Gun store “operators”

View · by **azonesolutions** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 6:59 pm

I decided it was finally time to get a properly fitting pistol for my wife. She has small hands and has never been happy with anything I have in my collection. The S&W M&P seemed that it might be a good fit, but I’ve bought her the wrong thing too many times, so this last weekend I took her to a gun store in Rogers to handle some potential options. Well I’m accustom to seeing idiots at gun stores, but this trip was the first time I had a gun store employee draw his weapon and muzzle me. He apparently felt he needed to explain to me how he is an expert in the manipulation of a 1911. I told the salesman that he should consider getting more professional training and we then quickly departed the store. We proceeded to Gander Mountain and Cabela’s where I expected I would not have loaded weapons pointed at me, but the ignorance behind their counters was no less amazing. It was truly astounding to listen to them touting their tactical prowess and watch them point “unloaded” guns at customers who have no clue either. Where did we lose our understanding of the responsibility for firearm safety that goes along with the right of firearm ownership?

View · by **gun_fan111v2** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:24 pm

Beyond believe...

View · by **Lumpy** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 7:26 pm

Maybe the boom in gun sales has led to hiring some less than stellar employees?

View · by **Randygmn** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 8:17 pm

azonesolutions wrote:I decided it was finally time to get a properly fitting pistol for my wife. She has small hands and has never been happy with anything I have in my collection. The S&W M&P seemed that it might be a good fit, but I’ve bought her the wrong thing too many times, so this last weekend I took her to a gun store in Rogers to handle some potential options. Well I’m accustom to seeing idiots at gun stores, but this trip was the first time I had a gun store employee draw his weapon and muzzle me. He apparently felt he needed to explain to me how he is an expert in the manipulation of a 1911. I told the salesman that he should consider getting more professional training and we then quickly departed the store. We proceeded to Gander Mountain and Cabela’s where I expected I would not have loaded weapons pointed at me, but the ignorance behind their counters was no less amazing. It was truly astounding to listen to them touting their tactical prowess and watch them point “unloaded” guns at customers who have no clue either. Where did we lose our understanding of the responsibility for firearm safety that goes along with the right of firearm ownership?

I can appreciate you being magnanimous in not identifying the offending retailer, but you aren't doing anyone any favors by not naming them. The community should know and we should stay away.

I'll add that there are only 2 other retailers, afaik, up there. One is the new range, Target Sports,and from my personal experiences, they are on point. The other place is guns and gear. The two times I was in there I had a less than stellar shopping experience. I went back the second time to give them the benifit of the doubt. My bet is that they are the place to avoid.

View · by **Kelor** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 8:27 pm

I find this hard to believe.

View · by **Squib Joe** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 8:46 pm

This was done with the salesman's presumably loaded firearm? Did you contact the owner of the store?

View · by **xd ED** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 9:39 pm

gun_fan111v2 wrote:Beyond believe...

Not at all. I've been swept by both employees and customers(in the presence of employees) at more than one metro gun shop, and at the gun counter of a large chain. It's a common practice for the guy behind the counter to hand a pistol to a potential customer, neither of them checking/ clearing the gun, and watching the stooge point it in every direction, including themselves, and the employee, and at least one case, me.
I won't go near the gun counter at the Woodbury GM for that reason.

View · by **gun_fan111v2** on Tue Dec 15, 2015 10:04 pm

That I have seen, but draw their loaded gun and point - special case for sure

View · by **andrewP** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 12:13 am

I feel like that should result in termination paperwork. Did you contact the manager to inform him/her of the unacceptable gun safety habits and behavior of his/her employee(s)?

View · by **OldmanFCSA** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 1:32 am

Squib Joe wrote:This was done with the salesman's presumably loaded firearm? Did you contact the owner of the store?

Or the police? (for all the good that would do, but police exposure at a store might change some practices or policies)

View · by **LePetomane** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 4:50 am

Apparently this guy is not an expert at all. I would have informed the manager or owner of this behavior. This guy has no place being around firearms, second amendment or not.

View · by **LumberZach** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 6:26 am

Just go to southwest arms in savage. You won't find a shield cheaper and loaded guns won't get pointed at you.

View · by **Seismic Sam** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 7:13 am

azonesolutions wrote:I decided it was finally time to get a properly fitting pistol for my wife. She has small hands and has never been happy with anything I have in my collection. The S&W M&P seemed that it might be a good fit, but I’ve bought her the wrong thing too many times, so this last weekend I took her to a gun store in Rogers to handle some potential options.

A perfect example of the effects of a guy trying to buy a gun for a woman. I still have a standing $50 bet with any guy that thinks he can pick out the right firearm for a wife/girlfriend/SO to go into a woman's shoe store, look around and then pick out the pair of shoes that you think she will buy. Then let her go in and buy a pair of shoes and see if you're right. You, of course have a snowball's chance in hell of picking the right pair of shoes, because you have no clue about women and shoes. Well, it's no different with guns, because even though a guy can understand a lot about guns, they still have no clue about what a woman actually wants. The above poster is the perfect example, and he's gone through a pretty fair sum of money to learn this lesson.

My suggestion is to contact Wrench or Sawgrass on this forum, and let them help your wife out while you have a beer and watch football. You really need another woman to help your wife out in a situation like this.

View · by **striped1** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 8:31 am

For my money, go see Kate at Arnzen Arms and find one that feels right to her. Better yet, go to Bill's range, rent a few and find what she likes and then go see Kate at Arnzen to purchase.

View · by **bummey** on Wed Dec 16, 2015 8:45 am

Kelor wrote:I find this hard to believe.

Have you never been to a gun store before?