1. Have you ever been one of these guys who habitually "hangs out" at a gun shop?
before i became a gun dealer, yes, i was probably one of those guys, but not at a specific shop, but probably at all shops within driving distance. i don't necessarily think that's wrong so long as you are not in the way.
2. If you work at a gun shop, do the guys who hangout at your shop annoy you?
no, so long as they are polite, not only to me but to others who come by, and don't force their opinion down others' throats. also if they don't try to help make a sale, then expect some compensation or credit from the gun shop for helping to "make" a sale. i have had guys at gun shows in the past tell me they were responsible for helping me sell several AR-15's, pistols, stripped lower receivers, etc. the way one guy was talking he should have been employee of the month, but he doesn't even work for me?
3. As a gun shop customer, do the guys who hangout at the shop annoy you?
yes and no. it depends on what happens really. some gun shop bar flies can be annoying. i go by one place locally every now and then and there is an old guy who i've never seen buy anything from that store. he goes there, drinks their coffee, follows me around the shop, and then asks me for free schwag that i got from some LE agency, SHOT show, etc. he says its for his grandkids. i dont mind giving something to give his grandkids every now and then, but every time i see him he's always hitting me up for something, some LE agency baseball cap, some gun manufacturer's pins, patches, etc. he's a nice guy so i don't ever tell him to buzz off, lately i've been telling him i dont have any to offer him and apologize. i don't think he means to bug me, he just does because he asks for free stuff all the time. most of the gun shop barflies dont bother me, some are actually pretty smart and knowledgeable about certain things so you never know what good info they have. sometimes you run into a guy who talks about stuff he doesn't really know, but oh well, that's at every gun show, shooting range, and gun shop in America, just let it roll off your back.