Went down there yesterday for the 1st time with a buddy of mine.  

What REALLY pissed me off was that after I fought my way through the 5 mexicans standing near the counter (clogging up the works) while their 1 buddy was looking at a gun I get the run around before I can even LOOK at a gun.

Conversation goes something like this:

Me:  Excuse me sir, can I look at the Walther 22 you have down there

Store worker:  Do you have I.D.  

Me:  (puzzled look on my face), but pull out my Active Duty Military I.D.

Store worker:  No, we need a driver's license

Me: (more puzzled look on my face), but pull out my home state driver's license

Store worker:  No, we need a Nevada driver's licence

Me:  I'm active duty military, don't have a NV DL

Store worker:  Then we need a copy of your orders (like everyone carries a copy of their orders that assigned them to Nellis years ago, yeah right)

Me:  How about this Nevada CCW?

Store worker:  Ok

They wanted all the paperwork/I.D. that I have to produce when physically BUYING a gun, just to LOOK at one in there store.  Real nice I thought, some illegal fresh across the river with a quite possibly fake Nevada I.D. can look at all the guns he wants in there but if you're military and not from Nevada you get run out of the store.

I don't know how you guys feel about that place but I'd never go back there.  

Are you Mexican or something?  I never get asked for ID when I go in there

Not to jump to their defense but their request for a valid NV state ID probably cuts down on them wasting their time with tourists.  They really gear a lot of their business to renting automatic firearms to tourists so they probably got tired of showing guns to people who couldn't buy them.  I know many dealers get annoyed by going through the whole sales pitch and providing customer service only to find out the guy is from CA and can't buy the gun anyway.

And it's funny you mentioned the military ID thing because I was just in a shop the other day when a guy tried to use his military ID to purchase a handgun.  When the dealer asked for his orders, the guy had to admit that he had just been discharged from the military and did not have any orders.  He also did not have valid NV state ID.  The dealer advised him that he could go to the DMV to change his driver's license that day but the guy did not want to do that.  He simply muttered that he'd get his wife to buy it for him and then left.

I definitely understand your frustration, but sometimes you have to look at what they have to navigate as dealers.  Also it's a mistake to assume that the Hispanic guy at the counter is an illegal.  Maybe he was and maybe he wasn't.  For all you know, the Hispanic guy at the counter had the proper, legal ID.  Whatever it was, it was good enough to satisfy their requirements.  That said, you are certainly free to vote with your dollars.

Yeah well 6 years ago that was the first gun shop I went to in the area.  I tried to buy a gun there but they wouldn't sell to me even with a copy of my orders without having a NV DL.  They can keep their bullshit tourist attraction.  I've made many purchases at many other local stores.  They don't need my money so I won't give to them.  Fuck'em.

Maybe I'll have to get down to Spurlocks and check that place out.  Everyone else can pretty much burn down and I won't care.

Quoted: Are you Mexican or something?  I never get asked for ID when I go in there

No, if I was mexican they'd have catered to me all day long, at least that's my opinion based on that store visit.

Maybe the mexican at the counter was legal but the 5 dirty stinky humans he had in trail with him looked every bit like they just arrived and none of them was speaking English.  Maybe they were here legally but if this dude had to drop money on it though I wouldn't take those odds.

I've been in a ton of gun stores in the valley since 2000, not once has any other store asked me for an I.D. to look at a weapon....not A.S.S., Accuracy, Discount, Big 5, Citadel.....etc.    

Maybe The Gun Store should stop selling guns if they don't want to deal with customers....just stick to renting, I don't know.  What I do know is that if a VALID military I.D. isn't a good enough "seal of approval" for me to look at a gun they can kiss my ass.

Yes, the Gun Store personnel have a habit of asking for Nevada Identification.  The reason that they do is the Gun Store gets a lot of tourist traffic from the strip area; the Gun Store advertises heavily in the strip area to “Come Shoot a Machine Gun,” and this is their attempt to screen the more legitimate and eligible purchasers (Nevada Residents) from the out-of-state and out-of-country lookers who can not purchase a firearm.

I've bought a few guns from them, including my AR15. When I walk in I'm always greeted (this is a big thing for me..if I'm going to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars in a store I want to be greeted and treated like I'm actually not bothering them). Honestly, this is the ONLY store I can think of that I've been greeted every time I've walked in. Island and Citadel have each ignored me once, but I'm forgiving and gave them 2nd chances and they have done good by me since so they are good in my book.
They answer my questions. Sometimes they are good answers and sometimes they are commando answers, but I'm able to wade through all the commando bullshit.

Once, They actually pulled out a phone book that they had shot. The phone book had two holes. A smaller 9mm and a larger .45acp hole. He tried to convince me that the bigger .45 had the stopping power and the 9mm would just make whoever I shot mad.  I think I countered that with a shot placement statement and he shut up.

Sometimes they try the hard sales tactics. They will slam other products..."Kimber is the ultimate, Springfield 1911's suck. Taurus PT1911...HAHAHAHAHAHA".  I cant recall them ever slamming other stores though.

My AR15 purchase came after i went to American Shooters (I was a noob and this was before I knew about ar15.com so I didn't know they were bad guys back then, but i found that out on my own)...I had a pocket full of cash and walked in and asked the salesman behind the counter 'Sir, may I please see that AR15 right there" and I pointed at it...I think it was a Calvary Arms...anyways he picked it up and held it close to my face for a few seconds and said 'SEE' and put it back on the shelf and walked away. WOW...I pulled out the wad of cash from my pocket and said 'SEE' and walked out and off to the Gun Store. Right when I walked in this Phillipino guy behind the counter said 'hi, anything I can help you with?''. Told him what I was looking for, he answered my questions and ..30 mins later I paid cash for a Bushy carbine.
Went back a week later, same guy...wanted a 12g for home defense...showed me a few different options and 20 mins later walked out with one that suited my needs in the best.

When I ask to see something I've never been asked for an id. They simply ask if I have a CCW and I say yes and that's it..I've never had to pull out and show an ID unless I'm doing a purchase.

They do have their faults...but they are on my 'good gun shop' list.

I've never been asked for ID at TGS, but rather than run Rich through all that they could have simply asked, "Are you a NV resident?"

Quoted: Are you Mexican or something?  I never get asked for ID when I go in there

Here we go again, always the race card...............................

I got so so service there. Went there and bought a Glock 30 and XD40 when they first came out.  Brought my then g/f there for her first handgun shoot at the range.  Heck, I even took my CCW class when I went there.  To me, it was convenient. No one was ever rude, just not quick to help.

I remember one of the "larger" employees with greasy looking long hair a few years ago. I was out smoking a cigarette and he was out there speaking to some German tourists after they rented a full auto to shoot.  The "larger" employee was boasting how he was in the IDF or something.

IDF = International Doughnut Finders?

Quoted: IDF = International Doughnut Finders?

Did he happen to look like one of these guys?

Independent Doughnut Finders Tacticool Dancers

I haven't bought a gun in a gunstore since 1991.  I've never had a good customer service experience in a gun store.

Bought most of mine via internet

I keep telling you guys...ACE HARDWARE IN OVERTON and ask for Mark. And no, I'm not bullshitting. They have a GREAT supply of guns and very good and competitive prices. They will match internet prices as well.

Its no secret, you guys just need to get out of town. The shops in Las Vegas (in my opinion) are fucking scoundrels and crooks. I wouldn't go back and be humiliated ever again. Drop $1k or so and they act like they are doing you a favor. I hope they read AR15.com    Fuck'em and their bad attitude!

If they don't like the customers they get in...BOO HOO. Get another job.

I have been pretty lucky at most of the LGSs.  I have never been asked for ID to look at a weapon at TGS or anywhere else.  Bass Pro ID'ed me at the checkstand for .380 ammo one time - not sure what that was about.  

The whole "avoid wasting time with tourists" argument makes little sense to me.  They cater to tourists, and I see no reason they can't let some poor bastard from the PRK enjoy part of his vacation finger-fucking a pistol he can't own after dropping $100 in three seconds with one of their machine guns.  If they don't want tourists, they shouldn't spend so much money trying to lure them into their store.  That said, I have never had a problem with the service there.  Sorry to hear your experience was a bad one.

+1 on Spurlock's - some good ol' boys hanging around in there, but they will break off their conversation to answer a question or let you play with something without complaint or attitude.  They will also leave you alone to browse if you prefer, and the BS meter registers at or near zero.

Tonite, on "Jon Raulston", he interviewed the owner of the GS plus another 2A fellow, discussing this VT incident and the mental aspect of getting a handgun.  At least it was all positive, for once.

Quoted: I used to go to Overton Ace all the time until Mark lied to me. I was having a gun shipped to him to do a transfer and he told me a gun has to be shipped FFL to FFL, I told him that's not true but he didn't back down. After I sent him the link from the ATF website stating my side he quit talking to me, oh well.

I didn't realize Overton was in CA.

Mark didn't realize Overton wasn't in CA.

The whole tourist thing is bullshit. I've bought 3 or 4 guns from them, and stop in probablay every other week to pick up cleaning stuff, etc... as it's right on the way to school.
Most of the guys there know me, yet I went through this exact same bullshit the other day. I asked why he wanted to see my ID, and he gave me some answer about how I might be a BATFE inspector conducting a sting operation. I called BS on him to his face and took off. I now wish that I would've bought those guns elsewhere.

Quoted: I asked why he wanted to see my ID, and he gave me some answer about how I might be a BATFE inspector conducting a sting operation.

So...a gunstore isn't allowed to let somebody handle a weapon without checking ID first???? Wow.. that's a news to me. I could understand if the ID had "FELON" on it but why in the hell would ATF bust anybody for letting somebody handle a gun without seeing ID first?



thanks,
Ron