[Sportcat]

This stinks... one of the few gun stores in my city gets hit. While their prices tend to run a bit high, and sometimes a few of the guys are not quite helpful, I hate to see someone's business get robbed...

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/5935637.htm

[45King]

What I find ironic is the location of the store...directly across the street from SLED headquarters, the SC Criminal Justice Academy, and the BRR Correctional Institute.

<sigh>

[Chaz]

WOW! I used to go there quite a bit when I lived ip there. It is sad to see this but that part of town has been going downhill for a while now.

Is Lawman's safety supply still next door?

[Sportcat]

Lawmen's is a little further down Broad River Road closer to I-20.

45... I agree, these folks knew what they were doing. So close to all the LEO offices and such.

[Mauserlady]

Major bummer...

About a year ago I went in to our gunshop and noticed how bare the rifle racks were. Asked the owner what the deal was and he told us they were robbed... Apparantly the thieves got in through the duct system on the roof and pretty much cleaned them out...

[rdcinmn]

Mauserlady,
Was that shop called Hunter's retreat?
If so that was tried there back in the 90's.

[Mauserlady]

No rdcinmn, the name of the place is: "The Gun Shop" here in Lancaster. It may have even been back in 2001 seeing how time seems to be flying by... :D

[LiquidTension]

I was just in Palmetto last week. You'd think that a SLED employee would have walked across the street to see what was going on... :uhoh: Lawmen's was robbed a few years ago at their new location; apparently the robbers made off with several Sigs.

I won't expect to get any price breaks from Palmetto for a while :(

[Guntalk]

Note that stealing guns from a gun store is a federal crime. If the local cops can get the U.S. Attorney interested, when/if they find the bad guys, they could go down for some serious federal time.

[Carnitas]

Notice it wasn't a hot robery. Apparently the crooks think its easier to smash and grab than risk taking down the shop when its open.

[riverdog]

Don't most gun stores have vaults? I mean least for the handguns. One shop I frequent has two very large gun safes. These things are massive. ALL of the shop's pistol and rifle inventory goes in the two safes after working hours.

There's way too much reliance on electronic security. LE is always a little late to a crime scene -- plan for it with better physical security.

[Double Naught Spy]

The gun store in question was NOT robbed. It was burgled. There was no confrontation interaction between the bad guys and the owners or clerks at the store, so they weren't robbed.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

A long,long time ago I had acquaintances who owned an archery/gun store. One morning as the wife of the couple was opening up, an armed man burst through the door, fired a round from his handgun into the ceiling tiles, and demanded the cash drawer. The wife complied, but when the robber's attention was turned to the (empty of guns- they were still in the vault) display cases, the wife drew a compound bow and placed a razorhead squarely through the robber's aortic bulb.

The robber expired before either the police or EMT's arrived.

That's another reason why most gun stores are burgled rather than robbed.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[Monkeyleg]

A shop that I visit from time to time is like a fortress. There's razor wire in the ductwork, all sorts of steel barriers built into the walls, and more.

One guy tried to break into the place and got trapped inside. It was an easy arrest for the cops.

[The Rock]

Burgled I can believe --- robbed is when they are open...

Around here , the affiliate of Bob's out in Isle of Wight was robbed during business hours. Guy made off with a bunch of handguns. I'm guessing that this place, like Bob's, doesn't have its folks carry, in stark contrast from everywhere else.

To each his own, but I can't image handing guns over the counter to folks without being armed; how easy for somebody to ask:

'Hey can I see that (insert gun of choice here).'
You hand it over.
They load it and now are hot...

If you are carrying; along with everybody else in the store that is working, by the time they have it loaded and are vaguely pointing it around they will have at least 2 if not more (and usually more! where I work) weapons pointed at them.

Usually pistols but the employees are known to pack odd stuff; not to mention the other surprises that are placed around.

Oh, and did I mention that most of the employees are either:
1. Match shooters
2. Cowboy Action shooters
3. IDPA/IPSC/AP shooters
4. Seen the elephant shooters
or
5. Combo of above

And that doesn't factor in our customers; some of whom are LE and or those that hold CHPs...

Somehow, I understand why the times we have had thefts, it has been the brick thru window and grad what you can type of thing...

TR

[Sportcat]

They caught one of the guys...

http://wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=1299148&nav=0RaMG5pV