Would this bother you?

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Lol, this whole thing of the clerk asking three times is ridiculous. Yes, at this point he feels the OP Jonwill is a low down criminal. As a clerk in a firearm store, he cannot understand why anyone would want to purchase a nice gun like a P series Ruger. and at a price of $150.00. Never occurred to the clerk, that a lot of folks might want to buy up a few. They are nice guns, Ruger has great customer service, and a lot of folks like to collect them. Maybe now that the clerk has asked not once, not twice, but three times, it is now time to ask the clerk why he thinks I am a criminal and lying to him. Maybe now is the time to find out what he knows about the Ruger P series. Ask him why would he not understand that I might want more than one at this price? "I am sorry if you do not understand that. I was hoping we could have a good mutual sale, and that you would appreciate me as a customer and give me respect as I would with you. But obviously that is not the case here. I like the store, I like the prices, but in the future, I would prefer to deal with someone else. If the store manager feels I have criminal intentions, or like yourself, feel I am a criminal, than that is fine as well and he has every right to refuse me as a customer and I will accept this.

I am sorry if others cannot understand this. Sounds to me, like the clerk knows very little about firearms, and more interested in busting some law abiding citizen that has done absolute nothing illegal. Jonwill is guilty. Guilty of being fond of Ruger P series and looking like a low down criminal by a store clerk.
 
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It's pretty clear it was a baseless assumption by a dumb employee.
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It's fairly unusual for a person to buy a significant number of the same type of gun over a relatively short period of time. The weekly spacing might not be as much of a red flag, but combining that spacing with the unusual behavior of repeatedly buying the same type of gun over a relatively short period does suggest that the person is trying to avoid the multiple handgun sale reporting issue.

So, no, it's not baseless. The behavior is not directly incriminating, but it is somewhat suspicious. Enough to warrant further investigation--such as asking questions.
I guess you missed the part where the shop had a month to get to know a customer better by asking some basic, non intrusive questions first instead of jumping in feet first with his jr batfe badge.
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I didn't miss that at all. And asking the purchaser about straw sales isn't "jumping in feet first". Jumping in feet first would have been reporting the unusual purchase activity to the BATF or to local law enforcement.
As a clerk in a firearm store, he cannot understand why anyone would want to purchase a nice gun like a P series Ruger. and at a price of $150.00.
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That's not the issue at all. A single purchase would have never drawn any suspicion. Even multiple purchases of different types of guns wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. But multiple purchases of the same type of gun is somewhat unusual and that's why the question was asked.
Never occurred to the clerk, that a lot of folks might want to buy up a few.
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It may have occurred to him or it may not have, but at some point, it's worth asking some questions.
They are nice guns, Ruger has great customer service, and a lot of folks like to collect them.
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It happens I like the P-series Rugers and have a number of them--five, in fact. For whatever it's worth, Ruger's support of the P-Series guns is not great any more under their new support model. For example, I'm not sure you can even buy recoil spring assemblies for the P95 pistols any more. And while I'm sure some people do have a number of them (since I'm one of those persons) I doubt that there's really much true collector interest in them.

People are free to get bent out of shape over anything they want. Sometimes it is are justified and sometimes it is not. In this particular situation, I don't believe getting bent out of shape is justified if one takes the time to really look at it from the clerk's perspective. You're certainly free to be vicariously angry about what happened to the OP if that's what you want to do but that's not helping anything--not even the OP. On the other hand, it's often valuable to be able to see both sides of a situation and even when it's not really important to understand both sides, having that extra insight won't cause you any harm.
 
I think the OP would be better off giving his business to another store. Forget the clerk and move on. Even if other sales are great on other firearms, not worth giving your hard earned money to a store that believe you may be a criminal for what ever reason other than you simple bought multiple Pistols and a bargain price and doing so within every legal limit. Just not worth the price to shop in a place that the clerk will make you feel uncomfortable. This is not good business. And the store can conduct themselves anyway they want and you can shop anywhere you want. And I am willing to bet other stores would appreciate your business. Maybe the store should stop selling guns for $150.00. Perhaps a customer will inquire about why the store is contributing to criminals by selling such low cost guns. Ask them that.
Not to mention the OP was buying different models. And not all clerks are this rude. Most are friendly, and would likely ask why you like a certain firearm, are you a fan, how did the last one shoot etc.
There is NO excuse for bad behavior. And a tactless clerk needs to find another job. Very UN-professional the way he handled the customer. A loyal buying customer.

FYT you can buy recoil springs in many places like the one below. And one forum member on the Ruger forum did in fact have Ruger service a old P series gun.

Wolf Springs

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Some here don’t seem to get it. Maybe I can put it in a way they can understand

You go into a bar and get a glass of whiskey. Perfectly legal. It’s my right. Then another, then another. At some point the bartender cuts you off. You get all pissy and rant and rave and make a scene. I can have as much as I want, I know what I’m doing, it’s my right, my decision. No skin off your hide.

Uhhh....no. If you get arrested on the way home or worse yet kill someone, the bartender at the least gets sued and maybe goes to jail. He should have reasonably known the situation. He is liable.

There was a dealer in Bristol, Indiana that was totally a 2A guy. Anybody that wants a gun should be able to get one. He sold a gun to a guy without a background check. Later that gun was used to kill a police officer in Mishawaka, Indiana during a raid. His defense was that the gun was in his private inventory and off the books. The gun dealer now has 20 years to life to ponder the error of his ways.

I worked in a gun shop. We refused to sell to some people in pretty much the above situation. Later we found out that two of them were specifically sent in to make straw purchases from the City of Gary when they were suing local gun dealers for Gary’s gun violence problems

So, you can rant and rave and have your entitlement attitude. And you can take your business elsewhere. I’m not gonna get sued and maybe go to jail because you get a butt hurt attitude. The $40 I make on a gun sale isn’t worth it.
 
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redneck2 said:
Some here don’t seem to get it. Maybe I can put it in a way they can understand

You go into a bar and get a glass of whiskey. Perfectly legal. It’s my right. Then another, then another. At some point the bartender cuts you off. You get all pissy and rant and rave and make a scene. I can have as much as I want, I know what I’m doing, it’s my right, my decision. No skin off your hide.

Uhhh....no. If you get arrested on the way home or worse yet kill someone, the bartender at the least gets sued and maybe goes to jail. He should have reasonably known the situation. He is liable.

There was a dealer in Bristol, Indiana that was totally a 2A guy. Anybody that wants a gun should be able to get one. He sold a gun to a guy without a background check. Later that gun was used to kill a police officer in Mishawaka, Indiana during a raid. His defense was that the gun was in his private inventory and off the books. The gun dealer now has 20 years to life to ponder the error of his ways.

I worked in a gun shop. We refused to sell to some people in pretty much the above situation. Later we found out that two of them were specifically sent in to make straw purchases from the City of Gary when they were suing local gun dealers for Gary’s gun violence problems

So, you can rant and rave and have your entitlement attitude. And you can take your business elsewhere. I’m not gonna get sued and maybe go to jail because you get a butt hurt attitude. The $40 I make on a gun sale isn’t worth it.
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Drunk driving is illegal so is selling a gun without a background check. Your example not even close to the situation. You need to read more carefully efore posting I am taking my business else where. If I am assumed to be a possible criminal ( an actual felon) with no proof I have no interest in going there. I guess my crime is collecting guns that are no longer produced and at a good price. If they don’t want to sell guns to a paying customer that is their choice

Here is an example that probably applies to members here. You might volunteer at your church to run a Bible study for kids. You might be really popular. You do fit the profile of a child molester even though you aren’t
How would you feel if the a pastor or concerned parent cane up to you and didn’t directly accuse you but told you that child molesters are mainly adults who run kids bible studies. Would you stay in there and respond that you understand why they suspect you

I am amazed at the responses. I am following the law. I pass every background check immediately. The store doesn’t accept concealed carry permits. You have to go through the normal background check as people without one.
It seems that many think it’s fine to be suspicious about people following the law. I guess the same people would have no problem for the store to contact law enforcement to have you watched. That is right out of a totalitarian government playbook. Maybe if you buy too much ammunition you should be suspected of being in an anti government group?
 
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No, I would have the choice of answering or not answering - sometimes silence is the best response - not every question in life requires an answer - just don’t respond.
 
The comparisons to drunk driving and selling without a background check do not apply here. Neither does "entitlement mentality".

Caution on the part of the store clerk was was reasonable but he was not tactful in his inquiry.
Customer was not pleased with the repeated question , taking it as a thinly veiled accusation. (as I would have)
Customer / OP states that he is taking his business elsewhere. He is voting with his wallet and his feet.
Seems to me that we have resolution.
 
JONWILL said:
Drunk driving is illegal so is selling a gun without a background check. Your example not even close to the situation
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No, selling a gun in Indiana without a background check is perfectly legal between private parties.

I can assure you that, if I work in a gun shop and I sell you a firearm and I should reasonably believe you may be a straw purchaser, both I and the shop can be held liable. I don’t know why that is such a difficult concept

I have a good friend that is an executive in a large insurance company. He says that the time to evaluate your decisions is not while you’re on the witness stand. You should have figured that out a long time ago.

While I agree that (assuming the conversation went as described) the clerk may not have handled it well, I might well have done something similar. Except with more tact. In fact, I did it multiple times.
 
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redneck2 said:
No, selling a gun in Indiana without a background check is perfectly legal between private parties.
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redneck2 said:
There was a dealer in Bristol, Indiana that was totally a 2A guy. ..... He sold a gun to a guy without a background check.
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The dealer in Indiana took a very foolish risk with an individual who was unworthy of his trust.
There is no comparison basis for comparison between that and the OP scenario.

Speaking of the OP ,
He is voting with his wallet and his feet.
Seems to me that we have resolution.
 
redneck2 said:
So, you can rant and rave and have your entitlement attitude. And you can take your business elsewhere. I’m not gonna get sued and maybe go to jail because you get a butt hurt attitude. The $40 I make on a gun sale isn’t worth it.
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^^^Well said.

What most folks aren't realizing is, we are only going on what the OP has told us. We have only heard one side of the story and odds are, since it's readily apparent he was offended, it is biased, intentionally or not. We also were not there in person to see or hear how he answered the question or what his reaction and/or body language/posture was. All of this could have raised suspicions. Maybe the clerk wasn't tactful, but maybe the OP wasn't either. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and move on. Seems these types of forums, that once started out as a source of information, have turned into a source of whining about every little thing. "OMG, the lady at Wal-Mart asked if this ammo was for a rifle or a pistol!" "OMG....my brand new 637, in the box, has carbon on two cylinders from test firing, is this normal?"

JSMH.......:scrutiny:
 
JohnKSa said:
It's fairly unusual for a person to buy a significant number of the same type of gun over a relatively short period of time.
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Your "fairly unusual" is called "collecting".

JohnKSa said:
I didn't miss that at all. And asking the purchaser about straw sales isn't "jumping in feet first". Jumping in feet first would have been reporting the unusual purchase activity to the BATF or to local law enforcement.
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It's jumping in feet first to presume a repeat customer is committing felonies. Tactless, and stupid.

redneck2 said:
You go into a bar and get a glass of whiskey. Perfectly legal. It’s my right. Then another, then another. At some point the bartender cuts you off. You get all pissy and rant and rave and make a scene. I can have as much as I want, I know what I’m doing, it’s my right, my decision. No skin off your hide.
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You are bad at analogies.

A better analogy is I come in once a week for my whiskey and you ask me if I know what a no drink order is three times, implying I am a drunk and a criminal. Then you to would lack tact.
 
Context is everything. The approach of the employee was a bit insulting. I can’t stand passive aggressive data mining. If you’ve got something to ask, just ask. Of course someone actually doing something illegal, who knows it’s illegal, will now be on alert.

It’s not like the guns in question are highly sought after by collectors. Multiple purchases in a short timeframe of inexpensive guns would maybe raise my awareness a bit, but I wouldn’t keep asking my customer the same question in a hope they’d get tripped up.

This could be resolved with a simple conversation. I applaud the salesman’s diligence, not his approach.

If the OP was insulted and wants to take his business elsewhere as indicated, that’s cool. No reason to do business with people that made you mad.
 
I can tell a lot of folks on here have never worked behind a retail counter or at a gun shop.

1) The OP's behavior of buying one inexpensive gun a week IS a red flag to a gun shop, especially if it isn't someone we've spent a lot of time working with.

2) Shops are used to collectors, but again, they are generally regulars and to be 100% honest, they don't typically buy $150 Ruger P-series guns. If we were talking somebody who was picking up a bunch of old S&Ws or Colts, the red flag doesn't get raised as high.

3) The clerk may have lacked tact, but he was a lot more polite than a lot of us Yankees here in New England. There's a good chance up here the question would've been "What are you doing with all of these Rugers?"

4) Remember, the shop has the final decision on whether or not to sell you a gun. If they don't like the way the sale feels for ANY reason at any time, they can refuse.
 
I’ve worked at 3 different gun shops in two different states. One of the biggest underlying themes pushed by ownership and management in each shop was for the employees to be on the lookout for straw purchases. There are certain types of behaviors that are red flags to gun shop employees. In most cases, asking a few questions cleared things up pretty quickly.

The OP’s behavior would have raised a red flag to me too. Also, his explanation of why he was buying the guns in that manner is perfectly understandable. All it would take on my part would be a friendly, polite question or two and I’d have been satisfied. So the only real issue here is the tact of the employee at the OP’s shop, not the fact that he was suspicious in the first place.
 
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