Scenario: person walks into gun store. Sees new gun on shelf asks to see it. Immediately starts taking it apart and takes offense when you ask them what the hell they are doing.

I know myself as well as many other gun stores I’ve dealt with don’t find this acceptable. I’m curious what your thoughts are to see if we are out of line and this is an acceptable behavior or if people suck and should be called out for doing dumb stuff. Really I believe this applies to any gun you do not own to just start taking apart new/used/whatever gun if you don’t own it leave it be.

I wanna see the guts of a gun before I make an offer or buy, especially a used gun. Damn straight I'm going to take it apart

I worked in firearms retail in one capacity or another for 18 years. People ALWAYS do this. I've had guys strip AR bolts, smell guns, stick guns down their pants to see "how they feel", dry-fire the living hell out of revolvers, slap revolver cylinders closed, basically every stupid thing you can do with a gun, I've seen someone do across the retail counter.

It's usually the Glock guys, it's like they are thinking "Check out how cool I am, I can take the barrel out of a Glock". One of my great joy's in life is was watching the struggle of trying to re-assemble (insert firearm name here).

I typically gave them a wide berth to make the sale. My thoughts were along the line of they're not going to hurt anything, this thing contains explosions. I would box up the gun that they had finger blasted. 1911s, double shotguns, and Benelli's were another story, dudes trying to field strip them would be told not to immediately.

I worked at a high-end auction house for a few years. People who racked slides or spun cylinders on classic and valuable firearms would be thrown out post-haste.

I guess I’m an oddity. No, I don’t think you’re going to break it, but I know this is the way the factory made it and I don’t know if your dumbass knows how to take apart or put together a gun.

I could agree with wanting to see the insides of a used gun. And I would have no problem with someone asking if I could strip down a used gun for them. I I think it’s disrespectful to start tearing someone else’s gun apart without their permission. And I do t think there’s a need to tear apart a new gun.

There’s no other business that’s acceptable to go buy a new product and start tearing it apart in the store before you buy it. I just think it’s disrespectful and not acceptable.

Don't get me wrong, I can totally see how I would get fed up with the asshats that can't put it back together, dry firing a rimfire, turning the cylinder on a revolver or bringing their loaded gun and pointing it at me

I frequent a few shops and I guess they know I'm not going to do that dumb crap

I have done it myself, that said I ALWAYS ask for permission to dryfire or take down etc. the ONLY thing I don’t ask for permission to do is work, lock the action as that is a safety thing and I simply won’t handle a firearm I haven’t safety checked and you will not get it back from me unless in a locked open/cleared manner.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
I have done it myself, that said I ALWAYS ask for permission to dryfire or take down etc. the ONLY thing I don’t ask for permission to do is work, lock the action as that is a safety thing and I simply won’t handle a firearm I haven’t safety checked and you will not get it back from me unless in a locked open/cleared manner.

Oh I have no problem with people working the action and dry firing (to some extent. I’ve definitely had idiots on the 30th-40th rack and dry fire that I’ve told to put the gun down just because they are annoying me)

Maybe I’m just not made for retail lol.

I always do this. I want to make sure there isn’t wear or any manufacturing issues with the frame and components. Oh and by the way I have found plenty of issues with brand new guns and certified pre owned guns. I had a gun store clerk fuss at me for doing it once. He said they don’t let people do that because I might not be able to put it back together. I politely told him “I know more about this gun than you ever will” I put it back together and told the idiot I would never buy a gun from them because of their behavior and attitude. I never set foot in that Gunshop ever again.

My favorite mom and pop shop completely understood why I always disassembled and closely examined every firearm prior to purchase.

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
I wanna see the guts of a gun before I make an offer or buy, especially a used gun. Damn straight I'm going to take it apart

Don't you think you should ask first? It isn't your gun.

quote:

Originally posted by cslinger:
I have done it myself, that said I ALWAYS ask for permission to dryfire or take down etc.

A benefit of buying from a gun store vs a general sporting goods store or pawn shop that also happens to sell guns is that a good gun store will allow you to actually handle & feel a firearm, where as the other places only let you hold a firearm w/ a lock over its trigger.

Some guns are a lot more difficult to field strip and reassemble than others (e.g., Grand Power). That difficulty may be a dealbreaker for some people. But yes, always ask permission first.

I don't/won't buy a gun that 14 butter heads have finger fucked.

Give me a brand new unmolested gun.

Now a used gun if I know enough about the gun itself to be able to determine somewhat of a condition by looking at it torn down then I will ask if its ok to tear it down or have them tear it down if they prefer but I feel one must ask before tearing it down or dry firing a new or used gun.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
I wanna see the guts of a gun before I make an offer or buy, especially a used gun. Damn straight I'm going to take it apart

Don't you think you should ask first? It isn't your gun.

That's what I do, once I've made the decision to buy it then that's the time to ask if it's ok to strip it to check the insides, especially on a used firearm.

The LGS I use knows me well, an it's not a problem, it's easy to see why a store wouldn't want any jimmy jack stripping a firearm that they had not agreed to purchase...

I used to ogle all the handguns in the case at the Yooper Gander (gouger) Mountain. They all had trigger locks. And quite a few of the guns with external hammers were cocked.

I would never take down a (new or used) gun unless I'm going to buy it at that moment. In that case, I will ask for an untouched gun (if new), ask for permission, quickly check it out and put it back together and then pay for it. Basically, I will commit to buy the gun pending a final inspection. Otherwise, I wouldn't take down a gun.

Edited to add I would never take a gun down I wasn’t going to purchase barring something found inside that is out of whack.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by BigSwede:
I wanna see the guts of a gun before I make an offer or buy, especially a used gun. Damn straight I'm going to take it apart

Don't you think you should ask first? It isn't your gun.

Of course, if it's someone I don't know

quote:

I've had guys strip AR bolts, smell guns, stick guns down their pants to see "how they feel", dry-fire the living hell out of revolvers, slap revolver cylinders closed, basically every stupid thing you can do with a gun, I've seen someone do across the retail counter.

Ever been offered a jewelers eye to "have a look at this"??? People never surprise me and working retail in the firearm industry can be challenging and comical.

Always ask to rack, pull trigger or disassemble. Just the polite thing to do.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
That's what I do, once I've made the decision to buy it then that's the time to ask if it's ok to strip it to check the insides, especially on a used firearm.

Same here. If I’m not reasonably sure I’m going to buy it, there’s no call to take it apart. I always ask if I can try the trigger as well, and I don’t go slamming, slapping or letting slides and actions fly home. Someone’s going to own it, and if it’s not going to be me, I try to treat it like they’re watching me handle it first.

On the flip side of that coin, if I know I’m buying it, I’d rather be the one to strip it down because I’ve watched counter jockeys in both gun and guitar stores struggle with basic technical work in ways that made me cringe and regret asking for assistance in my attempts to mind boundaries.

had a guy get pissed at me, and storm out, when I asked him nicely to not flick his wrist to close the cylinder on a pristine Smith revolver,

had a kid that worked for me look at a customer's glock,
customer wanted to trade it in , and the kid had it completely apart,
kid said he wanted to see how much wear is on it,
after he put it back together, and bought it, customer gone, I showed him that every wear point he said he needed to see was visible by locking the slide back,,,



had a woman working for me one, crazy lady,
dude comes in an looks at a SIG,
as soon as he gets it in his hand he takes it apart,
she asked nicely to please not do that but was 1/2way done by the time she finished the sentence,

she watched him struggle for 5 minutes or so to put the P320 back together, (just the slide and barrel off, )

his wife said something to him, he put handed all the parts to my worker and left,


I've had customers drop guns, break guns, drop guns on the glass counter tops and crack the glass,



I've seen the counter monkeys finger fuk a customers gun in the back room,

seen them break down new Glocks and get the barrels and slides mixed up,,



my favorites are the 'Experts' that insist the know all there is to know about a type of firearm, but then struggle to figure out how o check it or clear it when handed one,,



I really get annoyed by the caliber bandits,

'hey, I'm looking for a gun"

ok, what kind,

'a 5.56'

ok, a 5.56 what



one dude that wanted me to hire him, when we were chatting about shooting , shooting sports etc, told me he shot 9mm, and some 7.62

what type do you shoot,
huh?

you said you shoot a 9mm, what type,

oh, ,9mm

ok, so pistol, revolver, smith or glock or ???

oh, winchester or whatever is on sale,



he did not get hired

I don't see a problem if you ask for permission first then put it back together after the inspection.
If I were the merchant and thought that it would facilitate the sale then why not?
It's all about courtesy for the dealer and respect for the firearm.