Asking to pull the trigger in the gun shop

Stefan A said:

BTW, I am not complaining - this is just an observation I thought might be interesting to talk about. I can certainly understand employees not wanting you to to pull the trigger of a gun that you might bring in.

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I think some of it comes down to the fact that many clerks in gun shops do not know which guns are safe to dry fire and which ones are not. Like with Spats McGee, I always ask first before I dry fire any gun, even when I know it's safe. Just common courtesy.

I used to tell the customer "First one is free. After that, a buck each". Grinning. But not on rimfires. For those I had some #6 or #8 screw anchors.
Karens used to really p me off when they'd grab a revolver and crank the trigger four or five times with no concept of direction. I was less gracious with them. Usually their subjects (husbands) would roll their eyes and shrug.

It seems like it would be the proper etiquette for me to ask. Even with permission if it has an exposed hammer I'll place my thumb under the hammer between the frame to cushion the blow. I never remember being told no.

I always ask. I don’t dry fire normally unless I am actually thinking on buying the gun.

I was in a gun shop I rarely darken the door of a few years back and I was wanting to buy a Ruger 10/22 as they had them on sale. The owner there was assisting me. He refused to allow me to dry fire to check the trigger. I told him I for sure wanted to buy one and I just wanted to make sure it was atleast decent. He refused. I bought it anyways and the trigger sucked. I should have left it, but... Traded it off promptly. Those folks are jerks a lot of times unless they see intent to purchase something.

They asked me what I was looking for once and I wanted something kinda obscure. I told them and the guy looks up on the computer to see if they had one. No, As soon as he seen no sale, he went back to his phone while I was still talking.

The other gun store, heck they tell ya to check the trigger when handing you one if they think you’ll like it. They know I’m a revolver guy so they often prompt me to check a trigger.

I always ask. Never been denied.
It's not my gun. I would ask to pull the trigger on anyone else's gun, whether in a shop or elsewhere.

I've always asked to operate the action and try the trigger if not told I can. It's never been a problem. The best operations will have snap caps they want you to use, and I'm happy to oblige.

I needed a kids .22 rifle, bolt action.
Saw a Savage for not much money.
Noticed it didn't have an AccuTrigger.
Ask to dry fire it once. Clerk said ok.
NOPE. Trigger was 'way too heavy for a kids gun imo.
Always check the trigger.

Yes I always ask if it's not posted on signage in the shop. We have one local shop that has signs saying "If you dry fire our guns you just bought that gun".

Aside from the safety concerns, dry firing is often potentially damaging to the gun. So from the point of view of the seller, it's understandable that he would not want the gun to be dry fired.

From the point of view of the buyer, it's unnecessary. If a bad trigger pull is a matter of the design, a buyer should be aware of that by reading gun reviews (something that should always be done before buying a gun). If it's a sample defect, it can be remedied.

I never mess with guns in this way before buying them. But then I'm a collector, not a shooter.

I always ask first. I don't even consider dry firing a rim fire.

I'm a trigger snob, so it's definitely a factor in my decision making on nearly every gun I contemplate acquiring. I'd never consider checking a trigger without consent though. If I'm selling, I don't deny permission to check a trigger but I don't give pre-approval. A crap trigger can be a deal breaker.

I only buy from 2 shops and I know everyone at the shops. I never ask unless it's something old or rimfire

AlexanderA said:

....... dry firing is often potentially damaging to the gun.........

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Please elaborate if you would.

AlexanderA said:

I never mess with guns in this way before buying them. But then I'm a collector, not a shooter.

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A fundamental distinction. If you're simply a collector, other than insuring it's safe, there's no reason to ever trip a hammer on a firearm you're buying (though I would, even in that circumstance). But if you're a shooter and you rightly value the importance of trigger pulls and how much it can vary even on the same gun from example to example, if you can't pull the trigger before purchase even with a snap cap, my advice is to try the trigger someplace else. And whereas gun reviews are important resources when it comes to deciding a purchase and even though sample defects can possibly be "remedied" by a gunsmith or the manufacturer, there is no substitute for trying the trigger yourself. The trigger doesn't have to be "defective" to be bad; there's no fixing a bad design from the beginning.

Not only do I ask but I always bring along appropriate snap caps including .22’s.

I ask permission, and have only been denied once that I can recall. I don't ask about rimfires, and want one from the back instead of on display.

The denial was at a pawn shop which trigger locked their guns. I was looking for a Ruger Blackhawk and they had one for a good price. The refusal cost them a sale, and all future sales to me. I get it though, it was a bad part of town and they may have had guns stolen or worse, loaded and then been robbed, so maybe it was a safety thing. Still, won't go back there.

I always ask, and they’ve never said no.

unless it was one of those silly shops that keep the trigger locked because of policy. But places like that are only for feeling how a grip feels or the like, never for actually buying

I’d be more inclined to buy a used gun without checking the trigger than a new one. A used gun is more likely to have a smooth trigger.

Stefan A said:

. . . do you ask the salesperson if it is OK to pull the trigger?

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Tactical tupperware striker-fired? No, I don't ask.
Hammer fired, al la 1911? Yes, I ask.
Used revolver? I ask.
New revolver? Don't ask, don't do it, and don't you dare turn the cylinder.

Don_P said:

Please elaborate if you would.

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I know that many rimfires will peen the hammer, the breech face, or both, if dry-fired.

Some guns (often older, hammer-fired designs) are also prone to firing pin cracking if dry-fired much. I suspect that this may be even more of an issue with older collectibles that might not have a floating firing pin, or delicate sporting guns. Peening around the firing pin hole can probably be an issue as well.

I ask. Mostly because a semi-local gun shop has a sign that says if you dry fire it, you buy it. I know for sure they can't enforce that rule but it did make me reconsider how to be courteous in a gun shop. Some don't care, others do. For the shops I really like, I do my best to stay on the good side of employees. Most modern designs handle dry fire fine, it is more a courtesy to the shop.

I have two pistols that should not be dry fired and can be damaged: Cz52 and Phoenix .22lr.
I'm sure there are others, but I'm not aware of any striker fired pistols that are harmed by it. I still ask out of common courtesy.