Gun store employee carelessness

riggins_83

New member
Over the course of a few months I saw some amazing things in a single store.

An employee was mounting a red dot and shouldered the rifle, got a sight picture of another employee and began to move the rifle keeping her in the sight picture. She seemed to be mildly amused.

Another employee took his Sig P229 loaded (with one in the chamber) out of the holster he was carrying it in and started trying it in another holster while facing somebody he was talking to 5 feet away (with the loaded Sig pointing at them the entire time).

A third employee was walking near the back of the building and made a joke of pulling his loaded Glock 19 from the holster, pointing it at a Taxidermy bobcat, making a few firing sounds then re holstering the weapon, saying "the animal was about to attack me."

Finally an employee nearly stabbed me in the leg. A woman asked why he carried a knife weakside, he responded to fend off or protect himself if somebody tried to grab his gun and proceed to pull the knife out quickly, flip the blade open and stab rearwards without looking behind him first. Had I been standing much closer it would have been my leg he stabbed.

These were all separate employees of the same store. I've never seen this kind of carelessness from employees in a gun store. I'm curious if anyone else has had similar experiences; a store where employees generally act carelessly around firearms etc.
 

Tmblweed

New member
Careless fools that give anti-gunners plenty of reason to beat their chest?
Must be hard to find competent help in your area. Hard to believe they are allowed to work in a firearms store when they break all the basic rules like that. Unless he was one of them I would speak with the owner / manager about that.
 

CWPinSC

Moderator
Good ol boys just having a little fun.

"ZeroJunk", I can't believe you said that! Are you serious??? Are you a responsible, safety-minded gun owner or one of those "good ol boys"? Every one of those actions was extremely dangerous and TOTALLY uncalled for in a safety-minded gun shop - or anywhere else, for that matter.

In the first case, anyone who sights me with a rifle gets drawn down on. I always assume a gun is loaded. I would not have been amused AT ALL and the fact that the woman was shows she needs more training in firearm safety, too.

Second case - you NEVER fiddle with a gun (like trying holsters) unless it's confirmed UNLOADED.

Third - guns are not toys, nor should they be treated as such by joking around with them. After I arm myself in the morning, I draw my gun once - to put it in the case at night.

Lastly - you don't "demonstrate" techniques unless you're an instructor in a training class. You don't "show off" your weapon - it's not a picture of your grandkids. If he had stabbed you, he would have been guilty of assault and battery, reckless endangerment and a couple other things.

The very FIRST thing I'd do is never go into that store again. The very LAST thing I'd is never go into that store again. They're an injury or death waiting to happen.

There's a local gun shop I visit VERY infrequently. While I've never seen such gross mishandling of guns as you describe in there, they ARE a little "casual".

I refer you to: http://www.thefiringline.com/Misc/safetyrules.html

PS
Unless he was one of them I would speak with the owner / manager about that.
I'd speak to him anyway. Someone needs to tell him he's an idiot.
 

jonnyc

New member
Psssttt...I think he was joking.

Riggins, write a letter to the store, to the manager/owner, and say you have been a customer but will no longer enter the place due to the dangerous situation caused by those careless emplyees. Give the examples above. If the manager/owner has half a brain some changes will be made quickly.
 

oneoldsap

New member
Whenever someone points a firearm at me I offer to give them an enima with it ! Unfortunatly there is no cure for stupid , and I have observed that it's contagious !! Sounds like that store is contaminated with stupid !!
 

sonick808

New member
I've seen mishandling in nearly every gunshop i've frequented at least once.

The one I see the most is the muzzling of things and people that should never be muzzled. usually in the process of handing over or exchanging weapons for viewing, someone ends up getting muzzled. Even in videos and demos for some of the top manufacturers of guns and accessories there is rampant mishandling.
I was watching STI vids on youtube and the gentleman sweeps his chest no less than ten times describing one of their 1911's. Crazy.

Maybe i'm just paranoid
 

flashover251

New member
There is always be some muzzling when viewing weapons at a gun shop. The primary thing I look for is someone who checks to make sure the firearm is unloaded before hand it over to a customer.

Yeah I know, sounds like common sense but I have seen some shops hand firearms right to the customer straight from the case with out checking. I know that no gun in the case should be loaded but I am not willing to take that chance.

And for the OP, find a new shop, or buy some kevlar. Just curious, does the shop in question have one of those signs "xx days since our last accident"?
 
Last edited:

oldman1946

New member
People do things without thinking most of the time. Accidental shootings happen as a result.

I doubt there is a police station in the country that has not had an accidental shooting inside. A major dept in this area had an officer (also a licensed gun dealer) accidentally discharge his duty weapon in the DWI testing area. A small dept south of here had a rookie officer accidently shoot a Lt in the locker room.

The more a person handles a firearm, the more likely of an accidental firing. We all are negligent at times but that does not excuse it.
 

Don P

New member
Guess the gun store is in the same place as the OP. It would be nice for folks to say where they are from or where these things take place especially when asking for advice as to ccw laws and such.:rolleyes:
 

Eagleks

New member
I've been places that have tried my patience. One, a guy was handling an AR and kept pointing the barrel right at my head, unknowningly because he was paying no attention to the muzzle.

I moved several times .. and asked him at one point to watch where he was pointing the barrel, of which he said "oh sure", then turned around and did it again. At that point, I grabbed the barrel and told the fool to quit pointing the barrel at my head NOW and not to do it again...

There have been cases of "guns going off" , because someone had test fired a gun and put it back in a sales case, leaving one in the chamber, then another salesman goes to show someone the gun... and .....
 

riggins_83

New member
The owner knows what goes on there and doesn't seem phased by it at all. Strange since he's never been part of it himself.. (I've never seen him act carelessly).
 

PX4SC

New member
Not a gun store, but it reminds me of the youth soccer meeting I went to for my 5yr old a few months back.

In walks a detective, I suppose, had a badge and shoulder rig with no jacket. The rig was set up with his gun pointing directly to his back. When he sat down, turned in either direction, he was sweeping everyone in the room and those sitting behind him were staring down the barrel the whole meeting. Perhaps its not suppossed to be a big deal with a holstered gun but I didn't like it....
 

austinjking

New member
Dangerous. Don't go there, let people know not to go their. It'll give the anti-gunner's plenty to rant about.
I've been swept by an R/O during a safety brief at a range in NC. Thankfully the pistol was not loaded, but needless to say I stayed out of there and spread the word on base not to go there.
 

Scattergun Bob

New member
Very Confused!

riggins_83, Why in the world would you return more than once to a place that had such dangers!!!!!

A piece of advice that has served me well through the years "Stay far away from STUPID people, doing STUPID things" since I don't consider gun shops stupid places I won't add that. The SIMPLE answer is find another shop.


sonick808
The one I see the most is the muzzling of things and people that should never be muzzled.
Where in the world did you get that term:eek:. We may muzzle dogs son, however, you sweep people with the muzzle of your firearm. This is a serious enough activity to deserve the full and correct language. Remember the world is watching, it is not just what we write, but how we present it that affects and influences our audience.

Good Luck & Be Safe
 

golfnutrlv

New member
I work at a gun store, and I can tell you when it gets busy, there can be some muzzle sweeping. Its not intentional, just accidental.

On a more serious note, our owner, manager, and all our employees are very serious about gun safety. We do not allow customers to have any exposed guns in the lobby, regardless of condition. Now, if you have a permit to carry, that's fine as long as you are acting as you should be acting. (we should no more know you are carrying than the BG).

I spend all day at work getting guns out of the case for rental, observation by buyers, etc. No matter what the situation is, the gun gets cleared by me, and I ask the customer to verify its condition. The gun is then passed to the other party locked open. The exception is something like the P3at which does not lock open.

Call me paranoid, but I even check the rental guns that have the orange plastic chamber flags in them all the time. Safety first, last and always.

Well, there is my rant, but better to be on the safe side and not lose a job, or a customer.
 
Top