Today at the gun store...

[cyclopsshooter]

Today a college kid and his girlfriend came into the store- he asked to see an M&P15- as i was handing it to him he pronounced his expertise with the weapon... before my hands could be put down on the counter he dumped the magazine on to the floor... To help him save face in the presence of his "squeeze" (she was a hottie by the way!) I said, "don't worry, you are not the first to do this." He handed me back the weapon and they went on to look around the store...
A while later he asked about renting a 9mm and using our indoor range so he could familiarize her with the cartridge. I informed him of the rules (no rapid fire) and got the gear together that they needed- when we arrived at the stall i asked him if he was familiar with the Beretta 92... He said, "oh yeah!"
I left them to the devise and returned to the store front. A few minutes later he came out front complaining that the gun didn't work- he said that the trigger would pull back all the way but the gun wouldn't fire... I thought, "could be, used guns can be a grab bag of reliability"- (even though it was a LEO trade in)
Went back in the range with him where the hottie was waiting only to find that the de-cock safety was engaged :banghead:
After that the girl had a look on her face.. (OMG Im hanging with an idiot)
I left without making fun or being condescending
No sooner did I make it to the store front only to hear 9mm Rapid Fire

 

[juk]

I hate it when that happens. Many guys feel that it is their duty to try to show off their proficiency with firearms in the presence of a female. People in that position get very cranky when you correct them on things too. If I had the authority, I would have kicked several frat house rambos out the door. Usually they are too wrapped up in trying to look cool than obeying some of the most basic safety precautions. I'm not pretending to be a professional on the subject, but I like to think that my argument has some truth to it...I just got done with 6 years of college and have spent many hours on college town ranges.

 

[NELSONs02]

Most College kids these days are semi-liberal d-bags that think they know what there're doing because they play Call of Duty and have shot their dads rifle one time, five years ago.

I would know, I go to school with said d-bags and they SUCK. I'm just a country boy that wants an education.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

imo, maybe don't be so nice. You told the guy once politely...he didn't listen. should've been asked to leave I've always thought it'd be great to work in a gun store...this post made me think otherwise. I'd probably lose my job and be lucky to do it without an assault charge as well

 

[GojuBrian]

You just have to laugh at some people.

 

[ar10]

I see it all the time at our range. The boy friend brings his girlfriend and wants to impress them with with all their knowledge. He hands her his gun, (usually a semi auto), shows her the safety and she proceeds to shoot. Problem is she has a low cut blouse on, the gun is way too big for her to shoot for a first time shooter, and worst of all she raps her thumb right behind and under the slide. I see that combination of errors all the time.
One girl had the top of her thumb peeled off to the bone. And another one, I've seen this a number of times, get the case right down the front of her blouse. That is the most dangerous because she's bouncing around behind the firing line with a still loaded gun in her hand while trying to get a hot case out of her bra.
Whenever I get new shooters, (ones I haven't seen before), I watch them like a hawk, usually I stand right behind them until I'm satisfied they know what they're doing.

 

[tasco 74]

one the things that really pi$$es me off is when some hot hot shot air head askes for a gun from behind the counter and procedes most of the time without even doing a chamber check in sweeping the muzzle across in my direction..... i've had talks before with such idiots..... i try never to point a muzzle at anything i don't want to shoot and others would be well advised to do the same...........................

DO YOU HEAR ME??... DO YOU HEAR MY RUNNIN?? DO YOU HEAR ME RUNNIN DO YOU HEAR ME CALLIN YOU.....................

 

[Shung]

LoL.. poor fellow. What a lonely night ahead of him..

 

[djs764]

one the things that really pi$$es me off is when some hot hot shot air head askes for a gun from behind the counter and procedes most of the time without even doing a chamber check in sweeping the muzzle across in my direction.....

Sorry..But shouldn't the dealer be handing them the gun already checked with the slide locked back ? I've never been into any gun shop where they didn't chamber check it themself and hand it to me locked back. Looks like there's 2 hot shot air heads here I'd have a talk with him too

 

[larry_minn]

It is amazing how folks will LIE that they know how to operate a gun (or other item) when they don't have a clue... If someone wants to shoot one of my guns. (I used to belong to a private club where it was VERY common to swap guns so you could try something new. (I got to shoot a WIDE variety of guns in a short period of time)
Unless I KNEW the person owned that type of gun I went thru operations with empty gun (on the line) Then had them operate it "with empty gun yet" and finally they got loaded mag/shells.
I have rented guns in a number of states. (i.e. they don't know me/have clue if I am familiar with a gun) Often they just hand it to me. "you know how to shoot this?" as I like to rent something new (to me) I will ask them to go over operation. Then remark "its basicly similar to a (Glock, 1911, S&W,etc)"
Regards rapid fire. While many ranges don't allow it. Often they will let you "get around" if you follow a couple rules. First do slow fire. Be there when range is not busy. After shooting a couple mags clear gun and talk to range staff. (i.e. buying some more ammo, targets, drink of water) Mention you would like to do some double taps. Would that be allowed? I would say 90% of time (closer to 100 if no younger folks on range) I will get respons. "well if you keep them on paper, go ahead" "we just don't want folks shooting up target hangers,floor,lights,etc. I saw you can hit the targer" Then don't abuse the exception. (i.e. rapid fire a full mag all over range.)
I have taken the silouette hanger (some have two seperate clips) and put two B-2 targets on it. Two double taps. After that is time to ask about drawing from holster.
Also be ok if they tell you single shots later. Often when I check out the guy says "sorry about that but some punk kid came in and heard you, He complained because he got chewed out for shooting rapid fire" (and hitting everything but target)

I do recall being slightly diestracte taking a gal to a range.Thankfully it was a private one (that I was a member who had a key) and we had it to ourselves. I locked the door from inside and put the guns away till I was more relaxed. No we didn't "do it" just had some fun. another member could have showed up anytime.

 

[Mainsail]

Anyone who wasn't born with a complete knowledge of firearms should never be able to own or handle them. We should do everything we can to discourage, even ridicule them, if they express any desire to learn. I'm glad everyone in here never had to learn about them.

 

[Sam1911]

he asked to see an M&P15- as i was handing it to him he pronounced his expertise with the weapon... before my hands could be put down on the counter he dumped the magazine on to the floor

I've probably misunderstood what you wrote, but it sounds like you handed him the rifle with a magazine in it.

Obviously I'm wrong -- no one would do that -- but it SOUNDED like it from what you wrote?

-Sam

 

[larry_minn]

Mainsail. May I suggest you drink your morning cup of coffee before you post. I saw where the person CLAIMED he was a expert with both guns. He was ASKED (lest thats what I understood) I doubt the clerk would have minded in least going over operation of the gun. (I can't recall ever at a gun range them being upset when a person asks "so where is the safety, how do you lock the slide back/remove mags,etc"
Regards Sam 1911. I would say 95% of time I am handed guns in gun shops with mag in gun. The only time I dislike it is when clerk does NOT lock back slide/visually check chamber.
I did the "drop mag on floor" once yrs ago. I forget what kind of gun. I remember saying something like. "whats this" pushed/pulled something, as mag fell. I apoligized and handed gun back/picked up mag. (feeling terrible) While I don't recall what gun it was I do recall the clerk saying something about it being a older gun and that won't hurt it.

 

[Sam1911]

I would say 95% of time I am handed guns in gun shops with mag in gun. The only time I dislike it is when clerk does NOT lock back slide/visually check chamber.

Completely unacceptable gun-handling. (Not terribly surprising in a gun store, but not acceptable, nonetheless.)

The gun is "clear" when you've dropped the mag, locked back the bolt or opened the action, AND visibly checked the chamber.

If it is unacceptable to assume that the chamber is empty, it is equally unacceptable to assume the magazine is empty.

-Sam

 

[AirForceShooter]

You rented this idiot a gun??

You should have hit on the hottie though.

AFS

 

[cyclopsshooter]

i thought she was about to hit on me at the end- she and i had a nice little talk about graduate school... she was just starting and i had just finished

for the record, yes i hand customers firearms with mags but always check the chamber! when the customer dropped the mag he was attempting to close the bolt!

 

[The Annoyed Man]

I expect the sales person to clear the weapon before handing it to me - just as I would clear a weapon before handing it to someone else. It's just being polite.

That said, I do own a dozen different pistols in various designs, configurations, and calibers, and I do try and get to the range with some degree of regularity, but I haven't handled or fired a Beretta 92 ever. The closest I ever came to that was a Taurus clone of the Beretta, which I can only assume is identical, and that was something like 15 or more years ago. I'm not sure I could say with any degree of honesty that I am familiar with the operation of a Beretta 92. But the difference between me and the young man in question in the OP is that I don't have my masculinity tied up in whether or not I know everything there is to know about some pistol or other.

Like Dirty Harry said, "A man's gotta know his limitations." I know mine, and I'm perfectly comfortable with that. But then, that may be one of the key differences between being 50 something, and being 20 something... ...that, and I have to grunt when I get out of my armchair and my right knee hurts all the time. OTH, I've already married my hottie, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She means everything to me. Fortunately, she doesn't give a rip one way or the other about my guns. She has her own, which she shoots quite well, thank you very much. The pressure to perform is off.

 

[B yond]

I would know, I go to school with said d-bags and they SUCK. I'm just a country boy that wants an education.

My college degree = huge waste of time and money. Granted, I had fun in college, but I have a good career now that my degree didn't help me get, I'll be paying back student loans for years, and to top it all off I could'a bought a bunch of nice guns with the money instead! All college was really good for was partying and getting laid.

 

[Birdmang]

Most College kids these days are semi-liberal d-bags that think they know what there're doing because they play Call of Duty and have shot their dads rifle one time, five years ago.

I would know, I go to school with said d-bags and they SUCK. I'm just a country boy that wants an education.

I can agree with you completely, thankfully I am not like them though! I attend and am about finished with a 4 year degree from a state funded university in northern Illinois. I am a political science major, so I get to see the most outspoken liberal students on the whole campus. Most of them are just ignorant because they don't know the facts. I find it hard to believe that some students can be so negative towards other ideas without even knowing the facts!

 

[Rockwell1]

I would say 95% of time I am handed guns in gun shops with mag in gun. The only time I dislike it is when clerk does NOT lock back slide/visually check chamber.

All the gunstores I frequent keep the magazine in a the case and have the guns on display with no magazine

 

[waterhouse]

Completely unacceptable gun-handling. (Not terribly surprising in a gun store, but not acceptable, nonetheless.)

The gun is "clear" when you've dropped the mag, locked back the bolt or opened the action, AND visibly checked the chamber.

If it is unacceptable to assume that the chamber is empty, it is equally unacceptable to assume the magazine is empty.

Why can't you lock the slide back and look at both the chamber and the empty magazine at the same time? There is no assumption that the magazine it empty, you can see the top of it.

 

[trex1310]

I was at a local outdoor range early one Sunday morning and out walks this guy that was about 6' 4" tall and 120 lbs., wearing two shoulder holsters containing two S&W 8 3/8" 629 .44 magnums. He proceeds to put up his 25 yd. target, comes back and sits down on a bench. He then takes out both guns, cocks them single action and fires. The recoil causes the hammer from one gun to hit him in the forehead and knocks him off the
bench. As he is falling he pulls the triggers on both guns double action. One round went
through the tin roof and the other round blew a huge hunk of wood out of the table where I was sitting. I gave him the what for, loaded up my stuff and left the range to
change my shorts. Nothing quite like almost being shot by a .44 magnum on a peaceful
Sunday morning.

 

[NC-Mike]

College age "kids"

This hit me a while back but an awful lot of "college age kids" are combat vets with three or four tours behind them.

Its given me a new respect and a different way of looking at young men and women in our country.

 

[offthepaper]

I just got done with 6 years of college

English major?

 

[Birdmang]

Hopefully with a masters!