Any of You work at a Gun Store.

[sierrabravo45]

I worked at a gun store a few years ago and just started working for one again. The job is great and you meet some really nice people. Problem is you me some idiots to.

Just the other day I had a guy come in and was asking about pistols and then asked about the laws of owning one. I went through the checklist and when I said felony. He stopped me and said he had to check on it.

He then went on later to say he got in a fight with his wife, cops came and he beat up a cop in the process, and wasn't sure if that was a felony or not.

Why do these types of people come in? Why do they think I would sell them a gun after them telling me that?

I wish there was an IQ check at the door!!!

If any of you work in a shop, what are some stories you have heard??

 

[kd7nqb]

I work for a security company and for obvious reasons even our unarmed guys need to get background checks and 10yr employment checks. Your would be amazed at the number of people who ask questions like that or my personal favorite, "does my juvy record count?"

 

[Declaration Day]

I've never worked in a gunshop, but I've been around when idiots walked in.

I saw one man offer extra money for a gun if he could have it without filling out the 4473.

I've seen people come in to buy a gun, not knowing that any permit or background check was required.

Once at a gun show, I saw a guy, who was probably wanted by the law, lie on the 4473 and was arrested shortly thereafter.

The worst I've seen was an old guy who walked into the shop carrying a rifle, uncased. The shop owner reached for his pistol and ordered the man to drop the rifle, which he did. It turned out to be a broken air rifle, which the man was bringing in for repair.

 

[longtooth]

When in college I did. Had a guy buy a rifle & scope. We mounted & bore sited any new purchase for nothing. He wanted to do it himself. OK
Brought it back a couple of days later saying there was something wrong w/ the scope: could not hardly see anything. Barely see the cross.
Got it out to look.
Sir if you will let me turn this around for you you will love what you can see.
OH, I thought you looked in the big end.

 

[longtooth]

Only other one I had that was really good was a lady. Way back when you filled out Texas Huntinl lisences by hand the description had a place for weight. On ladies I got in the habit of saying, "Maam the State of Texas requires me to ask your weight." On more than one occasion it was evident that they were fudging some.
One lady was really big, Really Big, REALLY BIG. She did not mind the 6ft on how tall. When I said, "the state of Texas requires me to ask your weight" she said 145.
Maam i'm sorry.
Write it down. There was no mistake what she ment when she said that.
Yes maam. And I did.
Close as I can guess, 150 lb fudge & maybe more.

 

[BHPshooter]

Yep, I work in a gun store.

It's amazing how many people are utterly ignorant about gun laws. 98% of people think that there's still a waiting period, that there's gun registration (well, official gun registration anyway), and that hollowpoints are illegal.

We have people come in who are felons, and who are stupid enough to tell us that they're going to have their wife/girlfriend/buddy buy them one.

I actually had an illegal alien come in 2 weeks ago who wanted to buy a gun, as a matter of fact.

You run into a lot of fun stuff... but I love this job more than any other job I've ever had. I have just as many positive experiences as negative ones, though.

Wes

 

[javacodeman]

It's amazing how many people are utterly ignorant about gun laws. 98% of people think that there's still a waiting period, that there's gun registration (well, official gun registration anyway), and that hollowpoints are illegal.

People sure are, and I was one of them once. I hope that you kindly explain to them the facts. People who didn't grow up with guns and decide to start defending themselves, get into shooting, etc., have no reference for what is true except for what they are fed.

As we fight to inform others and to share our love of firearms and all that goes with them (RTKB, SD, HD, etc.), I hope we take the time to kindly explain facts like waiting periods, hollow points, registrations, clips vs. mags, bullet vs cartridge/round. Remember we don't want to alienate potential gun rights advocates.

java

 

[cbsbyte]

In this area the worst idiots are the ones behind the counter. The empolyees at some of the store near here are just complete tools, with terrible attiudes. It just something about gunstores.

 

[OEF_VET]

The worst I've seen was an old guy who walked into the shop carrying a rifle, uncased. The shop owner reached for his pistol and ordered the man to drop the rifle, which he did. It turned out to be a broken air rifle, which the man was bringing in for repair.

So, a customer walks into a GUNSHOP, an establishment which makes its' money buying, selling, and trading GUNS, with a GUN, and the owner automatically assumed he was going to try to rob them, and felt threatened enough to respond with a reach for a gun? Plenty of people bring guns into gunshops without putting them into a case. Enough so that it is prett assinine to assume they are there to rob the place. I'd say it's time for that gunshop owner to get out of the business, he's getting too paranoid for his own good.

 

[Declaration Day]

Attitudes about guns vary depending on what area you live in. While I agree with you, OEF VET, that it should not be a problem to bring in an uncased gun, that is the accepted method around here.

The shop in question is just outside of Detroit, which I'm sure you know is a very high-crime area.

 

[sierrabravo45]

I am just talking about the idiots walking in. Yes I have dealt with idiots behind the counter as well as in front.

I never BS a person and try to give them as many facts as I can. If I "don't know" which is a bunch of stuff, I will always look up answers instead of giving the guy a BS answer. Boards such as this provide me with lots of knowledge to pass on to Customers especially with questions such as "How do they shoot." I can't own every gun (I try though) but boards like this give me a great resource to look to on questions.

 

[Ala Dan]

Yes, I Work In A Gun Shop / Sporting Goods Store

Early this past fall, the Shiners sold raffle tickets on 100 firearms. Our store
was one of the authorized sellers of the raffle tickets; as well as being the
dealer whereas all 100 firearms were diverted to for pick-up by the actual
winners of the said firearms. One lady came in shortly after the drawing
having won a Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon II over and under 12 gague shotgun.
She presented a valid picture ID, then commenced too say that she wanted
to trade down for two Kel Tec .380's. When I explained that she would have
to complete a 4473 form she replied, "thats not a problem". As she was
answering the questions, she said "what does this one mean"? I looked
over the form and she was on the question that reads, "Have you ever
been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence"? She said,
"Well NO, but I'm a victim of domestic violence". After completing the
4473 and upon calling the NICS hotline, and giving the NICS operator
all the information; the request came back DENIED~!

Moral of the story is, her Shriner boy friend had sold her the winning
ticket; and she even tried to put the weapons in his name. I simply
said, "Thanks, but NO THANKS" - a good try, but we are not falling
for that one. But, we did allow her to receive a store credit to use
towards the purchase of other merchandise.

 

[atblis]

Ha

you were going to trader her two keltecs for a Beretta Silver Pigeon II?

That's a fair trade.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I work in a gun shop.

Every little once in awhile, we get shoe box customers.

No, I don't mean they're interested in buying shoes, which we don't sell, nor shoe boxes, which we also don't sell. I mean they walk in with shoe boxes tucked under their arms and eyes downcast.

Reassembly is usually supposed to be the reverse of disassembly; truth to tell, however, the directions never state reassembly is as quick and easy, nor do they often explain what to do with spare parts.

 

[Hardtarget]

Wolf...your post made laugh! I was in the local gun shop one afternoon. A man walked in with a Ruger Mk I .22 .He couldn't get it back together. I continued to look at the rack of rifles. The clerk, one of the younger guys, messed with it for a while. Soon I could see and hear the frustration set in.When I took a "not so subtle" look at the box, and said I also own a Ruger...it took about two seconds for them to push the parts to me.
I was lucky. My Dad had given me the Ruger for Christmas and the lessons included field strip and reassembly. Ten minutes and both the owner and clerk knew the steps and both had done it. We all had a good time.
Mark.

 

[thertel]

I work for an shop that also deals in suppressors, and NFA pretty regularly and would be suprised how often someone freaks out when they are in the shop and a customer comes in to pick up their suppressor. What torques me off is customers who have weapons shipped to us without our advance notice or against our policy of only accepting dealer to dealer shipments, and not accepting individual to dealer shipments for individuals. I know it is legal to do, but if we choose not to do it, then respect our choice.

We are not really a hunting store either, and I detest people that get all bent out of shape because we don't stock 30-06 or .270, or carry their favourite huntin' rifle.

 

[Sunray]

The shop I worked in long ago got 10 1903A4's sans scope. Sold one to a kid, $175Cdn. Saw the kid a few days later on a range. He had bubba'd the forestock with a rip saw, removed the hand guards then had the nerve to come in complaining it didn't shoot. Told him he wrecked it, so it was his. No returning a butchered rifle.
Mine shoots one hole groups off a bench with 168 grain match bullets. Assuming I do my part.

 

[hankdatank1362]

I was in a store buying several boxes of ammo when an older lady came in, looked at me, and asked if that was the only way she could buy ammo...by the box. She said she only needed six. All she knew was it was a .32 ... ACP, Long, or Short, she didn't know.

That wasn't as bad as when I first got into shooting.

Bought my first handgun, a Firestorm .45 1911 Government Model. Looked great. Had lots of problems, mainly the slide stop would get caught behind the plunger tube assembly, b/c the tube was always coming loose.

Well, I thought my gun would look nifty if I took my Dremel (I know, I know) and polished the blue off of the flat parts of the slide, leaving the side of the slide, with both front and back serrations, shiny steel. (much like a Kimber Eclipse)

Well, I didn't know shiny does not mean stainless. As this was my carry gun, it was exposed to a lot of IWB sweat and body oils, and quickly rusted. Bad.

When the gun finally fell apart in my hands (though no fault of my own, it was more trouble with that plunger tube) I told the store owner where I bought it from what had happened. He told me to bring it in and I could trade it in for something else.

He didn't look too happy when he saw my attempt at kitchen table gunsmithing.

But he still traded me out for somehting better, anyway.

 

[Myself]

and asked if that was the only way she could buy ammo...by the box. She said she only needed six.

Ha. Boy that brings back memories. Before my Dad died he said I should get his Colt Agent. I Asked him if he had any ammo and he said no, the lady at the gun shop wanted to sell him a box of 50 when he only needed 6.