Straw Purchase: What would you do?

[Big Calhoun]

I was at the local shop and range this Saturday to testfire my new Bushmaster XM15....LOADS of fun, BTW! I'm becoming a long-gun convert...but I digress...

While settling my range tab, I noticed a gentleman perusing the guns. It's a gun shop, that's what you're supposed to do. He looked at a few here and there, declined help from the salesman, and then left. No big deal, half of my shop visits are to figure out what I want next w/o actually buying at that moment.

So I'm packing things in the trunk of my car and I notice the same gentleman outside, but he's talking to a female. They are kind of huddled together on the sidewalk, looking at something. Two or three times, the female gets ready to go back into the store, but then turns around to ask the guy something. Based on all this behavior, I started wondering if I was witnessing a potential straw purchase going into play.

So I sat in my car with the engine running trying to decide what to do...do I go inside and say something, or do I just mind my own business? What happens if what I think I saw doesn't match reality and a embarassing situation arises? What if what I saw was a straw purchase being setup and then I read my favorite gunstore has been closed down. I mean, it was nerve racking b/c I didn't want to cause anyone any trouble, but I also didn't want to be complicit in an illegal situation.

So I got out of my car and started looking around like I lost something, muttered a curse word or two, and went back into the store. I asked the gent I had just paid if I could talk to him away from the counter and explained what I thought I saw. He confirmed their identities and mentioned that they were in a class and out on a break. Phew! He thanked me for being honest, we parted ways, and I drove home thinking what a dumb-butt I had been.

I mean, has anyone faced this kind of situation before? What do you look for? The way they were huddled together and the walking in and out of the store kind of raised a flag for me. I didn't think about there being a class becuase I had gotten to the range early and they usually cone-off a bunch of spots; I didn't see that this particular morning.

I guess I'm really wondering if I acted on the side of caution ultimately in error, or did I over react? Has anyone actually witnessed this type of situation going down?

I know, lots of questions...I'm trying to become better educated and aware...

 

[fletcher]

I haven't been in a situation like that before, but I don't think you overreacted. We all know it takes one straw purchase to either shut down your store (as you mentioned), or for one nut to get a gun that way, commit a crime, then result in a flurry of new anti-gun laws.

By talking to an employee, no harm was done, and it could have saved everyone some trouble.

 

[Cougfan2]

I think you handled it well. I wouldn't have done anything different.

 

[MinnMooney]

I think you handled it well. I wouldn't have done anything different.

.............. My sentiments, exactly.

I definately do not think that you were a "dumb butt". You saw a suspicious activity and inquired about it with the correct person. Turns out to be cool but how were you to know unless you did what you did?
I think that you showed a lot of responsibility.

 

[DWARREN123]

You did everything you reasonably could. I think you did good!

 

[jlpskydive]

I think you did just fine. I bet the couple had they have known what you had done would even be happy with you. They were there taking a class so they have to be at least semi responsible gunners.

 

[alucard0822]

Well handled. The only thing "dumb butt" is the fact that your local range/store/hangout can be shut down if they are implicated in unknowinly making a straw sale. I think it a good thing, and probably appreciated that us law abiding gun owners look out for each other in a responsible way

 

[CountGlockula]

It's good to be cautious and aware, but not paranoid.

Guns, like religion, are a sensitive issue to folks and you never know who's a wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

[K3]

I'd have minded my own business. I can make a straw purchase of a circular saw for somebody. I should damn well be able to do it for any other inanimate object, but the law says different.

What's the difference if he bought it in his name and later that evening 'sold' it to her for a buck?

One is technically legal, and the other is not (depending on what state you live in, of course).

Things should return to pre-68.

 

[The-Fly]

+1 on your actions. You handled it discretely, and everyone went home happy.

 

[Mr White]

I'd have probably done the same thing if it was one of the stores I liked. If it was one of the places that treat their customers like crap and overcharge for everything, I'd have just called the ATF and told them what I saw.

 

[The-Fly]

deleted.

 

[Ala Dan]

Playing Devils Advocate Here

I believe that I would have minded by own business~!

Nowdays, that is good advice; but you did what you thought had too be
done if one witness'es a felonious act. No harm, and No foul- so everything
turned out OK. I'm glad the pair of classmates were not aware of your
actions; cuz it might have caused you a bit' of grief?

FWIW, ultimately its the salespersons job to determine "straw purchases"
as the ATF provides each dealer with a detailed video explaining how they
can occur. Its required viewing for all employees in the gunshop I work in.

 

[Thernlund]

Well, handled. Very tactful. That said, for my part, I'd have probably minded my own business without additional points of suspicion. Hard to say though. Case by case, you know.

It does occur to me that I don't think I'd be likely to notice in the first place. If it's not dangerous looking, I doubt I'd even form a thought about it.


-T.

 

[SG Merc]

It's too often in our society that people do nothing when they see something for the sake of staying out of other people's business.

Ask yourself how you would feel if you had not intervened and the later saw that young gentleman on the TV because he shot and killed someone.

That's worst case if you did nothing. But the worst case for doing something is that a few people feel embarrassed.

Don't doubt yourself. You did the right thing.

 

[eliphalet]

I'd say MYOB, your not ATF, it's just sturing a pot that doesn't need sturing, but then I have never been a fan of people that tell on other folks unless innocents are being hurt or lives are affected. From the tattle tail little brats in grade school to the one's I hear on the scanner now whining cause someone passed them at 70 in a 55 in a rural farm area near our home, when conditions are OK, it is safe to go that speed.
Was't the guys that did this refered to as " Rat Finks'?
I know this will not win me any friends or is NOT very PC but as a public forum I guess we all have our own opinion, and this is mine.
I have enough to worry about without sticking my nose where it doesn't belong and don't think very highly of those that do.

 

[Crunker1337]

I think you did great. You saw something suspicious, kept your cool, but at the same time took steps to make sure nothing illegal was going on.

Thumbs up.

 

[Bones11b]

As with many judgement calls it really was up to you as how to behave. Once you decided to err on the side of caution I believe you did so in a polite fashion. You didn't draw any negative attention to the persons you had observed, and let your local shop know you care. Had you not said a thing and as other posters have already mentioned you later watched that same said individual on the nightly news having commited some heinous act, you would have felt much worse i'm sure.

 

[ArmedBear]

I'll second eliphalet.

I'd keep walking. It's none of my business.

My respect for others' privacy trumps any desire I have to "get involved", just because I saw them talking to each other in a way that was designed to keep their conversation between them.

Furthermore, I don't work for the ATF, so it's not my job to look into 4473 paperwork.

There weren't innocents in danger, so it's not my moral obligation to intervene in the situation.

The people were doing nothing wrong. You violated a couple's personal privacy, just because it was near a gun shop. With gun owners like you, who needs anti's?

 

[03Shadowbob]

If you aren't a cop or agent then mind your own business in the type of situation. Now if he was loading up 6 12 gauge shells in a shotgun then I might be a little more concerned. IMHO, too many nosey people in the world.

 

[wally]

I'd say you done good. You discretely passed potentially important info on to the person that had a need to know and was in the position to fully evaluate what was really going on.

If you'd made a scene or confronted the couple involved directly, you'd be a butt-in-ski.

Post 9/11, MYOB is obsolete, just don't be an idiot about it.

--wally.

 

[Zundfolge]

I feel no compunction to help the state enforce bad laws.

1968 GCA is a very bad law.

But I do see the point in helping the gun shop cover their backsides, so from that perspective what you did was fine.

 

[joab]

I also would have minded my own business
I am not a cop whose job depends on enforcing the state's legislated morality on another citizen

If this were a straw sting the two would have gone in together to play the charade, not outside out of view of anyone they were trying to sting and not after being as inconspicuous as possible while in the store.
That just isn't how stings work
The authorities would have to place the shopkeep in a position of knowingly breaking the l;aw

 

[ArmedBear]

There was no straw purchase here.

There was a couple, talking together without letting nosy people get in on the conversation.

I think that should be their right. I think it's yours, and I think it's mine.

MYOB

 

[hso]

BTDT and it turned out to be a straw purchase as well. Cops came and picked the guy up.