Just another day at the gun store/range

[fastk9dad]

I went to the range this afternoon, but because one range is under renovation there was a line for the second range. 3 people, two guys and a girl. were in front of me but were all in the same group and said they were going to use a single lane. Ok good, at least I'm not 4th in line.

While waiting I decided to check out some pistols in the store. Next to me was a group of people working with a salesman, they were looking at an LCP and then the guy asks if he can dry fire it. So instead of pointing it to the back wall he turns 180 degrees and points it at the inside sheetrock wall separating the store from the range lounge area. Salesman didn't say a word. Then he lets his wife try the pistol, same thing.

I've looked enough and decide to stand where I can see everyone while waiting for a lane to open up. I'm walking parallel to the way the woman has the gun pointed and I stop and wait until she puts it down so I can cross the path. She sees me, lowers it, then proceeds to point it at me while trying to rack the slide back. I just gave her a dirty look and side stepped it quick.

So now I'm standing at the front of the range lounge where I can see the range and the store counters making sure I'm not going to get muzzle swept. One lane opens up about 5 minutes later and those 3 people before me go to check in. The clerk asks if they have permits and one guy says he and the other guy does but the girl doesn't. So the clerk asks her if she has ever shot a handgun before. She say's yes. He asks the guy what he brought to shoot. He says a Glock 9. The clerk asks what model Glock? The guy says 9. The clerk says 17, 19, 26... the guy says oh yeah, 19. So the clerk pulls a G19 from the rental rack and tells the girl that for insurance purposes he is required to do this and tells her he is going to hand her a perceived loaded pistol (he cleared it prior) and she needs to be able to drop the magazine and lock the slide back. She grabs the pistol and tries to pull the magazine out the bottom, then she's manipulating it in her hand trying to reach the mag release sweeping her friend, after about 30 seconds of failing to release it the guy behind the counter says sorry I can't let you shoot. They collect their things and head out the door.

At least I didn't have to wait to shoot any more and I wasn't going to be next to them!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SpencerB]

Good on the guy behind the counter for saying no to an unsafe gun handler! Not good that the salesman behind the counter didn't say anything as the group of people all take turns pointing a gun at people in the store

[LoadedPipes]

Shame he may have turned that girl off completely to ever shooting again. I know the first time I brought my wife shooting if you handed her a glock and told her to drop the mag she'd have had no idea since I started her out on a .22 revolver..

[JJVP]

Good on the guy behind the counter for saying no to an unsafe gun handler!

Actually bad IMHO. Rather than just kicking her out, he should have given her instruction on how to handle a firearm. Might have just turned her off from guns. Plus he just lost future business.

Not good that the salesman behind the counter didn't say anything as the group of people all take turns pointing a gun at people in the store:aargh4

:

Agree. Similar commenst as above. The salesman should have use the opportunity to teach some safe handling tips to the customer rhatr than let her go through life thinking that what she was doing was right. Again just my HO.

[SpencerB]

Good point, hopefully they didn't turn her off from guns, and hopefully the 2 guys she was there with will teach her some basic gun handling and functions.

[davidw]

Just curious, what part of NY was this in?

[tkruf]

I hope her two friends that have permits have more brains than she does when it comes to gun safety. I hope they do and they teach her proper gun safety.

[OldVet]

There will always be that kind. Scary, huh?

[fastk9dad]

Shame he may have turned that girl off completely to ever shooting again. I know the first time I brought my wife shooting if you handed her a glock and told her to drop the mag she'd have had no idea since I started her out on a .22 revolver..

Well from the way they were talking they had been to the other range before so it seems this wasn't her first time out. I believe one of the guys (I'm assuming her BF) even told the clerk after she failed that he hadn't shown her that, he would just load it so she can shoot. It makes for a bad situation if there is a cease fire and she's at the line and can't clear the weapon quickly.

Just curious, what part of NY was this in?

It wasn't, this was in CT.

[gasmitty]

Clint Smith (Thunder Ranch) runs a great column in American Handgunner. Last year he related how he helped out a friend in Texas by working at the friend's gun store for about a week. Now here's a guy who's served in Viet Nam, been a career cop, and then trained countless people with all sorts of skill levels, but he had never had so many muzzles pointed at him as he did in that week!

[Guantes]

I wouldn't think that clearing on a cease fire would be a problem. Her mentor/instructor standing next to her takes the weapon, clears it and benches it. I could be wrong as I have never been to one of those type ranges.

[fastk9dad]

I wouldn't think that clearing on a cease fire would be a problem. Her mentor/instructor standing next to her takes the weapon, clears it and benches it. I could be wrong as I have never been to one of those type ranges.

This is an indoor range with automatic targets so the only cease fire would be in case of an emergency. I agree her partner could take control and clear it if needed.

[shockwave]

Shame he may have turned that girl off completely to ever shooting again.

That really isn't the clerk's job, though, is it? She should have been thoroughly trained in safe handling before attempting to fire a pistol at a public range.

As an analogy, the guy behind the counter at Avis Rent-a-Car isn't a driving instructor, but he should refuse to allow a clearly unsafe driver from renting a car. I see this as being more like that.

[Moriah]

While I can understand not wanting an unsafe person at the range, this kind of worries me insofar as my plans next week. My mother's new husband has bought a gun for their home for protection, a little .25, and Mom says she's shot it before with him. However, when he and I were talking about how I did during my basic pistol class, he said that using the Isosceles stance was wrong and that I should be holding the pistol "like this" and demonstrated by holding the .25 gangster style with one hand. I couldn't help it, I burst out laughing.

He was serious.

He said he has told my mother that's how she should shoot their firearm if anyone breaks into the house. And yes, he was serious. Really.

So my sister and I were planning on taking my mother to the range while I'm in town (I'm going to become a godmother on Tuesday! :) ) and teach her at least a little bit -- like not to hold it like that, for one, and see just how much else he's taught her that may be incorrect. My sister shoots a revolver and that's what she'll be bringing, so I'm going to be the only one in the group who will likely be able to clear my Kimber if asked. I'm wanting Mom to bring the gun she'd be shooting if a theoretical burgler got into that house. I've already found some .25 snap caps we're going to be having her "fire" at first well before bringing any live ammunition to the firing line for any of the three firearms in question.

But if the range down there isn't going to be comfortable with that, we might need to do this outside at my sister's property, where they have a firing area set up. It's just going to get dark awful early this time of year.