I was picking up a gun I bought online at a new FFL yesterday. Seems my preferred FFL has either gone out of business or cut way back to appointment only. While waiting for my transfer to complete, some knuckle-dragger slumps in and makes his way to the long gun section of the counter. He asks to see a used Mossberg shorty. The clerk handed it to him without checking the action. I notice these things. I watch everyone like a hawk while in an uncontrolled environment with strangers. Knuckle-dragger takes the gun without checking the action and begins to examine it. First he points the muzzle directly at the clerk who is struggling to help me (first gun transfer)(not sure what he is doing). Not willing to cause a scene, I step back a couple of paces behind some equipment. This is also a Pawn shop so there is the usual heap of junk and clutter crowding the floor. After a few seconds I peeked from behind a refrigerator and see that the gun is pointed elsewhere so I step back up to the counter. My clerk is on the phone with a manager. They are going screen by screen on the computer through the receiving process that must be done before the transfer can start. I kept my eye on the shotgun. It suddenly sweeps us on the way to another aiming point. There is a finger on the trigger. As I duck back behind the fridge, it sweeps again to the other clerk who takes it without checking the action and returns it to the rack. I stayed behind the fridge until my transfer was complete and left.

Geezelouise There seems to be no shortage of folks who are clueless.

And you said nothing.

Happened to me once. Fudd was fondling a used shotty. I got tired of ducking the guy's muzzle sweep after the second time. Third time, I just grabbed the barrel, removed it from his possession, and handed it back my buddy behind the counter as I went about my business with the other sales guy (also a friend). Fudd protested. My buddy's response... "I would have done it the second time you swept me." Fudd left in a huff. Go figure.

-Rob

Yeah, no way I'd stay silent for that.

And another reason I avoid gun stores.

quote:

Originally posted by nosticks:
And you said nothing.

I’d have to agree. Saying something would have been more productive than hiding. I would not have been very kind after saying something once.

And then there's gunshows!

GGF

When I was 9-10 I embarrassed a man at a LARGE local gun store when he swept me and I hot the floor.

quote:

Originally posted by nosticks:
And you said nothing.

Yep. You are right. I should have. I just wasn't willing to make a scene. It was clear to me no one knew what he was doing. I get the sense anything I said would have been lost on them. I won't go back there.

When visiting my local Gouger Mountain, most of the 1911s were trigger locked with the safety off and hammer cocked.
When some one want to look at the gun, off came the lock and the cocked pistol was handed over.
I always pointed this out as cringe worthy. No change was made from visit to visit.

I'm actually hesitant to handle guns in gun shops because with so many people around it's virtually impossible to keep in a safe direction. Usually I'm looking at something I'm not familiar with. I've been swept more times than I can remember at Cabelas. I don't even like to go to the counter if it's busy.

Last time I was told by some girl, "don't worry it's not loaded" as I backed away quickly. I told her to go take the safety class again.

quote:

Originally posted by GGF:
And then there's gunshows!

GGF

A couple of years ago at a local gun show a round was neg discharged. The projectile ricocheted and some concrete shards cut a bystander. I was on the opposite side of the room but no one was out of range of the possible trajectory. Was really lucky no one was directly injured or killed. The usual din of hundreds of simultaneous and competing conversations hushed instantly. We were all heads on swivel and looking in the general direction of the discharge for a minute or two until the announcer explained what happened. I took a picture of the damage to the building but over time deleted it. Doesn't take many of those to make one cautious.

Gun shows always have me on edge. There have been a few times where a round was popped off but fortunately, no one was hurt. My son wonders why I don't take him anymore and I tell him.

Many years ago, I was at a gun show. I asked to look at a Beretta Bobcat at the average vendor booth. He pulled it from under glass, and handed it to me without clearing it.

Luckily I looked at it before some shmo that might have picked it up and dry fired it into the first convenient back. Full magazine, and when I popped up the barrel, one in the pipe.

There is no accounting for the lack of training, or even basic safety concepts of the average person.

I got yelled at by a guy at a gunshow one time who handed me an uncleared pistol when I removed the magazine and checked the chamber. He got mad at me for racking it without asking him.

It amazes me when this happens at gun shops. You'd think that would be day one, hour one training, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

What's Your Deal!

the level of gun safety incompetence by some gun counter people reflects the incompetence of the people who manage and run gun counters. there's no other explanation.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:
Many years ago, I was at a gun show. I asked to look at a Beretta Bobcat at the average vendor booth. He pulled it from under glass, and handed it to me without clearing it.

Luckily I looked at it before some shmo that might have picked it up and dry fired it into the first convenient back. Full magazine, and when I popped up the barrel, one in the pipe.

There is no accounting for the lack of training, or even basic safety concepts of the average person.

Good god. unbelievable. you probably saved a life, or a shooting at best.

I find an "excuse me," spoken not as a question, not as a command, but somewhere in-between to work well for situations like that. Once you've got their attention, a simple "could you not point that at me?" works wonders.

As for gunshows, I stopped going after the occasion at one of the big Suncoast shows in Florida. I was standing talking to some dealer and looked over and some little fella had a rifle leveled at my chest from about ten feet away, looking through the scope.

Yikes.

The shop I tend to go to, won’t assist you until they are free to do so. You also take a number on entry.
Which means you wait until it’s your turn. The sales staff is trained up like this to avoid a few situations, one being what you experienced.

That's smart!

quote:

Originally posted by bigmule:
Yikes.

The shop I tend to go to, won’t assist you until they are free to do so. You also take a number on entry.
Which means you wait until it’s your turn. The sales staff is trained up like this to avoid a few situations, one being what you experienced.