A few months ago myself and 2 friends went to a LGS that none of his had been to before.  My friend is looking to buy his first AR and my other friend is just along for the ride.  Right from the start owner seems a little off because he's taking his DD AR with Trijicon MRO red dot and throwing it scope down on the concrete floor behind the counter to show how tough it is.  Anyway after much debate a scary black rifle is selected and of course a shiny new Trijicon MRO HD and the owner goes into the back to assemble sight with mount, etc.

Here's where it gets interesting.  This store has 2 WWII style machine guns on tripods decorating the store.  One is on the floor and the other is up on a showcase near the middle of the store.  While my buying friend is checking out we (non-buying friend and I) are just browsing around and we take a look at this machine gun that is nicely decorated feed strips of 7.62x51 brass.  After a quick look I head to the back of the store to check out some accessories and that's when it happens.

BOOM, other friend pulled trigger and there's huge explosion, the entire store fills with smoke and there's a hole in the ceiling tile above the counter in the front of the store which is just above my buying friends head.  Owner comes running out , "What the F, who in the F...."  Another patron and his son who had picked up a gun for repair and are now browsing exit immediately.  Non-buying friend is apologizing profusely.  We're all in some stage of initial shock and I'm thinking thank god the owner is holding a brand new Noveske AR that my friend just purchased or he would be coming out shooting.

So after much apologizing and ostracizing by the owner and since the gun is already "transferred" via NICS paperwork we take gun and other purchased accessories and leave.  Five minutes down the road we get a call from LGS who has buyers phone number.  He doesn't want to get police involved and demands $25 dollars to replace ceiling tile.  After examination it was only a blank round but was close enough to the ceiling to destroy the tile (from gas I assume) that we assumed was live round.  In the end the LGS owner backed off and decided that it was in his self interest to just let the whole episode die quietly.

Non-buying friend has since been ridiculed and harassed by everyone who has heard the story. :)

So your friend violated the 4 rules, and you think it's a great story?  

Where in OH was the store?

Also I wouldn’t put too much blame on the friend, that’s 100% on the owner.

Attached File

Didn't say it was a "great" story.  I said it was "wild."  He's not a gun guy and to be fair it wasn't anything resembling a normal fire arm that this guy had ever seen.  It's just a handle with a lipped trigger, no trigger guard or anything.

Good Lawd I got nothing like that.

My wildest similar story is I have a jar full of ammo from guns that come across my bench chambered with a round. Other than that, I once had to clear what was thought to be a live round with primer that did not go off in Barrett m82....My butt left pinch marks in my chair.

Legit

Mine involves the best gun store ever. ‘Just Guns’ on S. Congress in Austin.

Back then, there was still a prositute problem up and down that street.

Anyways, Rob had a bunch of Police buddies that would show up and shoot the shit from time to time.

One day while we were al looking over some new inventory, one officer, with out skipping a beat, opened the door to the street and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Hey, you fucking whores...Beat it!”

They responded with a one finger salute, moved on down the road and he came back in chuckling.

“That’s how it’s done boys, that’s how it’s done.”

I really miss that store.

RIP Rob

I'm going to have to disagree with you a little. Some people might look at you funny when you clear an "obviously" unloaded gun at a gun store but you get even more funny looks when you blow a hole in the ceiling.

Owner owns this 100%

I don't want to get anyone in trouble.  As for blame, we've talked about it quite a bit and think it's 50/50.  Really strange that blank would be in there read to go.  Little stranger that LGS owner didn't know if it was live or a blank.  Irresponsible to push trigger (I say push because gun was above eye level) without clearing for yourself.

Pretty wild story...
I'd punch my friend in the face and be glad that the damage was minor.
In some places this gets your friend straight into prison - non-discharge law
I took quite a bunch of new shooters to the range ages 7 - 70. I only shoot outdoors and its a 30 minutes drive so they do get programmed in the car.

My funniest LGS story is the employee that insisted, ranted, and raved that Glock's were made in Australia !!!

I was checking out at a lgs and a guy came in with a bolt action 50 bmg. Proceeded to lay it down on counter barrel facing me as I check out and say to the smith “ hey I have a live round stuck in the chamber, can you help me out?” I almost shit myself getting out of the way. I hurried and left, some people just don’t understand safety.

Aumillers?

It’s a decorative machine gun with a paddle trigger. There shouldn’t be any ammunition near it let alone a blank in the chamber.

Oops, double.

Not a gun shop incident but I was at the Fayetteville show when a person discharged a firearm that put part of the lights out.  Things got real quiet quick.

Walked into an LGS and overheard the owner calling in a SALUTE report to his local militia buddies regarding a group of Marine helicopters that had flown over (Marine One was not one of them).  No thanks, don’t need my name on any more lists than it already is.

Sorry man, but I literally just spit coffee all over reading this.  

Look at this experience as a blessing to have survived.

Hking

When I was working behind the counter, a guy who seemed a bit off and nervous was handling different pistols he was thinking of buying. He said, so what if somebody just runs out the door with a gun, would you all run after them?  I pulled a short barreled shot gun from under the counter and said, we don't have to run.

I know of several NDs at gun shows, mostly prior to the show organizers zip tying all firearms to render them inoperable beginning about 25 years ago. One incident was in a hallway at the VBC in Huntsville. They didn't allow gun shows for many years after that.

The wildest thing I've seen at a local gun business was a lady who came in with a HK P7, Colt Python, and Colt 1911, all in pristine condition. They had belonged to her son, who had died recently. She wanted to get rid of them and sold them to the gun dealer for $1 each. Before you think the gun dealer was a dirt bag, she would have given them to him but wanted it to be a "legal" transaction with money exchanged. She would not accept anything above that amount.

I also saw a guy walk into the largest gun store in my area with a VG condition Colt Ace to sell. Without even asking what the owner would offer, he announced he would take a $100. Of course the shop owner didn't argue.

We had a couple of guys put rounds through their hands and one guy blow his brains out. Not a wild story. Just kinda sad. Messed up the check in chick that was on duty. Our RSO was a former marine SAW gunner and was just like meh, I've seen worse.

At least give us a region.

No there shouldn't be but look where assuming got him. Lots of accidents happen with firearms shouldn’t be loaded.

Given the amount of ridiculous things I have heard from people on both sides of the counter at LGS's and the mentalities that go along with that way of thinking I wouldn't put it past anyone to leave a loaded firearm laying (or hanging) around.

I got banned from one for "life" because my buddy bought an AR someone wanted to trade in for $20 more at the counter.

I was banned for being next to him and knowing him, I was only meeting someone in the parking lot to sell a revolver.

I forgot about that place.  

Small gun store in Harris County, Texas.  Guy comes in with a ancient looking Colt Single Action Army and a bandage on his hand, asks the smith to take a look at the gun as he didn't know the caliber but when he tried to fire .45 Colt it injured his hand and locked up the cylinder which he broke loose with a hammer.  Everyone in the store turns to look...  The smith takes a quick look and tells the guy its not a Colt, its an old Mexican knockoff of unknown caliber and NOT SAFE to shoot.  The guy takes the gun back, goes to the ammo counter and tried to buy two boxes of .45 Colt, he was told to leave the store.

Hking

I was in a LGS and a guy walks in and asked the counter guy if he had any ammo for a Remington 700 he just bought...

LGS Guy: "What's the caliber for the rifle?"  

Gun Owner: "Remington 700"

LGS Guy: "Ok, so that's the model...what is the caliber?"

Gun Owner: "Like I said...Remington 700."

LGS Guy: [WITH A STRAIGHT FACE] "So yeah, you don't have a F'n clue what you're talking about!"

Gun Owner: "...so, you don't have any ammo for a Remington 700."

LGS Guy:  "Nope, try WalMart"

Guy walks out and I literally lose it...I haven't laughed that hard in a while.  The LGS Guy needed a few minutes to compose himself...goes and talks to owner and they pull up the video and are uncontrollably laughing when I left.    

Saw a guy ask to snap some knives once..... 8)


I saw a guy get red faced and run out of a shop for tying to sell / trade a very poor quality acog fake.  

During the Clinton years when people were buying up guns as fast as they could just like now, I frequented a local gun shop that started opening seven days a week, but the manager didn't come in on Sunday.

It turned out one of the employees was selling firearms through the store without any paperwork.  

The owner caught on of course. It's hard to hide missing inventory for very long, especially if it keeps happening.

The cops were called, and the individual of course also faced federal charges.  Law enforcement raided his house but he had already cleared out for parts unknown.

I never heard if he was ultimately caught or not.

_______________________________


I was at a gun shop chatting with the gunsmith. He picked up a revolver from his bench and showed it to me.  He said that the customer brought it in complaining the cylinder would jam every time he fired a round.

The gunsmith pointed out to me that the gun was chambered in .44 Special, but some home gunsmith had reamed the chambers out to .44 Magnum.

Yeah he SHOULD have kept his booger hook of the the thing, but the owner should have KNOWN some dumbass was going to do that. Leaving it "hot" blank or not, was making what happened inevitable.

The owner is an idiot.

At one of my local gun store a couple of employees got the shot when a customer brought in a loaded gun for repair. One employee got shot in the hand and another got shot in the gut.

lgs (family owned but now closed) i went to for years where older parents, son in mid 40s and his gf worked there. got to know them very well and one day the father is helping a regular (another old guy) customer who pulled out a revolver to hand to the the owner. the customer had it pointed at him pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest. he did before ems got there in front of his family. i had just picked up a gun there a day or two before

Many moons ago, We were at the register buying my wife's first gun... I'm armed, the cashier is armed. The cashier behind the other checkout is armed.... and in walk 2-3 individuals in ghetto attire... all of them with their hands in. Their pants.. not their pockets... inside the waistband of their baggy pants. I noticed them walk in. I didn't notice their hands until the old crusty guy behind the register I was at barked "GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR PANTS!!" In a fairly good impression of Gunny. I was pushing my wife behind me and had was just short of unholstering (just like LITTERALLY everyone else armed in the building who heard him yell.) and the newcomers quickly did as instructed and kept walking in.

Hartman saw my reaction, smiled and told me that this happens more than it should. My wife was waaaay behind the power curve and I had to explain it in the car.

Oh yeah for sure he is an idiot. All I am getting at is you shouldn't assume someone else isn't an idiot and has done things safely/properly.

Years ago I was in Grant's for Guns in Buena Park CA.  I was with a friend we were just looking for some clay pigeons and cheap shotgun shells.  While standing at the counter to check out we saw a guy showing a counter clerk the 1911 he wanted to trade for a S&W 29.  He was telling the clerk "Oh this has a trigger job it is now smooth as glass."  Boom!  a 45 Auto through a celling light fixture, knocking it loose and lodging into a beam in the celling. "Oh Shit" was all we heard as we exited the store.

In LGS I frequent 4-5 years ago, customer in his 50s pulls out his carry piece racks round out of chamber, drops mag, shoots the carpet. 95% of the customers leave immediately, employee calls the cops, customer who shot the carpet apologizes a few times then leaves before cops show up. No idea what happened after that as we left soon after.

I have no idea why he wanted to show his carry piece to a dude at a gun store but it was clearly a bad idea that was executed in an even worse manner.

The Gander that I was working at at the time (I was not there), had a guy walk up and ask to look at a Beretta 9MM - he proceeds to load a couple of rounds in the mag - walk out the door and try to hijack a truck at the auto dealership next door...

There were a couple of deputies getting their oil changed at the location - the guy got some silver jewelry, a free ride down town, and free room and board.

The manager got let go with his response to what was going on.....think he ran for the door - every man for himself.....

LOL

Red

I once was in a store, guy comes in, a regular by the greeting.
 Says"I need help, my gun is jammed"  pulls out a snubnose with a cocked hammer and a bent triggergaurd.

After a from the shopkeeper he gets the story out.

While giving someone a talking to, things got a little heated.  He whacked the person on the head a few times and bent the triggergaurd, jamming the trigger and cocked hammer.
Someone fucked around and found out!

Who? No idea,  I don't ask stupid questions.



Exactly.  

Anytime we had a counter display we removed every box of ammo off the floor.  

Cases and stuff in sealed containers stayed put, but regular boxes got moved.

The time i asked to look at a Smith 422 pistol and when it was handed to me and i racked it a live round fell out. the counter guys eyes got big. full mag too. He said it has been in the case for 2 years like that.

I'm not saying I disagree, but you KNOW "that guy" is eventually going to come in, that's all.

OP's friend was "that guy", luckily for the OP.

The owner deals with the public on a regular basis. That's his clue.

When I was in college, I was in a gunshop, well, shopping.
I spied a used 1911 under the glass and asked to look at it.
I cleared it out of habit and was more than a little surprised when a round of hardball skittered across the glass.
I looked at the clerk and asked if they were all loaded.
He reached over and grabbed the pistol out of my hand saying, gimme that thing.
I laughed it off, but he failed to see the humor in the incident.

Nothing compared to the OP or what others have posted.

Just a guy who didn't seem to be all there mentally who walked up to the counter and said he needed to buy some ammo. The LGS employee asked what he was looking for. The customer responded "I don't know, but here's the gun." He then pulls a pistol from his waistband. The employee takes it from him and clears a chambered round.

Aside from that there was an instance where an employee was twirling a high-dollar 1911 around his finger through the trigger guard. To make matters worse, he dropped it.

I don't have any stories, I rarely ever go into a store dedicated to firearms aside from local sporting good stores. I do enjoy reading these stories though. It illustrates that 'I am the only one in this room that is qualified to handle a Glock'

Just in case someone don't remember

That video is one of THE BEST to prove how careless some folks are and how easily shit can go south in a hurry.

I don't have any good LGS stories but I guess that's a good thing.

   

  sorry about Rob but that was a damn funny story.

I deal with this sort of thing all the time with my clients who while they may be wealthy have no idea how to actually do anything handy or mechanical but they will tell me how I should do the work that they don't know how to do and hired me to do...
Painful, just painful.

Absolutely, but the owner doesn't sound like the type of person who picks up on clues very well. Having a loaded machine gun on display for the public to handle is insane.

While none happened in a gun store I have had enough minor near misses in my life with people and guns that I don't trust anyone not to do something really stupid and unexpected.

About 10 years ago I was at a LGS with a friend who was shopping for an AR. There was a 30ish guy covered in tats and overweight working the counter in front of the Black Rifles. He was trying hard to make a sell and was pushing the Colt saying it was the only one truly milspec and the only one carried by US Armed forces. I said something about FN winning a contract. Counter guy turns red, yells at me that he spent almost two years in Afghanistan and never saw any m16 not made by Colt and called me a liar. I thought he was coming over the counter. The owner ushered him to the back. We left and I refused to go back.

Absolutely, but the owner doesn't sound like the type of person who picks up on clues very well. Having a loaded machine gun on display for the public to handle is insane.

While none happened in a gun store I have had enough minor near misses in my life with people and guns that I don't trust anyone not to do something really stupid and unexpected.