Does a good gun shop let you fieldstrip?

[DustyVermonter]

Just wanted to hear someone elses view point on the subject. I was in a gun shop about a month ago and I was looking to buy a glock 17, I couldn't find one new but I did find one used in OD green. I kind of follow my own general rule of not buying anything used but in this particular case I was willing to make an exception. I had pretty much decided that I was just going to go for it. The only thing left for me to do to make it a done deal was to strip it real quick just to make sure that there wasn't any serious issues regarding the internals and what not. So I told the old man behind the counter to pass me a gun pad that he had there beside him and he said why so I said I'm just going to strip this real quick before I take it home with me and he said "Ohhhh Noooo you're not not in here you're not, we don't strip em here!" Like it was a totally unreasonable thing to want to do so I handed it right back to him and said "Ok, fine by me, Now you can sell it to someone else but I don't think you're gonna have much luck unless they were born last night" So he hemmed and hawwed and scoffed and grumbled and proceeded to strip it him self so I could take a look and I'm glad I did because it was beat to heck. In my opinion its a no brainer, you ought to be able to look at something before you buy it, I mean wouldn't it be a little odd if you were looking into buying a used car and the guy told you you couldn't look under the hood? I don't know if because I'm a young buck these crusty old grumps think I'm ignorant and got no business in the store but lately I get the feeling like they're doing me a big favor by letting me browse around or like they think I'm gonna steal something. Maybe its my goatee, I don't know. What I do know is on more than one occasion I've gone into a place with $1000-$2000 with every intent of bringin home a new toy but just ended up walkin out because of the attitude I got. I won't buy anything from Dicks sporting goods ever, had two guys up my rear the whole time like I was gonna pull some kind of heist. Don't know if anybody else has had this problem or not but anyway my main point is Shouldn't it just be a given that you are welcome to strip a used gun before you buy it? Or at least have them strip it for you.

 

[Kentucky_Rifleman]

Shouldn't it just be a given that you are welcome to strip a used gun before you buy it? Or at least have them strip it for you.

Yep. They should either let you strip it down or strip it down for you and let you look at the parts.

I wouldn't buy anything from a store that won't do this. I even like to strip "new" guns, especially at shows. That factory box sure is pretty and all, but I've been offered some "new" guns that had obviously had more rounds through them than the factory test firing.

KR

 

[TheDriver]

Of course. That's a no-brainer.

 

[Avenger29]

I don't know if because I'm a young buck these crusty old grumps think I'm ignorant and got no business in the store but lately I get the feeling like they're doing me a big favor by letting me browse around or like they think I'm gonna steal something

I'm getting tired of getting poor treatment in gunshops because I'm under 50. I've dropped more cash on better guns than many of these old farts have ever owned, yet I still get the "eye" like I'm a shifty eyed shoplifter. I've been in more than one gunstore that treats everybody that comes through the door like dirt. It's not your goatee, it's the fact that you aren't just like them.

Seek out a better FFL if you can. One who respects you, instead of treating you like dirt. Rare, but worth it. A good FFL won't try to charge you exorbiant prices, nor push something you really don't want/doesn't fit your needs (ladies, how many times have you gone into the gunshop, knowing exactly what you want, only to have a Charter Arms .38 with pink grips shoved across the counter by a surly "salesman"?)

 

[Warhawk83]

Any shop that will not let me field-strip or do it for me, will not have my business.

I no longer shop at Academy because the last time I was not allowed to dry fire a center fire DA semi-auto.

 

[mnrivrat]

There is another side to this guys and gals - not everyone who wants to strip a gun is familiar enough with it to be safe. When the slide hits the floor, who's going to pay for the damage ?

I think damage is mostly what gun shops are concerned about. One should at least approach the issue by first asking permission . If the answer is no, then one can ask wether they would strip it for you, so you can view the internals. At that point if they refuse, you have a legitimate concern in my opinion, but not before.

Edit: And I would have to be convinced for the need to field strip a new gun .

 

[oneounceload]

Or at least have them strip it for you

That gets my vote because the person may not have a good idea of what they are doing - and as mentioned above, that person drops something or breaks something taking it apart - who is to blame and pay for it?

 

[flrfh213]

i agree, i also would not buy a used car sight unseen either...

 

[thertel]

I've worked two different shops, the rule has always been, we will be glad to strip the weapon for you, all you need to do is ask. Quite frankly do not get bent out of shape that we do it for you, as opposed to letting you do it yourself. We simply have no way of knowing that you know what you are doing.

While on the topic of gun shop etiquette, we will also be glad to let you dry fire the gun. Just ask us first so we can give you a snap cap.

We basically just want to prevent the gun from getting damaged or parts going all over the shop.

Thomas

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I'm glad I did because it was beat to heck.

That's why he didn't want you to strip it. I'd find another shop. I can understand that some shops want to do it for you in case you don't know what you are doing but if you are going to buy it there shouldn't be a problem unless they are in business to show off their guns rather than sell them. I recall employees drawing a collective breath when I field stripped a used glock 23 I wanted to buy (not exactly rocket science taking one of those apart).

 

[9mmepiphany]

posted by DustyVermonter
So I told the old man behind the counter to pass me a gun pad that he had there beside him and he said why so I said I'm just going to strip this real quick before I take it home with me

this caught my eye as i was reading your OP. sometimes i think you'd get better attitude from folks if you'd ask permission/acommodation before assuming you can do things. places i go are happy to field strip a gun for inspection.

FWIW: i never inspect Glocks...if the price were good, i just buy it. if you send it to Glock, they refresh it for you for just the postage...slide refinish and replacement night sights are extra

 

[Avenger29]

hey refresh it for you for just the postag

Except postage ain't cheap for handguns.

I'd still inspect Glocks. They aren't infallible. Plus, a gun that's beat up on the inside means something's going on, whether it be high round count, mistreatment, or something going wrong.

 

[scythefwd]

My shop will hand me a reasonably priced AR (900-1100 for a bushy) and let me strip it. I've had them walk me through take down of other guns at their counter. I really like my store. I won't spend if I can't inspect. I only made 1 exception, and it was a really good price on a NIB mossberg 500.

 

[NWCP]

A good shop will either let you take the gun down, or offer to do it for you. I've yet to have a shop deny me when asked.

 

[SMMAssociates]

My favorite dealers will all strip a gun for me, if not let me do it myself.... The only way to fly....

I've also "consulted" on at least two purchases where I stripped and checked out a gun for somebody else before he bought it. No problems in any case....

My usual dealer is pretty good about things - if a gun isn't NIB, he'll tell me a good story , usually close enough to the truth that a quick visual inspection is more than sufficient.

I do concur with the "does he know how to take it apart?" issue - usually, I do (being a 1911 guy, mostly), but often we'll go through it together so I can get ahead of the manual if I buy the thing. (I have a little Kimber here that's very easy to strip and/or re-assemble, but only if you sit in the corner with the manual for a couple hours, burn some incense, and pray a lot. After you do that, it's a keeper, and really nothing to it.)

If a shop/dealer/seller would refuse an inside look, that'd be the end of that deal....

Regards,

 

[loop]

I have one local shop that won't let me touch a gun unless I promise not to field strip it first. I guess I've done it once too often.

That said, it is not your shop. It is their business. They put up the money and took all the risk. They have no idea what you are capable of doing. Why would you expect them to let you take their merchandise apart?

That is not only a dumb attitude, but it is arrogant as well. You think because you are who you are they should know you have superior knowledge of guns and let you have your way around their business.

I'd have shown you the door when you indicated you meant to strip the gun without asking.

I also wouldn't have asked to field strip a Glock. Not because they are so good, but because they are Glocks. They have a good warranty and all that, but if you can't tell from a long slow rack of slide and peering down the ejection port if it is in decent shape, you deserve a Glock.

BTW, I would never buy or inspect a Glock. I, personally, like higher quality guns. Maybe the guy at the store had the same inclination I do. It's a Glock. If you want it, buy it. Otherwise don't waste his time - which you did.

Such huffing and puffing over a Glock. Next time inspect something that isn't made by a furniture maker. Maybe he'll have a different attitude.

 

[Bubba613]

I had a customer field strip an AK and had the parts all over the floor. He did get it re-assembled and fortunately traffic was light.
I'll reiterate that it was his shop to make what rules he wanted. I wouldn't do it that way myself necessarily but I can understand why someone would.

Remember, he has no idea whether you are the last yayhoo who stripped the gun and then proceeded to detail strip it, losing pieces in the process and dropping them all over.
And, Loop, there is no gun higher quality than a Glock. Just more expensive.

 

[pockets]

So I told the old man behind the counter to pass me a gun pad that he had there

I don't know if because I'm a young buck these crusty old grumps think

With an attitude like that, do you really expect good treatment?
.

 

[BCCL]

Having stood on both sides of the gun shop counter, I'll say that they should in most cases, do it for you.

Over the years, I had a few customers that stripped guns, only to find out that they had no idea how to get them back together, which isn't so bad, but some of them got a pride thing and didn't want to set the parts down and let me do it for them, and risked damaging the gun.

 

[CajunBass]

So you TOLD the "old man behind the counter" to hand you something? Excuse me...You TOLD him?

Try learning a few manners first. You might find things work differently.

 

[The Bushmaster]

If I owned a gun shop and someone wanted to "field strip" one of the guns in my display case the answer would be NO!! Very few people are gunsmiths and most of those, who are not gunsmiths, should not even disassemble a toothpick, let alone someone else's gun.

If you know enough about the firearm and have done your research you don't have to "field strip" to be able to tell if it is worth what they are asking.

If time permits I might disassemble (partually) the firearm for you, but.....

 

[dogtown tom]

OP might be amazed at the response he would have received if he had said:

"I'm really interested in this Glock, would you mind showing me what it looks like inside?"

Crusty old grumps are made, not born. A little politeness goes a long way.

I'm a kitchen table FFL, the majority of my business is transfers. The only customers who've done field stripping or dissassembly at my dining room table are those under age 25. Not one has bothered asking if it was okay to do so.

These aren't guns I sold to them, I'm only doing the transfer. I don't understand how someone can't wait fifteen minutes until they get home to tear their gun apart. It is funny when I find an odd pin or spring in the carpet.

 

[waterhouse]

So I told the old man behind the counter to pass me a gun pad that he had there beside him

It has been a long time since I purchased a gun in a shop, but in my late teens and early 20s I did it quite a bit. I used to ask to see the internals all the time, but I'd generally say something like "I'd like to buy this, but before I do I'd really like to see it field stripped. Would you mind if I did it, or would you mind doing it for me?"

I was never once denied.

In the future it may help to politely ask if you can do certain things with someone else's property.

 

[DustyVermonter]

Well having spent thousands of dollars in this particular shop and seeing this man who I'd never seen before with a more than apparent attitude problem and knowing the fact that the owner was not there and would not have appreciated the way this old man was dealing with customers, Especially a customer who spends at least $500 every time he comes in. I really didn't think I needed that kind of attitude. The guy was being rude to me in front of my wife and in my opinion he may have needed a quick slap that particular day. This man made it very evident that he wasn't interested in making sales or providing any kind of service. Much less fieldstrip the gun for a whippersnapper like me. I had no attitude whatsoever. I just covered the basic jist of the story and didn't realize how anylitical and self righteous those of you who presume to know exactly how it all went down and would have shown me the door and think I have a dumb attitude would be. I had to tolerate this guy not the other way around, you shouldn't have to tolerate somebody you're about to give business to. Some of you folks are I little touchy and just waiting to jump on someones thread to prove how smart you are, I mean how dumb do you have to be to try to deny glock as a reliable,quality firearm, with an attitude like that you shouldn't have a rubber band gun. Try and push your own opinion or taste in guns off as Law. Talk about huffy puffy, I guesse there's just certain people who can comprehend the theme of this thread and some who cannot. Ill make sure and be boringly litteral for those of you who have a tough time of things.Ok dat be awwwwwight, jeez- oh yeah last time I checked glock was pretty well known for being a oh what was it....hmmmmmm pistol maker um for about 30 years or so. I hated glocks and the way they looked before I knew anything about guns but they are undeniably reliable,foolproof(that's me loop),durable guns that I would recommend to anyone.And I really don't think anybody could say " "a long slow pull of the slide and peer down the ejection port" for a proper inspection and sound smart, not even you loop.

 

[heron]

I've always bought new, so this has never occurred to me before.

Most conventional auto-pistols wouldn't be much of a problem for someone who's done a few. Still, there are special cases that may make this request more daunting. Let's say you see a used Ruger 22/45 and you ask to see it stripped . . . "Umm, could you come back in an hour or two?"