Gander Mnt in Lafayette

[Water63]

Let me first say I stop by the Gander when I am in Lafayette I don't buy much there but enjoy cruising through to look. Today I had a troubling experience there that I won't soon forget. If you are the one I am talking about please think about how you represent gun owners. There was a group of guys talking with a salesman at the counter when my wife and myself walked back to the counter. They were laughing loudly and looking at all kinds of things. The salesman pulled out a handgun and the 3 of you guys passed it around 2 of you were very aware of the muzzle but the 3rd guy pointed that gun in my direction not only pointing it but your finger was on the trigger. I moved to the archery section to get away from you then you and your group went to the AR's and guess what 2 of you handled 3 different guns always pointing in a safe direction. But the 3rd guy pointed those rifles in our direction again with your finger on the trigger again. The salesman was loud and never said a word. I sorry but sir you have no business with a gun if you have not learned to control the muzzle and keep your finger off the trigger you are a problem and potential threat to all of those around you. My suggestion if this was you go take some training people like you are part of the problem there were several people around us that made the comment he is pointing that gun at us. I just left the store on my way out I couldn't not say anything I voiced my opinion at the counter. I have been in gun shops when someone accidentally swept a muzzle by me or others but I have never had someone intentionally aim at me or in my direction with a finger on the trigger. I teach Hunter education and teach never point a firearm at anything you don't intend to destroy. Treat every firearm as it was loaded. So I will assume either you wanted to shoot me and my wife I moved 3 different times and you always seemed to point at us. I was going to come confront you to see what your problem was but my wife wanted to just leave and did not want me to make a scene. So I will vent my frustration in here. There are several here on INGO that try our best to promote gun owners are safe and respectful I will assume you are not a member here but if you are you let us all down.

Rant over......

 

[spankys56]

About 2 years ago I had the same thing happen to me at the Valparaiso walmart, idiot with a shotgun. I looked at him as said WTF. OH sorry. Maybe he will pay more attention now?

 

[Bapak2ja]

By the third time something needed to be said. The idiot need to have it "splained" to him. A calm word probably would have been sufficient. Hopefully, anyway.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Read INGO. Posters here will argue that it is perfectly OK to point guns at people like you had done to you.

There are entire threads here arguing that the Four Rules should not apply a person because they are so frickin' tacticool or the Four Rules should not apply "all the time"
cause that raffle gon ain't low-dead.

The gun culture must regulate itself or it will be regulated from the outside.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Was in a LGS with my wife and daughter. Guy came in with a BP pistol to try and sell. The second time I looked down the muzzle I told him to stop. The third time I told him I was armed and just might be feeling threatened by his actions. Taa Daaa! He got it that time.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Guy came in with a BP pistol to try and sell. The second time I looked down the muzzle I told him to stop. The third time I told him I was armed and just might be feeling threatened by his actions.

Short of that, how do we as a gun culture teach people that they should not point guns at people?

 

[Michigan Slim]

Speak up when you see it. If that dude knew he was making people uncomfortable he would stop. His buddies, or the sales guy should have. But they obviously did not.
I've taught my kids not to be stupid with guns nor tolerate it with others. Safety programs are fine and certainly have their place but some require a more direct approach to get it into their heads. Peer pressure is strong in adults too.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If that dude knew he was making people uncomfortable he would stop.

I don't think so. Read INGO. People seem entitled to the notion that they can point a gun at you. How to best break them of this dangerous notion?

 

[Michigan Slim]

I had to step it up a notch with the slow learner I mentioned above. I can't believe they are all that stupid but...... Sometimes that's what it takes. If I had a blanket answer for stupidity I would patent it. Well, I do. but it ain't legal.......

 

[Winamac]

Sounds like the guy doing the pointing of the firearms is a "special kind of stupid"

 

[Water63]

I don't think so. Read INGO. People seem entitled to the notion that they can point a gun at you. How to best break them of this dangerous notion?

I wish I had a good answer for this......... Short of taking a video and have them charged for pointing a firearm last I knew it was against the law.

 

[femurphy77]

Had the same thing happen at Atterbury a few years back. I pointed it out to one of the RO's and he said he'd keep an eye on the group. When it happened again I flagged down the RO who apologized for missing it. On the third incident I told the offending party that if he pointed that weapon at me one more time that I would do the same but the difference would be that I WOULD know where THAT round would impact. The RO upon hearing that threatened to expel me from the range so I decided to leave at that point.

The offending sweeper was a bunch of foreign born youngsters more than likely from the local den of liberalism that thought it would be "cool" to go shoot some guns. It's bad enough in a gun store where you SHOULD be able to assume the weapons aren't loaded which we know isn't always true but at a gun range on a live fire line the word "unacceptable" isn't strong enough!

 

[Hookeye]

If being swept in a gunshop by checked stock makes you purists all nervous, try working behind the counter...........where customers come in with loaded guns and point them at you. Even some old crusties, when you give 'em the "what for".......seem incredulous..............have heard more than one old timer go "well hell yeah it was loaded, they always are" (of course he was waving it at sales person before salesperson could get it to check for empty).

Hate to say it.............but so many loaded guns pointed at me when I worked in a shop..............having somebody point a gun from the case (triple checked of course) at me and cranking on the trigger (usually some woman or old man).............doesn't bother me one little bit.

As for those who scream at others about safety, and then totally blow it themselves...........yup, they either are cops or vets. Had one guy go off on his wife, about gun safety, while reaming her in front of everybody, he had the gun pointed at me (the whole time).

When he realized what an ass he was to her, for pointing it at me the whole time.....he finally shut up, and left.

Most idiots like that don't though.

I have seen folks be clueless at some ranges.............I got one group banned. Membership yanked.
Refuse to shoot my local indoor range due to the lack of safety exhibited by the avg shooter (again, th majority of them being of past/present uniform- blue or camo).

Prefer to shoot outdoors anyway, on an empty range.

The Barney that unsnapped his holster, like he was gona quickdraw us, at JP...........many moons ago. Yeah, that was probably the most funny of all.
Just checked by DNR person, no guns loaded or pointing at anybody, moving to bench..............this guy was all Johny Tactical.

Local LEO he was, or so claimed later.

There is one crippled guy who waves guns around at a shop (customer, maybe retired?). When he shows up I leave. He has been told by staff, yet still remains clueless.

 

[Michigan Slim]

Yep, I'm a nervous Purist. And I'm damn considerate of others safety as well as my own. I treat all guns as if they are loaded and will insist those with me do too. I take it kinda personal when I look down a muzzle.

 

[rhino]

Yet more reasons to avoid public ranges when possible.

 

[Stang51d]

How about a piece that had just been brought in to be traded, and the guy behind the counter sweeps people with it having NOT even checked it. What say you ingo???

 

[Kirk Freeman]

If being swept in a gunshop by checked stock makes you purists all nervous, try working behind the counter...........where customers come in with loaded guns and point them at you.

No thanks, BTDT.

 

[Hookeye]

Yeah, kinda funny. LGS has a fair number of handguns, all in cases...............muzzle toward customer side.
Walk in and you're swept by most of the inventory right off.

I don't like it when stupid people are looking at a gun that was checked by staff, and they clickety click it while pointed at me.
Not cool, but there are worse sins.

They're just stupid friggin' people. No doubt a danger in other aspects of life. Hell, half of them could try to use the affluenza defense.
Many are retired, driving around in Cadillacs or BMW/Mercedes.

The ones I watch for, are those stupid b*stards that pull their carry piece for "show and tell".

Had one regular, ex cop, serviceman, supposedly on shooting team.............pull his 1911 (cocked and locked) to show his buddy (who also pulled his cocked and locked 1911). Had both of those dipsh*ts coonfingering their rigs. To their credit they didn't point them at each other...........but both were pointed at me, not 4 ft away.

I didn't say anything, just moved away.

Can't fix stupid.