Witnessed a horrible gun safety issue today...at a gun shop.

[jfed85]

I was going to work and had left a little early so I had some time to kill. Figured I hadnt been in a gun shop in a few weeks so why not stop in and just poke around. As Im looking in the case there is an employee mounting a scope and trying to get the crosshairs lined up just right.

First, he is swinging the rifle all around the store loking through the scope at various items to see if he finally got the scope mounted straight. He clearly swept a few customers with his muzzle as he was waving it around.

But wait, theres more...he then hands the rifle to a customer that he seems to know and says something along the line of "Hey, (Random male name), see if you think these crosshairs are lined up right". The customer grabs the rifle and looks through the scope a few times and says "Hmmm, I think so".

The customer then says to the employee (I am not making this up)
"Here, Ill aim at you through the scope, and you look down the barrel of the gun at the crosshairs and see if they look straight that way". I seriously thought he was joking until the employee says "OK, good idea" and proceeds to stare right down the barrel of the gun.

Some may look at this as not a big deal because the gun was "unloaded", but what happened to gun safety rule #1; The gun is ALWAYS LOADED?
Or how about the laser rule?

I was honestly stunned by what I had witnessed.
It is a gun shop that gets much praise here on INGO. Also a gun shop I have been to twice, and had 2 bad experiences.

Just wanted to rant a little and see what you guys thought.

 

[shavedforbattle]

You'd have a heart attack at a gun show.

 

[jfed85]

Ive been to many, and I understand things happen, people have brain farts. But to blatantly stare down the barrel of a rifle at point blank range? Just seems a little out there to me.

 

[croy]

Nothing surprises me anymore after working at a gun shop. As soon as you hand a customer a firearm there finger is immediatly on the trigger and the constant dry fire drives me insane

 

[MACHINEGUN]

I'd have walked out and never came back, what idiots.. PM me the name of this shop if it's in Indy or close, please!

 

[jd4320t]

You should contact the shop manager. Please keep the name to yourself. No need to start a **** storm with a well liked shop here on INGO.

 

[MACHINEGUN]

You should contact the shop manager. Please keep the name to yourself. No need to start a **** storm with a well liked shop here on INGO.

Why should he keep it to himself?

This is dangerous behavior and who said anything about it being a well liked INGO shop, if so.. They need a refresher course on Firearms safety INGO shop or not!

 

[j706]

Why should he keep it to himself?

This is dangerous behavior and who said anything about it being a well liked INGO shop, if so.. They need a refresher course on Firearms safety INGO shop or not!

Yea^^^ But what I have noticed is anytime you are dealing with the public the type of thing the OP noted will be almost common.

 

[jd4320t]

I was going to work and had left a little early so I had some time to kill. Figured I hadnt been in a gun shop in a few weeks so why not stop in and just poke around. As Im looking in the case there is an employee mounting a scope and trying to get the crosshairs lined up just right.

First, he is swinging the rifle all around the store loking through the scope at various items to see if he finally got the scope mounted straight. He clearly swept a few customers with his muzzle as he was waving it around.

But wait, theres more...he then hands the rifle to a customer that he seems to know and says something along the line of "Hey, (Random male name), see if you think these crosshairs are lined up right". The customer grabs the rifle and looks through the scope a few times and says "Hmmm, I think so".

The customer then says to the employee (I am not making this up)
"Here, Ill aim at you through the scope, and you look down the barrel of the gun at the crosshairs and see if they look straight that way". I seriously thought he was joking until the employee says "OK, good idea" and proceeds to stare right down the barrel of the gun.

Some may look at this as not a big deal because the gun was "unloaded", but what happened to gun safety rule #1; The gun is ALWAYS LOADED?
Or how about the laser rule?

I was honestly stunned by what I had witnessed.
It is a gun shop that gets much praise here on INGO. Also a gun shop I have been to twice, and had 2 bad experiences.

Just wanted to rant a little and see what you guys thought.

Why should he keep it to himself?

This is dangerous behavior and who said anything about it being a well liked INGO shop, if so.. They need a refresher course on Firearms safety INGO shop or not!

Please reread the OP.

The respectful thing to do is talk to the shop management. They deserve a chance to right the wrong.

 

[jfed85]

Yea^^^ But what I have noticed is anytime you are dealing with the public the type of thing the OP noted will be almost common.

I can understand the customers doing stupid and unsafe things, but not the people behind the counter. Oh, and as for the shop manager, he was sitting about 5 feet away from this as a customer was aiming a rifle right at his employees face at a distance of about 2-3 feet.

 

[straid]

First, he is swinging the rifle all around the store loking through the scope at various items to see if he finally got the scope mounted straight. He clearly swept a few customers with his muzzle as he was waving it around.

The customer then says to the employee (I am not making this up)
"Here, Ill aim at you through the scope, and you look down the barrel of the gun at the crosshairs and see if they look straight that way". I seriously thought he was joking until the employee says "OK, good idea" and proceeds to stare right down the barrel of the gun.

Completely believable.

I honestly believe they should make every gun store employee go through a safety course before they even take one step behind a counter. Additionally, they should be called to the mat the first time they demonstrate lack of safety. This kind of thing is unacceptable.

Stupidity actually does kill.

 

[rotortech]

We have all seen it at guns shops. Customers and staff who seem to lose their minds for just a few minutes. I think the correct thing to do is to yell at them to stop it. Make a scene. Preach gun safety. Don't grumble and leave.

If you vow to never enter a gun store where this has happened, then you will not have any more shops to visit. But we can, and should, help fix this problem wherever we see it. Every "accident" at a gun shop is an opportunity for anti-gun folks to remove guns from our reach. Don't let that happen.

 

[GaDawg]

Nothing surprises me anymore after working at a gun shop. As soon as you hand a customer a firearm there finger is immediatly on the trigger and the constant dry fire drives me insane

Dry fire? Why does this bother you? Depending on the gun and what you want it for it is kinda nice to feel the trigger to see how it feels before you purchase. Let me guess you are going to tell me that it will hurt the gun?

 

[D ReedSniper]

You'd have a heart attack at a gun show.

^^^ Nailed it

 

[hammer24]

Dry fire? Why does this bother you? Depending on the gun and what you want it for it is kinda nice to feel the trigger to see how it feels before you purchase. Let me guess you are going to tell me that it will hurt the gun?

I don't dry fire anything that is not mine. If I want to, I will ask permission from the shop employee/manager/ gun owner first. It is not mine, and different people have different opinions on dry firing. Many don't like it. I dry fire most of my center-fires as training (trigger break in, and learning the trigger) but, even some center-fire manufacturers warn against it. I don't know, I guess it is just common courtesy to ask first.

 

[IncendiaryGunner]

I don't dry fire anything that is not mine. If I want to, I will ask permission from the shop employee/manager/ gun owner first.

BINGO!

A little respect goes a long way, even if you are a customer and "always right"....

 

[croy]

Dry fire? Why does this bother you? Depending on the gun and what you want it for it is kinda nice to feel the trigger to see how it feels before you purchase. Let me guess you are going to tell me that it will hurt the gun?

Have you ever seen someone repeatedly pull the trigger on a revolver? There is no need to dry fire more than a few times. When you start hearing click click click click click over and over you'll understand

 

[drillsgt]

Yea^^^ But what I have noticed is anytime you are dealing with the public the type of thing the OP noted will be almost common.

Not sure what you are trying to say here, my first response would be a snarky, "cause your brothers in blue never do anything stupid with guns, eh?" but I don't know if you are insulting everyday gunowners or not.

 

[pirate]

Please reread the OP.

The respectful thing to do is talk to the shop management. They deserve a chance to right the wrong.

Not to me they don't. One **** up is too many. Period. There is a gun shop in Lafayette named Four Guns I'll never step foot in again because of safety issues I witnessed.

When it comes to gun safety and people I'm doing business with, there are no second chances.

 

[GaDawg]

Have you ever seen someone repeatedly pull the trigger on a revolver? There is no need to dry fire more than a few times. When you start hearing click click click click click over and over you'll understand

Yes I have heard the multi click click but I giggle a bit when people have a fit over dry firing guns. Yes years ago it was an issue but I don't know myself of any new age guns that it would hurt. Just one of the things about guns and people that make me laugh a little. Last time I personally have a laugh at this was when I was with this guy and he wanted to show me his new AR. He brought out and handed it to me and it was like handing me his new born baby (which I understand). I flipped the dust cover down and when it made the click down you would have thought I dropped it. I pulled the action back and locked it to check it out. After I was done fondling his baby he quickly took it back and didn't want me to close the action because it was afraid I was going to release it and let it slam shut. He wanted to release it, hold it and let it down easy. This was a moment of internal giggle. I do not claim to be an expert on guns and shooting but I am far from a newbie as well. Like I said just one of those things that makes you stop and giggle a little. I'm sure everyone has something that people do that make you laugh a little. People and their quirky things they do.