Carrying in a Gun Store - yes, no, maybe?

[SugarmillMan]

I also live in Central Florida and do exactly the same. Those signs are without any merit here.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MMABC]

Out in the Vegas valley here, it seems that only stores (that i have come across) that require a person to disarm is a gun store. Ironic in my eyes.

It seems to me that the word here isn't ironic. The word that's missing here after five pages of this thread is hypocritical. I've recently bought my first pistol, and I've been doing a lot of reading and learning about gun laws, rules, policies, and politics. I was wondering about these signs.

I've seen these signs at gun stores, in my companies' corporate policies, the law, I think in a gun show policy and at a gun range I was thinking about joining. The gun range mandates membership in the NRA, and then on the same page, go on to tell you all the rules and restrictions on having a loaded hand gun on the premises. The gun stores will sell that idiot his gun, without a second thought, and we'll lobby our legislatures to make sure he maintains his rights to have it, but then these same folks are quick and eager to put up the rules and restrictions for everyone else. Mighty hypocritical if you ask me. Understandable for high density idiot zone, but still highly hypocritical in my opinion. If it's insurance, then I understand it, but I still smell hypocrisy.

[Squawker]

I'm sorry that you had that problem, it's not one that I've run into there. As I said, the prices that I've gotten on the guns that I've bought have been the best that I could find, and I do shop around. I've bought 5 handguns, an AR15, and a shotgin from them, and I've been pleased with the price. However, if you're getting a good deal, then that's great.

i work right up the street from the gun store on trop. i used to go there often but stopped because of employee attitudes. i am never asked if i need help with anything. the store was dead, 8 of them behind the counter and they paid no mind to me. i just left.
the only guy in the gun store i liked was jamie - he was cool, but he is not there most of the times i would stop by. i buy my ammo at discount on highland (where i got my ak). their prices are better, and you can OC there - its just in a super shady area.

i worked in retail and management for 5 years, so i am quite alert to customer service or the lack there of. there is none unless i am a tourist wanting to shoot a machine gun or i have cleavage popping out of my shirt or if i want to buy a tricked out AR. i should get the same service and respect no matter what i buy. also, being treated like i know nothing about guns, will just cause me to leave the store.

the worst offender for this is practical to tactical on blue diamond...

[/end rant]

[dnowell]

Here in Oregon, I go to a place called The Gun Broker out in Tigard. (No, not the same as the web site.)

They don't have any signs, the employees are probably carrying concealed but nobody talks about it, and they don't hassle patrons. Talking with another customer he showed me his carry gun; he unloaded it while drawing and racked the slide back to show me it was clear.

Oregon turns out to be a pretty gun-friendly state.

[Vegas]

i work right up the street from the gun store on trop. i used to go there often but stopped because of employee attitudes. i am never asked if i need help with anything. the store was dead, 8 of them behind the counter and they paid no mind to me. i just left.
the only guy in the gun store i liked was jamie - he was cool, but he is not there most of the times i would stop by. i buy my ammo at discount on highland (where i got my ak). their prices are better, and you can OC there - its just in a super shady area.

i worked in retail and management for 5 years, so i am quite alert to customer service or the lack there of. there is none unless i am a tourist wanting to shoot a machine gun or i have cleavage popping out of my shirt or if i want to buy a tricked out AR. i should get the same service and respect no matter what i buy. also, being treated like i know nothing about guns, will just cause me to leave the store.

the worst offender for this is practical to tactical on blue diamond...

[/end rant]

Funny, I beg to differ. I've had alot of luck dealing with Mike (owner) & Doug (great employee) over at Las Vegas Gun Range aka Practical to Tactical. They both have offered alot of knowledge and help every time I've been in there. I've had 45 min conversations with them and not even bought so much as ammo on certain occasions; and I've also bought rifles and such from them as well as ffl transfered plenty of firearms I've purchased private party because they don't rape you for transfers like other shops around town. I also deal alot with Citadel (my favorite), Center of Mass and another place at Lake Mead & Decatur that I can't remember the name, but they are a little family owned & operated joint with a great vibe & personality. My 2 yr old son was playing with their dog and one of the ladies had a great time with my boy. I also don't think Discount is in a shady area. It's industrial, sure, but not shady. Mon - Fri daytime is no problem at all, and evening the area becomes a ghost town except for cheetas. lol.

Anyhow, as for carrying in shops, I also ccw regardless of signs just so I'm armed when between shop and car if nothing else. So long as you are ccw'ing properly, there shouldn't be any problems. I do see why shops wouldn't allow though and it's not necessarily for those of us that are somewhat sane. Gun shops attract alot of unexperienced gun handlers and wannabe thugs. The shop can't easily put up a sign that differentiates the two.

[Tubby45]

I welcome both open and concealed carry by law abiding citizens with proper credentials (ie, a CPL for concealed).

[Tally XD]

Sportsmans Warehouse just had a grand opening here in Tallahassee. I have been there once so far. I made a special effort to try and spot any "No Firearms Allowed" signs anywhere. They were not anywhere to be seen.

The only sign I saw was one at the entrance foyer that said "No electronic scanning devices allowed in store". I dont know what scanning devices they meant, but, I saw no signs against firearms at all.

I carried while I was shopping there and will next time I am there.

[TonyB]

a couple of years ago,a guy was apprehended outside of my buddy's gun store w/ an AK,ski mask and backpack....he had bought the ak there the week before when he apparently cased the place.The guy was probably lucky the police got him before he made it in...all of the guys there carried.I always carry where legal,a gun store is just as likely to get robbed as anywhere else(and the perp may be more inclided to be nervous and trigger happy)....bad guys aren't the smartest people in the world.

[celticredneck]

At a well known local sporting goods store, this past Friday, I overheard a customer ask a store clerk if it was okay to bring a handgun into the store. The answer was yes, but you have to unload it and leave it locked open (I guess he thinks all handguns are semi-autos). This store has no sign prohibiting either OC or CC. I wasn't carrying at the time.

[XD in SC]

We have no local gun stores, so I have no problems on this front. I shop online, and through forums.

[AirForceShooter]

The stores I go to most frequently are Carry is OK but, Unload.
Given that a lot of people will at some point draw their gun for some reason, unloaded is reasonable.
Not being able to bring my gun into a store is totally unreasonable and my money will go someplace else.

AFS

[crankinNM]

What they don't know won't hurt them.

Pulling a gun from a concealed carry, dropping the mag, clearing, and reconcealing is just plain silly.

[Rustynuts]

Concealed means concealed! I think it's common sense for most gun stores to post. It's a good reminder for people coming in shopping for holsters, etc. to not bring in a loaded weapon. If you conceal, it should remain there until NEEDED! I don't see any gunstores frisking people, so I think most of their signs are kind of a wink and nod to keep the insurance co. pacified.

A gun shop encourages fondling, showing off, passing around guns. Not a good place for a loaded weapon. You don't see weapon fondling much in a WalMart or similar place! Based on that, I don't really see a problem with gun stores posting, unless they are a bear about it.

[Delucas]

The only local gun store (and it's a class III) I go into is Blue Ridge Shooting Sports.
By law in SC, they can and do open carry while open for business.

I've never seen them object to conceal carry and the only open is by LE. If an open gun is brought in by anyone else, it must be unloaded and they like to be told you are doing so before the firearm is brought in. They will rack the slide and clear it to be sure it is empty before even looking at it.

These guys have always been friendly and patient w/ me even when I was showing my ignorance about a gun issue.

[Roadrunner]

Having been the guy behind the counter before, I can understand the motivation some owners have to prevent carry. I don't agree with policies that prevent ALL carry, but I can understand the motivation. If it were my decision, I would make the policy to carry whatever you like but keep it in the holster. Here's why. We here at DC represent the majority of gun owners and carriers; responsible, safety-conscious, and mature. Those other guys though; they're scary. I had plenty of unloaded pistols pointed at me (unintentionally), other customers pointed the weapon they were considering at their buddies as a joke, one customer pulled out his CC piece at the counter to show another customer, once customer brought a pistol she had purchased back to the store to sell back to us with a full mag and loaded chamber. Those rules aren't put in place because of you or your actions, but because of those bozos. They are a very legitimate safety concern that NEEDS to be guarded against. That's why I like the keep it in your holster policy. It allows the responsible ones to remain armed and immediately identifies the bozos when they break the rule.