Hypocrisy; where as Gun Owners do we draw the line.

[Carl N. Brown]

please compare apples to macintoshes, or oranges to clementines

A handgun carried on a concealed carry permit for selfdefense is not going to be carried in the hand, and handed to relative strangers for inspection, in a crowded room.

Permitted handgun carriers are different from some of the folks who show up at gunshows. I have seen two instances of folks going to a gun show and to a gun shop to dispose of inherited firearms that they had no interest in: the cop at the door of the gun show in charge of cable tying guns, jacked a live round out of the firing chamber and the Beretta had a full magazine. At the gun shop the non-shooting heir of the gun had no idea that the Winchester pump had a round in the chamber and eleven in the tube.

Carrying a loaded gun for self defense while conducting daily business is not the same as carrying a gun for sale or trade around at a gun show.

 

[Ole Humpback]

I agree with the OP. Its hypocritical to obey the rules of a gun show and then go down the street to Wal-Mart and pitch a fit because you can't CC in the store. Of the guns shows and retail stores I've been to and worked for over the years, very few people IMHO are even mentally capable of using a gun properly, let alone actually using one. Too many people at the shows I've been to or worked on a gun sale with are very much of the hero mentality and are waiting for that perfect chance to be the hero with their gun. Not proper gun ownership if you ask me.

Case in point happened while I was working at Wal-Mart. I working in Sporting Goods for deer season because I was the only cashier who knew guns and wasn't afraid to work with them. This customer came in to buy a gun, some Remington bolt action rifle (even though Indiana doesn't allow rifles), but wanted to get a feel for it before buying it. I get it out and he starts the whole point at people and swing it around unsafe stuff and I told that I needed the gun back due to his unsafe handling of it. The whole time this is going on a store manager is watching this. He gives me the gun and asks to see another, this time I remove the bolt & magazine. The customer & my manager both start fussing at me about poor customer service. While explaining to my manager why I did what I did, the customer had gone back to the point at people and swinging the gun around when an off duty LEO walked around the end of the counter to a muzzle in his face. He wasn't happy to say the least and immediately demanded that the customer drop the gun. The customer started the whole line of its not loaded and the LEO countered with how do you know to which he had no reply. I explained to the LEO that I had removed the bolt & magazine and left the trigger lock on the gun. The only person not upset with me after that was the LEO. I never worked in SG after that.

 

[orionengnr]

Carl N Brown hit the nail on the head

When I am in Wal-Mart, in a restaurant or wherever I am out and about, my handgun never leaves the holster, and nobody else knows it's there.

When I am at a Gun Show, guns are being handled by everyone, all around me, all day long. NDs at Gun Shows are not un-heard of. If guns were not unloaded and ty-wrapped, I imagine NDs would be far more common, with predictable results: someone would get killed, the venue would get sued, no more gun shows.

And I can guarantee you this: the antis would like nothing better.

 

[Sam1911]

very few people IMHO are even mentally capable of using a gun properly, let alone actually using one.

When we start tarring with that broad a brush, the all-out flame fest is about to begin.

I personally ascribe to Carl's view, just about word-for-word.

In any event, I think all views of the question have been adequately presented.

For a more complete thrashing-out of the question, see the thread linked above: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=456493