Took new shooter handgun shopping at Cabelas, big mistake

[Yamifrk]

Honestly dry firing wasn't in the cards as much as an actual real feel grip/hold.

You know where to take her in Clare, they will let you check out as many guns as you want. My wife and I were just in there a week ago, the shelves are back to full. Including powder and primers. Hopefully you get her shooting and see what she likes.

 

[Otto]

No one needs to put their finger on the trigger until they’re ready to shoot.
That’s basic gun safety 101. Do you get to fondle the gun before you purchase one online?

 

[nettlle]

If I go to a gun store to look at a gun I want to see how it feels when I am shooting it and see if it has a decent trigger. If they flop it on the counter with a trigger lock on it really doesn't do anything more for me than looking at a picture online. That's gun shopping 101.

 

[Barmcd]

They have that same ridiculous policy for used guns too. You can't check out a gun with that trigger guard and there is no return. Once you buy it, its yours even though you can't check it for defects. There is a work around though. Do a web search for Cabela's used guns. That will take you to their on-line site that lists the used guns in all the Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops nation wide. If you find a gun you like, copy the title of the page and go to Guns International and search for that title. Most Cabela's and Bass Pro stores list their guns on Guns International. Buy it there and you not only can have it shipped to your local store free, you have a 3 day inspection period. Its crazy you have to do it that way.

 

[nettlle]

A gun store should be like a new car dealership. Let you look at the car, let you get in and push some buttons, look under the hood, talk to you about it, maybe even let you test drive. They don't point at a car with the doors locked and then turn their back on you. But maybe that's why there are online car buying apps now. The car dealerships are getting as bad as the gun shop dealers.

 

[Barmcd]

No one needs to put their finger on the trigger until they’re ready to shoot.
That’s basic gun safety 101. Do you get to fondle the gun before you purchase one online?

Well, no you don't get to fondle the gun when you buy it on line. However, you get several chances to refuse the gun you've ordered on line. You can do it at the FFL by refusing to accept it and paying to ship it back. Places like guns.com and guns international give you 3 days to return a firearm and other places like Collector Firearms in Houston gives you 7 days to return a firearm. At Cabela's or Bass Pro Shop there is no return if the gun is bought in person at the store.

As to putting your finger on the trigger, that's how you check out timing on a revolver albeit one that's been cleared and is safe to handle. I've never been told I couldn't dry fire a gun I was thinking about buying in a gun shop.

Checking Out a Revolver

 

[buck460XVR]

Why do you want to make life harder for the guy at the low end of the food chain who doesn't have a choice?

He's just doing what corporate told him and it's quite likely that he could be fired for disobeying that directive.

He also doesn't care if you buy it elsewhere because he's going to get paid whether you buy or not

^^^This. Far too often I see folks taking out their frustration with corporate decisions/policies with the guy at the bottom rung, who has no choice other than to follow the policy or lose his job. Very few of us that work for somebody else, that has not found themselves in the same position.

That said, I personally wouldn't buy a handgun either that I could not get the sense of how it would feel in my hand. Whether or not a trigger lock would actually get in the way, I don't know. My LGSs don't use them.

 

[Palladan44]

I took my (ex) lady to the range first, with a guitar case full of pistol rugs.....with pistols in them. It's the only case I had that fit 10 handguns in it.
She winded up actually going with the revolver for all the classic reasons they say ladies might like a revolver..... lack of a magazine (an extra part) Racking a slide grip strength, and the mildness of a .38 SPL when compared to the snappiness of a subcompact 9mm. (I don't own any .380s) but she knew quickly what she wanted from that hour on the range.

 

[tightgroup tiger]

I have three gun stores around here that don't have locks on their guns. I buy all my pistols from the locals. I like to stick with one LG as much as I can, they get to know me, know I'm going to buy something instead of wasting their time, and when they see me coming I get really good service.
The only way I would buy from a big box store is if they have something I just can't get anywhere else. I go into Sportsman's Warehouse a lot but that's to get primers and powder.

 

[JDeere]

This.
I cannot imagine a single reason why a new shooter would consider a Glock 23. While its true you can get aftermarket 9x19 barrels, I just dont see that as a good argument for a new shooter in choosing a handgun. I don't even see it as a good argument for an experienced shooter.

While the .40 S&W isn't dead or obsolete, it most certainly is becoming an albatross along with .357sig and .45GAP. Not because those cartridges are inferior, but because sales of .40 are abysmal compared to 9x19. Lack of sales of .40 pistols impacts the ammunition market and less demand means higher prices for those cartridges.

A new shooter should be putting as many rounds downrange as they can afford, and thats easier to do with 9x19. There is a reason the FBI, Secret Service and others went back to 9x19.

I need not say more, I concur...As far as Big Box stores I don't buy firearms from them just to save a buck and don't even shop at them...

 

[jmorris]

Ok, so how does one get a real feel for their potential purchase?

Years ago before we were married, we went through everything I had and some I borrowed and she still couldn't find anything she liked. I found the nearest ranges that rented firearms and we went and tried them. Until she found something she liked.

I'll throw this in because you mentioned the triggers being locked, sometimes the firearm feels good to a person holding/dry firing but they hate it as soon as they actually fire it.

 

[unspellable]

I've seen too d**n many guns with crappy triggers, misaligned cylinders, etc., both new and used to buy anything they won't take a trigger lock off of.

 

[bigpower491]

Well she ordered thru my LGS. She paid a whole $11 more for it, which includes having the mag release reversed for left hand shooter. She's pretty excited, and the 2 sessions we had out back over the weekend, she's getting her shooting form in order rather quickly

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

You know where to take her in Clare, they will let you check out as many guns as you want. My wife and I were just in there a week ago, the shelves are back to full. Including powder and primers. Hopefully you get her shooting and see what she likes.

Glad to read that the store in Clare is still in business. Been a long time but I remember stopping there back in the 80's.