Negligence in the Gun Store

[Colt556]

Some shops are usually so swamped with people gawking that there really is no safe direction to point a handgun. Even to take it and point it at the ground would be pointing it at someones feet.

I hear ya. At some shows it's like that too. It is hard to be safe sometimes but I try to do my best and keep safety the first priority.

 

[CitiusFortius]

An empty gun has NEVER harmed anyone. A lot of loaded guns that somebody THOUGHT was empty have though.

Not true! I once pinched my finger while reassembling the slide on my beretta!!! It hurt dude.

 

[Drakkule]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do with a firearm once it's handed to you in a shop? Do you hold it, pointed at the ground, and manipulate it? Dry fire? Point in a shooting stance in a safe direction?

I guess it'd be one thing if you were checking out something you were already familiar with, but if you were handling something you'd never held before, what is YOUR protocol?

I check the firearm, then when looking through the sights, i will point at the ground, or at the ceiling. I have been there when an empty pistol "went off on it's own" at a gun show, if the guy holding the gun, hadn't had it pointed at the ceiling, someone could have been hurt bad. And yes someone could have been hurt by a ricochet, and the gun should have been cleared, but it wasn't.

 

[lowriderjim]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

 

[AmericanBob]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

Of course. I can't believe a gun is truly empty until I've checked it for myself. I don't care if you hand it to me open, I'm still going to check. Besides, what does it cost you? About 15-20 seconds of your life? I think peace of mind is worth at least that.

 

[GBuck]

An empty gun has NEVER harmed anyone. A lot of loaded guns that somebody THOUGHT was empty have though.

That's not true. I've seen someone close a slide on their finger before. Also, what say you to pistol-whipping?

 

[Redskinsfan]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

Yes. Once it is in my hands checking the gun to be safe and handling it safely are all my responsibility.

 

[Colt556]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

I do the same routine no matter what each time I pick up a gun. Check it and inspect it. In times of need you always fall back on the way you trained so if I do it the same way every time I'll never forget it. Just my way of thinkin I guess.

 

[Mackey]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

NO

 

[Birds Away]

My question. If someone clears a gun in front of you and hands it to you do you clear the gun again?

Every single time.

 

[looney2ns]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do with a firearm once it's handed to you in a shop? Do you hold it, pointed at the ground, and manipulate it? Dry fire? Point in a shooting stance in a safe direction?

I guess it'd be one thing if you were checking out something you were already familiar with, but if you were handling something you'd never held before, what is YOUR protocol?

The proper protocol would be the same as anyother time a gun is handed to me.
I clear check it myself whether the person handing it to me did or not.
Keep it pointed in a safe direction at all times. All guns are always loaded.
When finished, lock the action open, and hand gun back to party in that state. The way he should of handed it to you to start with.

 

[Hookeye]

IMHO when a person clears a gun they should leave the action open, let the other person verify/acknowledge the gun is empty, before handing it over.

And when somebody hands me one back, I check again to make sure it's unloaded.

Worked a gunshop, never happened to me, but my buds have had loaded guns handed to them (by customers). Some knew it, never said anything, others clueless.

Same morons hop in multi-thousand pound chunks of machinery and hurtle them towards others with only lines of colored paint demanding separation.

 

[D ReedSniper]

Aye. I must say we agree on opinions. At my LGS, they always check before and after customer handling. I do the same. I appreciate that they do that.

I am afraid for my life and others when idiots get behind said machines. We are too lenient upon morons. There should be more tests!

IMHO when a person clears a gun they should leave the action open, let the other person verify/acknowledge the gun is empty, before handing it over.

And when somebody hands me one back, I check again to make sure it's unloaded.

Same morons hop in multi-thousand pound chunks of machinery and hurtle them towards others with only lines of colored paint demanding separation.

 

[GBuck]

NO

Where's that neg rep button at?

 

[jon5212]

My question would be, why would a gun sitting in a case for sale even have the chance to be loaded? I mean if I were running a store, all my inventory would be gone through and cleared and thats they way it should stay.

Whenever I'm looking at one I'll point at ground and check to make sure nothing is chambered.

 

[seldon14]

Just out of curiosity, what do you guys do with a firearm once it's handed to you in a shop? Do you hold it, pointed at the ground, and manipulate it? Dry fire? Point in a shooting stance in a safe direction?

I guess it'd be one thing if you were checking out something you were already familiar with, but if you were handling something you'd never held before, what is YOUR protocol?

Ideally it will be handed to me with the action open, but that is not possible with some firearms. I ensure a mag is not seated/no rounds in internal mag. If the action is open I verify empty, if not I open and verify empty. I do NOT baby my guns, but as the gun I am looking at is not mine (yet) I always ask before doing anything I know some owners worry about (mostly dry firing). I ease the slide down (I would just drop it on one of mine probably.) Point at the ground (even if the shop is empty I don't know what is on the other side of the wall). Dry fire if I have permission. Check for fit, function, finish etc. Remove mag, lock slide back and return.

 

[StuBob]

So, should I have said something? Something like, "Please watch your muzzle," or maybe
"Stop pointing that gun at me," or maybe, "If you point that gun at me again I'm going assume we're in a gunfight"?

 

[Napalm217]

I was at Gander Mountain last night looking at an FN FNX and the guy behind the counter made sure to clear the weapon first and handed it over with the action open, very impressed. Maybe an hour before that I was at a gun shop and there were some younger kids there playing with an sks and they kept pointing it all around the store.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Yeah, I've never seen a toothless Bubba from BFE ever act unsafe around guns. It's always those darn Metro's.....

Just wondering why you're taking a position against a bubba from BFE, seems that's my location beiber. What I have noticed is that if you live in the BFE and handle guns most of your life, less bad things happen, because you get smacked on the bottom for bad muzzle discipline just with toy guns, like I'm doing to my bubba son that is only 21 months old. What's good for the goose isn't always good for the beiber. Dang city slicker flatlanders!

 

[indiucky]

Just wondering why you're taking a position against a bubba from BFE, seems that's my location beiber. What I have noticed is that if you live in the BFE and handle guns most of your life, less bad things happen, because you get smacked on the bottom for bad muzzle discipline just with toy guns, like I'm doing to my bubba son that is only 21 months old. What's good for the goose isn't always good for the beiber. Dang city slicker flatlanders!

Yeah..As someone from down here on the river with a small home down river in BFE I have to say the Country Boys have better safety disicpline..I have had the shop open for about a year and the "Carharts with the slow drawl" crowd win on manners, gun shop etiquette, and overall courtesy.

IMHO ofcourse.