Gun store etiquette???

[valposhooter]

field stripping/cleaning ask them

 

[Love the 1911]

I am also fairly new to guns. I would urge you to find a great store. Fort Liberty in Avon has a great staff. I also recently visited Midwest Gun Exchange in Mishawaka that I was extremely impressed with. Both places have a lot of staff walking around and if you can make it on a weekday, you will get a lot of attention. Midwest has a very large number of guns as well.

I always tell the salesman if I intend to buy a gun that day or if I'm just looking around. This gives them the option of helping me or moving on to paying customers but will help determine if I return when I am ready to buy.

If I'm treated well and have no intention of buying a gun, I do usually walk out with a box of .45. I would rather pay a little more and support a well-run, local business than go to Wal-Mart to save a little money.

 

[kan915]

Lots of good advice here already. The best thing you could probably do though is (already mentioned) let them know you are new to guns and gun etiquette and a good staff will take the time to educate you. There may be times when the staff is busy and you may wait, walk around and see if something grabs your interest, when asked if you want to be helped let them know what it is that caught your eye but you are new to guns. With a good staff it will work itself out from there. If you are confronted with attitude walk out and find another store. As you become familiar with guns dont behave like an expert when in someones shop, its easy to spot someone who is presumptuous and that wont go well. If you're in a store observe other customers also, you can spot the good and the not so good. Most importantly.....ENJOY

 

[JetGirl]

Your first few replies were spot on.
And about haggling...always ask! It's fun to bargain!

One of my biggest pet peeves was people opening boxes of ammo or bullets...don't do it.

I guess I'm going to upset you then. After I find what I want/need I always open the box to check.

Just ask about that, too. Some places don't mind. And it IS possible to end up with a box missing a round or two...so check!

 

[451_Detonics]

90% of the people who opened boxes in my shop had no intention of buying...they just wanted to look. I would end up with torn boxes, boxes of bullets got dropped, boxes of bullets were found to have missing bullets, live ammo would end up missing a round or two after a kid opened it when I was helping another customer. And if a shop won't refund on the wrong ammo in a box you are dealing with a very poor shop, I wouldn't do business with anyone like that. Now if you wanted to check after you paid for them in the shop before you leave that should be fine.

Come to think of it I have been buying ammo for over 30 years and sold it for 20 and never had a case of the wrong ammo in a box...just lucky I guess. But I would bet there was a box of .222 filled with.223 in that shop.

 

[Bill B]

@451_Detonics: I see you point, and misunderstood your earlier post (my fault, not yours). Yes, people pawing through the merchandise like a two year old on Christmas morning would irritate me too.

 

[Jeckle]

When I was new to guns I went to gun shops the first few times with an experienced friend and followed his lead until I was comfortable. I still always ask about dry-firing and a few shops seem to be fine with dry-firing some guns and not with other guns. Just my experience.