever bought a gun from - Jo Jo's Gun and Pawn - in Birmingham, Alabama, is a shop I will never, ever go into again.

One of the customers there asked if she could see the CLERKS personal sidearm. Stupid.

Then the clerk ACTUALLY unholsters the gun. Stupid.

Starts to hand it to her, BARREL FIRST.

Gun goes off and KILLS HER on the spot. She had two kids.

When I'm in a gun store now, I don't hesitate to tell anyone to not point that thing at me you *&%#^SS.

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cabbitone wrote:

Had a few times being swept with an unloaded gun, which of course is nothing to joke with but I digress.

Not at a gun store but was shooting with some friends and my friend and his wife got the bright idea for her to shoot my Desert Eagle(.50AE) since she was the only one there that hadn't before. She was obviously nervous since most people equate big gun = big recoil and of course if you don't understand how to fire/hold/stand/w/e people get hit and stupid things of that nature. Well she shot it no problem. now here comes the scary part Six rounds between the chamber and the mag she turns around sweeping everyone not shooting with the gun loaded, round in the chamber, safety off cheering and jumping slightly saying "I did it!". I can honestly say that was one of the scariest things in my life. Did I mention we're in the middle of a farm, no cell signal, and if able would have to ride back on a AVT type vehicle just to get to a phone/car ?

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That's a good example of why I follow a 'rule' a friend taught me. When letting someone new shoot one of your guns, load ONE round, and ONE round only. After they demonstrate they lack the above issue you came across, then they can start being trusted with more rounds/a full mag.