Saw A Sign at a Gun Store in Coudersport, PA

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Hokkmike

Hokkmike

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Took a short trip to the "beaches" at Erie, PA. On the way home I stopped at many hiking trails and bird sanctuaries for my wife. She, in turn, sat patiently while I visited some gun stores along the way home.

At one particular gun store that I think was the new enterprise of a young couple I saw a large sign on the counter that said, "PLEASE DO NOT DRY FIRE OUR GUNS"...

I debated politely engaging the young man (30ish) behind the counter about the sign by asking if this was a hard and fast rule for anybody contemplating buying a firearm from him, or perhaps for somebody just browsing...and, would he supply snap-caps if somebody insisted on trying out a trigger??

But....... (long but) just being a tourist in the area i didn't think it was my place.

BOTTOM LINE : I would never buy a gun without be able to try the trigger several times.

What do you think? (of the policy and whether I should have prompted the question)
 
Every gun handed to me at a gun shop has the trigger locked. Maybe its just my state.
 
Ah right in the heart of Pennsyltucky, beautiful land up there. They sure don't call it God's country for no reason. But there sure are a lot of... er... interesting individuals in them parts (just go to a July 4th show around there it's quite the experience)

But yes I've seen other shops/gun show vendors with signs like that, albeit not common. Usually the attitude towards customers is what turns me away before i even handle the guns. Such an odd way to run a business.... :thumbdown:
 
IMHO Hokkmike, it you were tactful (not "tactical" LOL) you just might have been doing the young couple a favor if you could have convinced them that they should at least provide snap-caps so that interested customers could try out triggers. That "PLEASE DO NOT DRY FIRE OUR GUNS" sign, with no exceptions, might just drive away potential customers such as old curmudgeons like myself.
And I understand about that not thinking it was your place, "just being a tourist" thing too. However, I don't know what it's like where you are, but my wife and I wouldn't have half as many guns as we do if we only bought guns locally. Many of our guns came from over in Boise (300 miles) or up in Idaho Falls (90 miles) - we're just "tourists" in either of those places. One thing neither of us has ever done though is buy a gun without trying out it's trigger.:)
 
With that particular store, it's probably more a safety issue than damage to guns. The store's owner probably doesn't want any triggers pulled, in case a live round somehow got into the gun & no one checked before handing it to a customer. It has happened in two gun shops I've worked in.

Ah....memories. In one, a customer asked how a semi auto pistol worked & the employee demonstrated loading, chambering & firing with some "dummy" rounds. Well, guess who the dummy was? When the gun fired & the bullet damaged some display rifles (and scared the shortcake out of everyone in the store), it was easy to figure out how it happened. A "dummy" store employee kept some dummy rounds (everything real but no primer or powder) in a drawer....along with some loose live rounds. Except for the missing primer, they looked identical.

BTW, I previously spoke to the store manager & the other salesmen about the risk of having live rounds and homemade snap caps that resemble live rounds in the same drawer & I was told, "Aw C'mon...don't be silly....we all know the difference between a dummy round & a live round....maybe YOU don't know the difference."
Well, when the gun fired, I couldn't resist - I picked up the ejected shell casing & told the manager, "Hey...you can make another dummy round with this case."
 
It might be that they get tired of having people dry fire guns that they just want to play with and not really buy. And the liability issues, too.

After 5 or 6 different folks dry fire but don't buy, all the shop is left with is an unsold gun with wear.
 
I've never seen such a rule in any shop I've been in (other than Bass Pro, which won't unlock the triggers.) Still, I've never dry-fired a gun I wasn't seriously interested in walking out with, and, with those guns I was, I've always asked first. In many cases, I don't even have to ask; the shop employee will frequently do so after he's cleared it, then clears it again before handing it to me. In those cases, I figure I'm good to go as well.
 
I always ask. But the only ones I'm interested in dry firing are hammer fired. I put my opposite thumb between the hammer and rear of the slide. Tells me all I need to know without beating up the hammer, firing pin and firing pin stop on the shop's gun. Already pretty much know what to expect on the plastic striker fired guns. Not interested, even if the plastic pistol has the optional secret squirrel Operator stand-off breacher and skull crusher package. Haven't seen any signs, but having seen some of the individuals handling, working the actions, pointing and snapping firearms in shops, I don't blame the shops at all........ymmv
 
Well seriously, if it's a safety issue, they need to hire more competent employees. You ALWAYS clear a gun, and make sure the chamber is empty before handing a gun to someone. And they should clear it and ensure empty chamber after you do. When a counterman hands me a gun, that is THE FIRST thing I do. And I also make sure they hand me the weapon with the cylinder open, or slide/bolt back. I won't take a gun from them unless they do. It literally takes 5 seconds for two people to ensure an "accidental" discharge doesn't happen.
 
I always ask first. But I also would not purchase a gun that I could not test the trigger unless it was online or otherwise not available such as if I ordered at a shop.
 
Hokkmike said:
What do you think? (of the policy and whether I should have prompted the question)
Click to expand...
Their store, their rules.

It couldn't hurt to ask if you are serious about buying.
If you want the gun, triggers can be fixed if you decide it's unsatisfactory.
 
Some stores/gun show sellers will let you, some won't. I always ask, and don't get upset if they say no. It may influence my interest, but that's it. Their shop, their rules.
 
DDDWho said:
Every gun handed to me at a gun shop has the trigger locked. Maybe its just my state.
Click to expand...


Very likely your state or just the local shop rules. Here in Ohio, no trigger locks are on guns in most gun shops except in the big box stores like Dick's.
 
Some browsers take insane liberties with guns they have no intention of buying.
One small LGS I went to the manager wouldn't let me lock back the slide. Apparently.
some fish-heads come in, take a pistol, and start horsing the slide back and forth, hard
and repeatedly to "feel the action"? Others take a revolver out of the display case, and
repeatedly slap the cylinder around on the crane. I don't even do THAT kind of abuse
to guns I do own.
Obviously, somebody before you abused the guns at the store, and the privilege of looking
at a gun, up close, hands on. Do you think the few guns you own were expensive? Put yourself in
the shoes of a LGS owner, with around a hundred guns he would like to sell before
looky-lous turn them into scrap metal.
 
Hokkmike said:
Took a short trip to the "beaches" at Erie, PA. On the way home I stopped at many hiking trails and bird sanctuaries for my wife. She, in turn, sat patiently while I visited some gun stores along the way home.

At one particular gun store that I think was the new enterprise of a young couple I saw a large sign on the counter that said, "PLEASE DO NOT DRY FIRE OUR GUNS"...

I debated politely engaging the young man (30ish) behind the counter about the sign by asking if this was a hard and fast rule for anybody contemplating buying a firearm from him, or perhaps for somebody just browsing...and, would he supply snap-caps if somebody insisted on trying out a trigger??

But....... (long but) just being a tourist in the area i didn't think it was my place.

BOTTOM LINE : I would never buy a gun without be able to try the trigger several times.

What do you think? (of the policy and whether I should have prompted the question)
Click to expand...
would you buy a new gun if the guy behind the counter told you it was dry fired over 50 times? because that is what will happen if all are allowed to dry fire
 
Mixed feelings on this. A display gun, providing it has not been dropped, or otherwise marred, is as good as a new gun to me. The other issue is that some folk may view a display that has had the trigger snapped an unknown number of times no longer "new". The fact that a few hundred folk may have snapped the trigger to me simply means it has had a free break in and might be a tad smoother than another out of the box. On the other hand, perhaps some shop owners are just nervous about a trigger being pulled in their store from a safety standpoint. Not really an issue with cleared firearms on the counter, but never the less perhaps that is an issue for them and some clients.
 
One gun store I was in had a solution for the problem. The sign read:

You can dry fire my guns all you want; $25 for the first, $35 thereafter.
 
The rule I follow is, I always ask if dry fire is allowed. Most shops I visit allow the practice. I am sure it is more to watch the customer test the trigger in a safe direction, instead of at someone.

In any case, I saw one sign that was even funnier. "You dry fire it, you buy it."
 
Good Ol' Boy said:
If it's that much of an issue for the store they should just put trigger locks on all of the guns. A sign is just stupid.
Click to expand...
Yeah and if they are worried about some nut filling a mag and or chambering a round while their heads are turned trigger locks would stop that too.
 
I assume you are referring to a new gun.

How about a used pistol? I'm not buying it unless I can field strip it. Most gun stores aren't going to let you do that but that's really the only way to access the wear.

If it's a new gun then they should let you test the trigger. My LGS has a donor pistol they let people mess with. I suppose they sell it as used at some point.

Would you buy a car without driving it? I suppose some people would.
 
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