Gun Store Employees and Unsafe Handling

[duns]

I would have fired him on the spot.

Me too. Gun shop employees should educate customers in the 4 rules not violate the rules. In this case, all 4 rules were violated.

 

[Bubbles]

There is a proper place and time, in a classroom/educational setting, with multiple safeguards in place to ensure that there are no accidents, for a demonstration like the OP described. Across the gun counter with two new shooters is not it.

 

[duns]

There is a proper place and time, in a classroom/educational setting, with multiple safeguards in place to ensure that there are no accidents, for a demonstration like the OP described. Across the gun counter with two new shooters is not it.

Completely agree!

 

[rooter]

Well I was going to say how I thought it was so wrong in so many ways and incredibly moronic, but I'm going to take Rooter's advice and mind my own business. Because we sure don't want to get "involved" in a firearms safety issue do we.

All I can really say is please read the OP.
Nobody got involved in a firearms safety issue here. Somebody got involved in a conversation that did not involve them. There was no horseplay going on at that time and no breach of safety being committed, simply some guys standing around looking at guns and talking.

If both parties, have a clue to begin with, and have both inspected the firearm, I'd probably bite my lip and walk out, BUT. At least one person in this little display, was obviously oblivious to proper handgun handling, and this experience only serves to show him, that it's fine to point a weapon at someone else.

It's a matter of personal ethics I suppose, I would not sit there and keep my mouth shut. If I'm butting in, fine, so be it, maybe someone won't have a hole blown through them at least in my presence. If I offend someone, tough, maybe I can at least plant a seed in their pin-head little brains that that particular act, was moronic at best.

With regard to the advice given earlier about "minding your own business"... If someone get's their head blown off in front of me, now I'm a witness to a gruesome and idiotic negligent discharge, possibly in the line of fire/ricochet, and possibly mentally messed up for a long time to come. Safety and proper handling is every ones concern.

Did anyone read and comprehend the OP before posting?

According to the OP, a saleman was showing some guns to prospective buyers and he disagreed with what the salesman had to say so he interjected just to disagree with the salesman's statement. There was no breach of safety being committed. Nothing in this scenario involved the OP. He should have never involved himself.

As it stands, his attempt to prove a point--and that is all it was IMO--made the situation worse.

I have a pretty good feeling he was going to show the guy the example with the 1911 regardless of whether or not I said anything. Seeing as how he's not bulletproof and I was about to walk by, it does affect me. Also, since the customer might buy a gun and carry over unsafe handling practices to the range, it can also potentially affect me.

Now you are grasping at straws.

I tendered my advice and I stick by it. You plunged into a situation that you didn't belong in with both feet for the sake of proving a point to the employee.

Sooner or later, sticking your nose where is does not belong will cause you serious problems of one type or another and you will sit back and reflect on this discourse. That is what it takes for some folks to grow. Until then, your simply looking for someone to reinforce your logic. You'll find it here.

Just an opinion from a confident guy who doesn't seek approval, justification for the things he does, or advice on personal actions from strangers on the www. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[testosterone]

what you are describing is gross negligence in my opinion and is the precise reason why there are "accidental" shootings.

There are rarely genuine accidents(gun's discharging from a malfunction).

 

[duns]

There was no horseplay going on at that time and no breach of safety being committed, simply some guys standing around looking at guns and talking.

The way I read it, there were people dry firing at each other not simply talking.

 

[rooter]

Basically, I was in a gun store that also has an indoor pistol range, and as I was walking out, happened to pass by the gun rental counter. This counter has a case of various handguns available for customers to rent. Two gentlemen were looking at various models, and a store employee was showing them the various features of each.

Duns, thanks for reinforcing my point. I can only lead a horse to water, not make him drink.

 

[Gouranga]

Personally, I think it is fine to give advice. If I were selling the weapon, I would appreciate it so long as I was doing a good job and providing accurate info. IMO, while you need to be careful on the tone and general demeanor in how you do it, you are just talking about basic humanity and helping a guy out.

As stated before though self defense classes meant to teach this have a time and place and a methodology to them that ensure safety. That place is not in the general store, with bystanders, with a weapon not specifically prepped for this event, with a customer new to guns. I agree, a lesson such as the one being taught is important and a real gun is the only way to demonstrate some aspects (as pointed out by a previous poster) but wrong time, wrong place, wrong gun.

The first time I walked into a gun store. I picked out a couple weapons for them to show me, they checked them, handed them to me and asked me to do the same. What that taught me first off, was even with gunners, guns were serious business and not an area you cut corners on safety. When checking the sights on the weapon and feel he specifically asked the only place it be pointed was a particular wall (away from customers and staff). When asking about various features, strengths/weaknesses he told me some of the stuff the guy was trying to demonstrate.

One thing about my CCW class that will stick with me, the instructor had one woman stand up and showed us her chair (a metal folding chair), it had a nice hole in it made by an "unloaded" .45 during a class held by one of their ex-employees in the room next door. It was definitely in an area that would have gotten someone in the center of the chest had they been sitting there.

Gun safety is all of our concern. Particularly when we are in range of the weapon in question. While we can definitely argue the pro's and con's of interjecting yourself into the sales pitch, stepping up to intercede on a safety issue, is something i think we all should be when possible.

 

[duns]

In order to illustrate his point, the clerk handed the customer a 1911 pistol from the case (action closed, safety off, hammer cocked) and instructed the customer to point it at him as he tried to grab it! :banghead: The customer did so and I heard a click and saw the hammer fall ...

Hey Rooter, didn't you read that part?

 

[shockwave]

The described situation is, to me, an outrageous violation of safe handling rules. These rules don't suddenly disappear when you're in a gun shop. You don't muzzle sweep people or pull a trigger on them at any time, or in any place. Even if both parties have verified the weapon is empty, you still don't do it.

It's worth pointing out that the demonstration could be easily performed by clerk or buyer independently with the free hand, weapon pointed in a safe direction: "Here, point the gun over there, hold the cylinder, now try to pull the trigger. See?"

 

[John Wayne]

It's worth pointing out that the demonstration could be easily performed by clerk or buyer independently with the free hand, weapon pointed in a safe direction: "Here, point the gun over there, hold the cylinder, now try to pull the trigger. See?"

Agreed, this would have been a much better way to do it. Even if you screw up, you've accidentally put a hole in the wall instead of someone else.

What makes it outrageous is that it would have taken no effort to simply point the gun in a safe direction while demonstrating the point.

 

[cottonmouth]

I heard of a guy at a gun show in Texas that got shot by a new in the box Glock, somehow left the factory loaded! Check it, then check it again.

J.B.