The salesman's response to this customer's question was this; he said, "The law doesn't specify how you have to carry, but do NOT Open Carry. If you do, you will be bringing a LOT of negative attention to yourself that you do NOT want."
At this, I wasn't too riled; I hear this kind of stuff all the time. But it's what he said next that bothered me. He said, "There have been guys that've walked in here Open Carrying, and every time I tell 'em to get out!" He said all of this with a very obvious passion (borderline anger) in his tone.
I thought, really? A store that sells nothing but items that pertain to the 2nd Amendment would tell someone to leave simply for expressing his or her 2nd Amendment rights?
+1I would have probably called him out.... but I'm a peckerhead like that....
I open carry in every gun shop I go in to.... that would be ONE place I would expect to be welcomed, not shunned.
For gun shows, it is a matter of insurance reasons. Getting liability insurance for promoting gun shows is almost impossible...just finding a insurance company that will write you a policy is almost impossible. When you are lucky enough to find a insurance company that will cover you.... you basically have to sign that policy in blood and guarantee that there will be no loaded firearms in the building during the show (the exception being LE). As for firearm related businesses (actual store fronts) I'm not sure if the same thing applies. Someone in the the business can probably explain it better.
I always felt it was a bit of a contradiction until the wife and I opened up our humble little shop.
You would not believe the crap we see from behind the counters. For every gunshop worker story I could tell ten of the clowns that walk in.
92.5% of the guys and gals that walk in are well put together intelligent safe gun owners but its that much smaller number that we read about regularly on the forums that scares me,
Marion county Sheriff walks in hot summer day proceeds to drag his sweat and funk encrusted loaded pistol out of the back of his pants and hand it to me loaded with one in the chamber on a Hi Power and says " Hey boy whatcha gimme for this on trade"?
Needless to say he left quite upset with me, and is likely not to come back.
Hate to lose a customer but I'm good with that particular one shopping elsewhere.
At this time we do not have a sign up and hope we don't have to put one up.
No for gun shops it isn't insurance related.
For those who don't believe me, ask your local pro gun shop... or just look at the many national chains such as Cabelas, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain. All have CORPORATE policies allowing CC/OC (as state law allows). You really think they'd do that if insurance regs prohibited it?
If you local gun shop doesn't allow it, it's because the owner is anti-YOU.
With one of the Companies we contacted they required the same for the shop. The others never mentioned it.
snip
I'll be honest: Not being able to draw to check a holster is a pain in the backside, however, I far prefer that to having to unload and reload in the parking lot.
I applaud Applied Ballistics as a company and Stan and Dave as open-minded, easy-to-work-with men who are absolutely committed to the 2A and run their business with that as one of their guiding principles.
Blessings,
Bill
Apparently, Pro, this is not always the case. It might simply be a lack of research and instead, going with the first company they call. Not the smartest decision on anything, but it's not always malicious.
FWIW, INGO member printmitch is the owner of Applied Ballistics in Lafayette. Several months ago, he and his partner were discussing the store's opening and somehow or other, the not-yet-finalized rules of the range were made available for INGO's perusal. IIRC, the fecal matter struck the oscillating cooling device when the range policy that was still under discussion included a line reading (as best I remember it) No loaded guns inside the building, except on the firing line. Our employees and on-duty LEOs exempted.
We would never have opposed open carry in our store but I absolutely forbid anyone removing a gun they were carrying from the holster. If they wanted to show me their carry gun they had two options...let me draw it for them or go out to their car and unload it. I had way to many loaded guns pointed at me (and one AD in the shop) to allow customers to handle a loaded gun in my store.
Does Fred have a problem with OC now? I have been in there twice while OCing and not had a problem. I haven't been back again in the last year.Want an interesting reaction? OC into Ludco tomorrow.
So carry is ok in the shop provided you don't remove it from the holster? Sounds like a solid decision!
it seems like there are a lot of anti-gun gun shops down around Indy.