Loaded gun in the gun shop!?

[KBintheSLC]

This morning I stopped by the local gun shop to drop off a problematic J-frame for repairs. While I was talking to a clerk at the counter, a fella was checking out a rifle on the used rack. I noticed he was pointing the muzzle around the room covering many of us with it as he examined the gun. He appeared to take for granted that the rifle was not loaded as many do when visiting the toy store. A brief thought passed through my head as I witnessed the event... "I hate looking down the business end of a gun".

I silently swallowed my concerns and continued to converse with the clerk for another minute or two when a voice behind me suddenly squawked "holy _____ this gun is loaded!!!". When I turned around to see the commotion, there stood the same guy with the same rifle holding a single, live .303 British soft-point that he had just plucked from the chamber.

Needless to say, the manager of the shop was more than slightly concerned. I am assuming that whoever the employee was who brought that gun out for display will be waiting in line at the temp service soon.

Anyway, I just wanted to share this experience with you folks so that we can all remember that a gun is still a gun, even when it is at the gun shop. People get shot with "empty" guns from time to time. So, even if your gun is "empty", please treat it as if it were not. Always check the gun personally before handling it. And, if you see some yahoo covering you with a muzzle, by all means speak up.

Best regards.

 

[Forklift352]

I all ways call them on pointing a gun at me....
I smile and say "point it at me again and Ill point mine at you."
They some times say "Oh,its not loaded." "keep your shirt on"
I smile and say " Ya,neither is mine pal."

 

[rainbowbob]

I smile and say "point it at me again and Ill point mine at you."
They some times say "Oh,its not loaded." "keep your shirt on"
Without smiling I say " Mine is."

Fixed it for ya.


Having been robbed at gun-point, I have a thing about people pointing guns at me.

I'm weird like that.

 

[Sam1911]

Can we sticky this somehow? Maybe create some automated link so that every time there's a thread where someone is pointing out how muzzle discipline isn't a big deal in gun shops and how we all aught to not be so tight-arsed about safety -- this thread automatically links in?

-Sam, who remains tight-arsed about gun safety.

 

[mcdonl]

I have said this before in another of these threads but I like repeating it, I had an IDPA instructor state... "If you point your gun at me, I will assume you want to engage in a gunfight and I will act accordingly...."

I thought that said it all.

Leroy

 

[mcdonl]

Sam... I follow the rule of not even allowing ammo in my reloading/cleaning/gawking bench or area... I only load my guns for use (Carry, hunting or range.....)... Cant be stressed enough.

EVERY one of the accidents posted lately could have been avoided if the simple rules were followed.

 

[easy]

Rule #1. Always.

 

[Kwanger]

Thankfully, I've not ever been robbed at gunpoint....but I also have a thing about people pointing guns at me.

This idiot in the store had no manners....but similarly, what kind of store are they running to allow that to happen, given they know full well that these bad mannered, unsafe idiots come in day in, day out. Not sure which is worse.

 

[Norinco982lover]

Thanks for the reminder.

Be safe out there, guys!

~Norinco

 

[Zoogster]

Some people are just conditioned stupid in our society.

You say "watch where you point that thing" and some morons are likely to pull the trigger just to demonstrate it is unloaded while telling you to relax.
So telling someone to "watch where they point" that may be even more likely to result in it being fired in a gunshop.

Too many people are used to being looked after like a helpless flock these days. They expect others to make things safe, rely on LEDs, computer readouts, vehicle safeties or other things which can fail rather than doing any more than necessary themselves.
It is why I cringed when I heard about them making computerized automatic braking using sensors in some vehicles. I couldn't help but think "Well now numerous idiots will simply expect the computer to brake for them most of the time". Of course the consequences of that are clear.
An extension of the same problem, resulting from such nannying of the population is that they expect chambers to be empty and guns unloaded by others when they pick them up and handle them at a gun shop.
They are so inclined they will even point it in many poor places, and pull the trigger without checking to make sure the gun is unloaded.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I've seen six ADs in my life. Three were in gun shops or gun auctions.

Every time a firearm enters my hands I check its state.

Every time.

-And I hate being swept.

 

[chrisbfd]

Bad habits at the range

I was shooting at Arizona range in Ft Lauderdale. I turned around to throw out spent cases and here's this guy watching his buddy shoot, holding his rifle in one hand pointed right at me!
He gives me this stupid grin and shrugged his shoulders, and went back to being a spectator.
Could I construe that as a threat?

 

[ny32182]

Sweeping in gun shops may be bad manners, but it is going to happen and there is nothing that any of us can do about it without requiring everyone who walks through the door to take firearms safety classes. Not everyone who walks into a gun shop is aware of all the safety rules, and shops have to be prepared for that as well as the other more experienced patrons.

Have a loaded rifle on a readily accessible rack in the middle of the shop is the shop's fault, and is totally inexcusable. That is an F-Up of the highest order.

That said, I personally check every gun that I pick up, or is handed to me in a gun shop, as the first order of business, with the muzzle in the air. I leave the action open unless testing the trigger or something. I try not to sweep anyone while examining the gun, but if there is a large crowd around, it is briefly sometimes all but unavoidable.

Making statments inferring that you are going to shoot someone over a safety violation are not in the best interests of furthering the teaching of safety guidelines, in my opinion. The recipient is going to see it as a (laughable) empty threat, and empty threats are not going to teach a newbie about gun handling.

 

[vicdotcom]

Store owner once told me that he had a problem with some freaks coming in with a few rounds and placing them into random rifles. It would happen a few times a year but never found out who it was. Eventually they started putting locks on all the rifles. One guy seemed to think it was a bunch of antis that didnt want the shop in their area.

So sometimes it isn't someone working at the store who does it, but they will still have liability.

 

[currahee1]

The one that really gets me is the person at the range that gets a jam. They stop pointing their weapon at the target and are now holding it side ways looking at the chamber and trying to figure out what to do. They are not even thinking that they are pointing a loaded weapon at all the people shooting in the booths next to them.

 

[vicdotcom]

The one that really gets me is the person at the range that gets a jam. They stop pointing their weapon at the target and are now holding it side ways looking at the chamber and trying to figure out what to do.

I saw some guy do this when their Desert Eagle 50 jammed. He got kicked out of the range.

 

[Floppy_D]

I had a GYSGT at the Camp Allen gun range hand me a loaded rifle, twice on the same day. Anyone can get complacent. Thanks for the safety reminder.

Store owner once told me that he had a problem with some freaks comming in with a few rounds and placing them into random rifles.

Yikes!!

 

[clemsonu0219]

I have had a gun to my head before, I assume it was loaded. Its not fun. I would get extremely 'offensive', or call it 'defensive' if someone even pointed an unloaded gun at me.

Not saying I would shoot them or anything, but they would know REAL quick not to do that again. Close call OP, good thing he didn't ask if he could 'dry fire'.

Two of the loudest sounds in the world come from a gun... one is when one goes off and its not supposed to, one is when its supposed to go off and doesn't.

 

[rainbowbob]

...Sweeping in gun shops may be bad manners, but it is going to happen and there is nothing that any of us can do about it...

Farting in a gun store might be bad manners...

Sweeping someone in a gun shop - or anywhere else - is NOT bad manners. What it IS is an ignorant and/or willful disregard for common sense and a basic consideration of the safety of others.

Gun stores CAN do something about it.

For example:

They can train their people to remind every person to whom they hand a firearm to "Watch the muzzle and don't point it anyone."

...or...

How about a large sign in neon orange on the door saying:

"IF YOU HANDLE A FIREARM IN THIS STORE - DO NOT POINT IT AT ANYONE!"

..or, perhaps...

"IF YOU POINT A FIREARM AT ANYONE IN THIS STORE - YOU MAY FIND ONE POINTED BACK AT YOU."

...or maybe just...

"IF YOU POINT A FIREARM AT ANYONE IN THIS STORE - YOU WILL BE IMMEDIATELY ESCORTED OUT OF THE STORE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY."

 

[CoRoMo]

How about a large sign...
"IF YOU POINT A FIREARM AT ANYONE IN THIS STORE - YOU MAY FIND ONE POINTED BACK AT YOU."

That is a very good idea, seriously!

 

[THE DARK KNIGHT]

Having been robbed at gun-point, I have a thing about people pointing guns at me.

I'm weird like that.

Exactly. I was held at gunpoint ~8 months ago, while armed. It had a *slight* impression on me and I don't quite think I'd react the same if it happened again.

 

[TCB in TN]

Keep waiting to hear about someone shot that way. Hate to expect the worst from people, but can see some rabid anti intentionally loading one to make it happen!

 

[Shadow 7D]

Was at a shop once where the owner asked a customer to put a rifle down. The guy asked what? The owner told him that he was done watching him wave the rifle around the store and now he was either going to buy something or walk out the door.

 

[mgregg85]

I really hate it when people get mad at you for telling them not to point a gun at you. I'm fairly certain they would be rather upset if I drew out my concealed pistol and pointed it at them while I was casually examining it.

 

[Quilbilly]

This is why we have our rules. Because the gun IS always loaded.