gun store dumb gun handling

[hip shot]

I am not going to say where because the guy that owns the store is really a pretty good guy but I got to get this off my chest.

I walk into a rural gun store and a kid about 20 and his
Dad are looking at a pump shot gun. The Dad closes the bolt and points the gun about 5 feet behind me at a 45 degree down angle and CLICK PULLS THE TRIGGER. I think **** did I just see what I think I saw? Shot can be lethal coming off a concrete floor..............

So I am now annoyed. Then the Dad with the bolt closed hands the gun to the kid and swipes me as he does it. Then kid lays the gun on the counter top bolt still closed. Then the shop owner picks up the gun to measure something, bolt still closed.

So three people have handled the gun back and forth and the bolt is still closed, the owner lays it on the counter again. So I am thinking OK if they just leave it on the counter not pointed at me I might hang out a while. This all happens in about 2 minutes, Then the kid picks up the gun again and barrel end down bolt closed rests it on his hip pointed at himself in the groin.

So I say nicely "will you please open the bolt on that thing you are making me nervous" Then all three of them look at me and the kid says "what" Now I am in the position of having to explain that I think they are a bunch of lousy gun handlers and not safe (having to have some sort of a conversation with them) or just leaving.

I just walked out of the store. They were prolly just standing there after I left thinking what kind of a kook is that. I am thinking all 3 of them need to go to Hunter Ed before they kill somebody including maybe themselves.

PS; I am a licensed NRA, shotgun instructor, a Hunter Ed instructor, a 4h Shotgun leader, Ross Camp graduate, and a Boy Scout Shotgun Merit badge instructor.

I know bad gun handling when I see it

 

[glock2010]

some people just never learn proper gun handling skills even when trained or taught .

 

[grimor]

but, it wasn't loaded when we put the gun on the counter......

 

[Que]

Why do people who have knowledge or proper training not convey a lesson when there is an opportunity to teach, but then complain about others' bad behavior? If you had explained the improper gun handling issue at that moment and the father accepted your instruction, that would have been a lesson that kid would not have forgotten. Even if the father had been a jerk, the kid would still remember it the next time, leaving him with the decision to be safe or not. That also could have been a lesson for the store owner.

Yeah, I bet they all thought you were a cook, because you didn't leave them with a choice. "I am a licensed NRA, shotgun instructor, a Hunter Ed instructor, a 4h Shotgun leader, Ross Camp graduate, and a Boy Scout Shotgun Merit badge instructor." Wow, it appears you could have taught the whole store a lot.

Please correct me if I do something like that. It's easy to go into a gun store and think the guns are unloaded, but I am always afraid someone inserted a shell as a "joke"!

 

[grimor]

Why do people who have knowledge or proper training not convey a lesson when there is an opportunity to teach, but then complain about others' bad behavior? If you had explained the improper gun handling issue at that moment and the father accepted your instruction, that would have been a lesson that kid would not have forgotten. Even if the father had been a jerk, the kid would still remember it the next time, leaving him with the decision to be safe or not. That also could have been a lesson for the store owner.

Yeah, I bet they all thought you were a cook, because you didn't leave them with a choice. "I am a licensed NRA, shotgun instructor, a Hunter Ed instructor, a 4h Shotgun leader, Ross Camp graduate, and a Boy Scout Shotgun Merit badge instructor." Wow, it appears you could have taught the whole store a lot.

Please correct me if I do something like that. It's easy to go into a gun store and think the guns are unloaded, but I am always afraid someone inserted a shell as a "joke"!

Every gun store I've been in (apart from one pawn shop) cleared the weapon prior to handing it over. Of course this is generally only with pistols or weapons behind the counter and not stuff hanging on the wall. I do agree that you did miss a chance to instruct someone in the proper handling of a fire arm. Hopefully the owner explained why you said it after you left.

 

[Greatestsin]

Que, unfortunately I can't rep you right now. But you deserve it.

 

[hip shot]

Why do people who have knowledge or proper training not convey a lesson when there is an opportunity to teach, but then complain about others' bad behavior? If you had explained the improper gun handling issue at that moment and the father accepted your instruction, that would have been a lesson that kid would not have forgotten. Even if the father had been a jerk, the kid would still remember it the next time, leaving him with the decision to be safe or not. That also could have been a lesson for the store owner.

Yeah, I bet they all thought you were a cook, because you didn't leave them with a choice. "I am a licensed NRA, shotgun instructor, a Hunter Ed instructor, a 4h Shotgun leader, Ross Camp graduate, and a Boy Scout Shotgun Merit badge instructor." Wow, it appears you could have taught the whole store a lot.

Please correct me if I do something like that. It's easy to go into a gun store and think the guns are unloaded, but I am always afraid someone inserted a shell as a "joke"!

You know you probably have some kind of point. Its one of those things when it happens to you your first thought is to not cause a scene but just to get out. I was annoyed and would prolly not been in a very good state of mind to do some instruction. But your prolly correct that a talk with the kid may have been benificial............

 

[sparky241]

[STRIKE]The Dad closes the bolt and points the gun about 5 feet behind me at a 45 degree down angle and CLICK PULLS THE TRIGGER. I think **** did I just see what I think I saw? Shot can be lethal coming off a concrete floor..............[STRIKE]

after this do you think the gun was loaded? do you think he may have checked the chamber before pulling the trigger?You said he closed the bolt before pulling the trigger. guess if you don't know. i think you are over reacting to this. i think you knew it wasnt loaded but dont care. this is something that happens alot in a gun store. i see it all the time.

 

[SSE]

I don't think he is over reacting, one of the most common cases of AD's are empty chamber loaded mag. or tube.

 

[TheCapulet]

Que, unfortunately I can't rep you right now. But you deserve it.

Got him for ya.

 

[CampingJosh]

The shop I frequent is very cautious about this. They pick up a gun from the display, check it, then hand it over. I check it, then I begin to examine the gun. When I'm done, I hand it back, and the same guy checks it again. (All of this takes place within 30 seconds, and neither of us have taken our eyes off the gun the whole time.)

You can teach people knowledge, skills, etc. You cannot teach responsibility. They have to make that decision for themselves. A good bit of constructive/instructive criticism from safe gun owners may help to pound the need for it into their heads, though!

 

[Scutter01]

after this do you think the gun was loaded? do you think he may have checked the chamber before pulling the trigger?You said he closed the bolt before pulling the trigger. guess if you don't know. i think you are over reacting to this. i think you knew it wasnt loaded but dont care. this is something that happens alot in a gun store. i see it all the time.

I don't think it's over-reacting at all. Rule One is "Always treat the gun as if it's loaded". It doesn't say "...unless you've just pulled the trigger in an unsafe manner and it went 'click' instead of 'bang!'". Even if you've JUST CHECKED, you're still supposed to treat it like it's loaded. It's muscle memory. If you don't do it the same way every single time, then eventually, you're going to forget to check when it actually is loaded, and someone will get hurt or killed.

There's a story on here somewhere about a member taking one of his revolvers to sell. It had been in his back seat and passed back and forth between him, his wife, and the guy behind the counter multiple times before it occurred to someone to check to see if it was loaded. It did, in fact, have a round chambered and was ready to fire. And that was a person who takes great care to always check.

 

[wrigleycub]

A few things came to mind when I read your post.

1st- Only 7% of Americans have had any firearms education.
2nd- What ever happened to being nice to your neighbors? If you are truly an NRA instructor as you say you are, I would say you missed a great opportunity to be helpful and informative. Instead of walking over and saying "open the bolt" and getting a dumb look. You could have acted in a friendly, neighborly manner and educated them on the "3 rules of gun safety". While i'm not a firearms educator, I am an educator of other things. Most educators out there can recognize ignorance. Any good educator, would've taken this opportunity to be a good citizen and educated. While you didn't need to give them a 3 hour long gun safety 101, you could have given them 5 minutes, and sent them home with the first 3 very basic rules and had a nice conversation and made some good acquaintance. After a friendly conversation you slide them your card and set yourself up for a potential $200 down the road. Now you've sent them home with a shotgun and bad habits they will continue to use forever. Unless they end up in your classroom, then that will set up a whole new scenario and memories of a jerk. Who wants to learn from that? Stop looking down your nose at the uneducated and think about what your actually witnessing and how you could effect that. Let me ask you "Mr. Instructor" what will you do when you open up your newspaper start in on your morning beverage and read about how that young man accidentally shot his father to death- Barrel direction, finger on the trigger, or loaded/unloaded?

 

[Que]

You know you probably have some kind of point. Its one of those things when it happens to you your first thought is to not cause a scene but just to get out. I was annoyed and would prolly not been in a very good state of mind to do some instruction. But your prolly correct that a talk with the kid may have been benificial............

I don't mean to cast stones here. I was corrected the same way when I complained about the guy who came to MCF&G and yelled "Range is cold!" and proceeded to go hang his target. The range was not cold! People had guns in their hands up and down the line! I laughed at the guy's stupidity and came on here to post about it. Everyone got me straight (even got a neg rep ) and now, whenever I see something dangerous I say something because if something bad happens if affects all of us.

 

[printcraft]

I don't like having guns pointed at my brain case, no matter how safe you tell me they are.

Last gun show I went to I was looking at a case of guns and glanced to my
right to see grandpa holding a gun from a dealer about chest level with his
finger on the trigger pointing about in line with my temple.
This was not a new in the case gun but a used gun.
He picked it up and started fumbling with it.........
I gave an audible .......WOAH!!! And stepped back.
They did not seem too concerned.

 

[grimor]

I don't mean to cast stones here. I was corrected the same way when I complained about the guy who came to MCF&G and yelled "Range is cold!" and proceeded to go hang his target. The range was not cold! People had guns in their hands up and down the line! I laughed at the guy's stupidity and came on here to post about it. Everyone got me straight (even got a neg rep ) and now, whenever I see something dangerous I say something because if something bad happens if affects all of us.

I was at a private/club outdoor range for the first time with a guy from another forum. Someone yelled range cold and I was putting my gun in my holster. The person I was with's dad also happened to be there and went off "wtf are you doing, the range is cold!" now he could of said something else, like please put down your weapon (which was already in my hand when he yelled, to me holstering a weapon is putting it down) but instead went ape **** then proceeded to yell at his kid for "bringing an idiot to the range" The only thing I learned from that exchange was I wasn't going back to that range.

 

[vietboy1st]

i hate idiot with lack knowledge of handling firearms. I hate people who is pointing the muzzle at me either it doesn't have rounds in there. Because bad habbit will kill an innocent by stander one day.
But most peoples are like this in their head " this is not a loaded gun, so who care.."

 

[eldirector]

Some gun "stores" don't have ANYPLACE safe to point a gun. Gander Mountain, for instance (yeah, I know). Their firearms in in a circle with an isle all around. No matter where you point something, someone is getting swept.

A guys was looking at revolvers with his wife. The counter guy hands her a little S&W, she turns to dry-fire it, and sweeps me, my wife, and my baby. My "WOAH, Come-on Now!" must have got the husbands attention, as he carefully took it and handed it back to the counter guy. I decided to go browse the camping gear instead....

Most folks don't know much about firearms, and certainly not the 4 rules.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I objected to the unsafe handling of a firearm by a sporting goods store employee a bit back. I corrected the employee in the most respectful way I could.

It was awkward and it was clear that he thought I was overreacting. Now its weird when I go in there and he is working there.

That's the bad side, the good side is I didn't see someone blow off part of their body with a 12 gauge and hopefully any kids that saw him being a stupid dick with a gun also saw him get corrected and made to stop being a stupid dick with a gun.

 

[MrsGungho]

[strike]The Dad closes the bolt and points the gun about 5 feet behind me at a 45 degree down angle and CLICK PULLS THE TRIGGER. I think **** did I just see what I think I saw? Shot can be lethal coming off a concrete floor..............[strike]

after this do you think the gun was loaded? do you think he may have checked the chamber before pulling the trigger?You said he closed the bolt before pulling the trigger. guess if you don't know. i think you are over reacting to this. i think you knew it wasnt loaded but dont care. this is something that happens alot in a gun store. i see it all the time.

Have a gun pointed at you a few times a day even after you personally have checked it yourself and you may not think this way. I HATE looking down the barrel of a gun I have just checked. Even my 7 year old son will tell you guns are always loaded and don't point it at anything you're not willing to destroy.