Need help! Any advice greatly appreciated.. - Accidental shooting at Norf. gun shop

**NOTE-I will not disclose any names in this thread**

I recently won an auction on gunbroker for a USP compact. It was being shipped from Arizona. I went to a FFL dealer and had all the paperwork done. When I finally got an email from the Senders that they will be shipping the firearm I was happy.

Couple days go by and I am just sitting here waiting for a phone call to go and pick it up. When I received the call I was talking to the owner of the receiving FFL.

Supposedly the shop that shipped it, packaged it fully loaded.

When they realized this it was too late. Inadvertently the employee that was inspecting it ended up shooting himself in the hand. So now my USP is sitting in evidence and there is going to be an investigation.


This is where I need advice. Should I call the sending FFL and request my money back? Just sit and wait to hear how the investigation goes? Any thoughts or information will be appreciated.

Thanks

*This is my first ever FFL transfer by the way.

Sounds like there are some pretty stupid employees at both of these gun shops.

It's suppose to say "Gunbroker" not "Guntrader"

And I am not making any comments on hunter45's comment...

hunter45 said:

Sounds like there are some pretty stupid employees at both of these gun shops.

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+1

I'd ask for my money back, and such.

Just wow.. First some dummy sends it loaded, then another guy goes and pulls the trigger on it, without checking it first?

/Real Men of Genius
:uhoh:

Contact whichever agency is "impounding" the gun and ask for its return, or at the very least a receipt for your property & an estimate of how many days before they will return it to you. I don't see why they need it in the first place - they know which gun the employee mishandled, and it wasn't the gun's fault.

There's no reason to deprive you of your property, since you had nothing to do with the incident (I can't call it an accident), & the gun certainly isn't guilty of anything.

If they're reluctant, I'd either ask the seller for a full refund & buy elsewhere or find an attorney who could put a bit of pressure on the LEA to return your property.

Part of my comment on the article linked above:

...as though it were a rabid dog that acted on its own, or would harm someone again if let out into polite society.

Why confiscate the gun? They know which one the employee mishandled, and since a gun isn't alive it's not the fault of the gun that the employee pulled the trigger of a loaded gun while he had his hand in the way.

And since the customer had no part in shipping or receiving the gun, he shouldn't be punished for the employee's bad acts (by even temporarily losing his property).

I hope the officers involved release the innocent property ASAP.

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And I'm sure that the seller will get a visit or nastygram from BATFE. Shipping a loaded gun??? :shocker: (Not that it was a problem 'til the receiving employee violated 3 of the 4 rules, but it is illegal.)

MKEgal said:

Shipping a loaded gun??? :shocker: (Not that it was a problem 'til the receiving employee violated 3 of the 4 rules, but it is illegal.)

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And the shipping FFL? One would think they would check it as well.

I'm betting that it will end up being a 'he said/she said' situtation... with the selling dealer denying that it was shipped loaded, and the receiving dealer swearing it was. Who knows which is accurate....

Blk97F150 said:

I'm betting that it will end up being a 'he said/she said' situtation... with the selling dealer denying that it was shipped loaded, and the receiving dealer swearing it was. Who knows which is accurate....

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Hopefully there's video recorded

Call the sending FFL and tell them to send you a new gun, unloaded.

Let them know that their gun is sitting in an evidence locker, and someone will be by shortly to speak with them.

ProShooter said:

Call the sending FFL and tell them to send you a new gun, unloaded.

Let them know that their gun is sitting in an evidence locker, and someone will be by shortly to speak with them.

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That's what I would do!

Get all your buddies to prank call the shop and ask what their policy is if one of their employees accidentally shoots them-self with the gun you want to purchase or have sent through another FFL.

ProShooter said:

Call the sending FFL and tell them to send you a new gun, unloaded.

Let them know that their gun is sitting in an evidence locker, and someone will be by shortly to speak with them.

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+1

(A great example of how even those in the industry can get complacent.)

1st, I think that the receiving FFL dealer should also be responsible for the incident they caused and refund your purchase. (Not saying the sending FFL is at all innocent)

2nd, There are only 4 rules for safe firearm handling and only 3 are 'really' necessary for handling. Grrr...