John Wayne
Member
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2007
- Messages
- 1,133
I don't want this to turn into a rant, but I was in a gun store a few days ago and witnessed something that really made me uncomfortable. I am genuinely unsure of how to approach the situation, and would like feedback.
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.
Because these customers were interested in a handgun for defensive reasons (I assume), the employee was explaining that in close quarters, an assailant could grab the slide of your auto pistol and render it single shot. I do not know the employee personally, but know that he is quick to recommend revolvers to anyone pretty much regardless of what they're looking for. I pointed out, in passing ( and with the intention of benefiting the prospective customer rather than to start an argument), that you could just as easily prevent the cylinder of a revolver from turning by grabbing it. Both are valid points, and I don't want to get bogged down in that issue. It's an opinion, and your view on it one way or another does not comprimise safety. It's what happened next that bothered me.
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 before I could even think of what to do! Then, the employee takes a S&W revolver from the case, points it at the customer while the customer grabs the cylinder of the revolver, as the employee tries to pull the trigger! (He couldn't do it without first wrestling the gun free, but that's not the point) Now, I'll give this guy the benefit of the doubt and say that he inspected the guns to ensure they were unloaded--but to me that doesn't make a damn bit of difference.
What he did violated every one of the four rules, constitutes a felony as far as I'm aware, and was, IMO, how people get killed. Now, the hard part is that I have an (expensive) membership to this range, and that this guy is of the typical "I'm the guy behind the counter so I'm right" mentality.
What should I do?
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.
Because these customers were interested in a handgun for defensive reasons (I assume), the employee was explaining that in close quarters, an assailant could grab the slide of your auto pistol and render it single shot. I do not know the employee personally, but know that he is quick to recommend revolvers to anyone pretty much regardless of what they're looking for. I pointed out, in passing ( and with the intention of benefiting the prospective customer rather than to start an argument), that you could just as easily prevent the cylinder of a revolver from turning by grabbing it. Both are valid points, and I don't want to get bogged down in that issue. It's an opinion, and your view on it one way or another does not comprimise safety. It's what happened next that bothered me.
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 before I could even think of what to do! Then, the employee takes a S&W revolver from the case, points it at the customer while the customer grabs the cylinder of the revolver, as the employee tries to pull the trigger! (He couldn't do it without first wrestling the gun free, but that's not the point) Now, I'll give this guy the benefit of the doubt and say that he inspected the guns to ensure they were unloaded--but to me that doesn't make a damn bit of difference.
What he did violated every one of the four rules, constitutes a felony as far as I'm aware, and was, IMO, how people get killed. Now, the hard part is that I have an (expensive) membership to this range, and that this guy is of the typical "I'm the guy behind the counter so I'm right" mentality.
What should I do?