Weird Experience at the Gun Show

[ir3e971]

My son and I had a very odd experience at the gunshow today in Winchester. I was carrying a Mauser that I was selling and a man approached my son and I and whispered, "I need a revolver". He had a British (I think) accent. I said I don't have a revolver, but there is a whole table of them behind you.

He told me that he could not buy from a regular dealer because he was a foreign national, but he could buy one from an individual. This situation seemed odd, and really kind of creepy. For one thing, I obviously did not have a revolver, and I didn't like the secret squirrel approach.

I told him he was out of luck.

He then went to each table at the gun show and tried to purchase a revolver, The last I saw him, a dealer was explaining how he wasn't selling him a pistol, and they were looking through some regulations as this guy pressed the dealer to sell him one.

1. I don't know the particulars of the law, but that seemed squirrely as heck.

2. He gave my son the same creepy feeling, and I wouldn't have sold him a gun if he had been a US citizen.

Anyway, I wonder if it was some kind of fishing expedition.

 

[Tommygunn]

Either a BATFE guy trying to score an arrest.
-or-
Some foreign dude up to absolutly no good trying to get a gun at a show for some no doubt less-than-legal reason.

Run away! Run away!

 

[pharmer]

Definite ATF. If it was a guy up to no good, he'd dummy up and buy one for cash from a walk in. Joe

 

[tmajors]

I'm going with member of an Anti-Gun group trying to prove that you can illegally purchase from a gun show. It's too much of a gimme for an ATF guy that's really reaching for a bust.

 

[Outlaws]

I would have made a huge scene over that. I would have yelled, "Terrorist!". Just kidding, but after prodding him a bit I would have shouted extremely loud, "No, I will not illegally sell you a gun, and no one else here will sell you one either. Get the **** out of this place you ****ing scum bag. Who the bleepitty bleep do you think you are?"

People like this ruin it for all gun owners and deserve mob justice.

 

[Blackbeard]

I saw the same type of thing at my LGS. Just before closing time this guy walks in. He seemed to be wanting to score a gun that day and to circumvent the FOID and waiting period requirements. Not sure if he was planning to off himself, someone else, or was just a BATF agent testing for compliance. Definitely creepy either way.

 

[Deanimator]

I would have made a huge scene over that. I would have yelled, "Terrorist!". Just kidding, but after prodding him a bit I would have shouted extremely loud, "No, I will not illegally sell you a gun, and no one else here will sell you one either. Get the **** out of this place you ****ing scum bag. Who the bleepitty bleep do you think you are?"

+1. That's EXACTLY my plan for if somebody I think is a BATFE type tries to get me to do something illegal. I will be just as loud and embarassing as I can humanly manage without getting thrown out of the show. I want to make CERTAIN that people know to just turn their backs and walk away from him. Better still, AFTER you embarrass him, call for the cops working security at the door.

If he's a crook, he'll get arrested or tossed out. If he's a BATFE type trying to entrap people, his cover will be blown all to Chicago and he'll be totally ineffective.

PS - Screwing with a friend I ran into at a show, I once said loudly, "Hey Jim, you still working undercover for the BATF?"

 

[JWarren]

Some foreign dude up to absolutly no good trying to get a gun at a show for some no doubt less-than-legal reason.

He had a British (I think) accent.

Either a BATFE guy trying to score an arrest.

Nah... It's those Brits once again trying to put down the American Revolution.



What? Don't tell me I am the only South Park fan here?


Seriously, I'm going with the ATF or Gun Control group angle (my gut tells me the latter.)


-- John

 

[Geronimo45]

Oh please. It's James Bond - finally got fed up with his PPK and decided to go with a sixgun, after reading Elmer Keith.

Sounds like a BAT(FE)-man, angling to nail somebody for a straw purchase.

 

[budney]

That's EXACTLY my plan for if somebody I think is a BATFE type tries to get me to do something illegal.

+10

On a related note, it not unusual for government agent provocateurs to join political groups and advocate illegal, violent or treasonous acts. If anyone ever suggests doing illegal things, I'd not only humiliate him, but I'd consider beating the living crap out of him and then reporting him to the police and/or Homeland Security.

Hasn't happened yet, but in my fantasy government agents will quake in fear and call in sick whenever they pull entrapment duty.

--Len.

 

[never_retreat]

Anyone else in this forum smell bacon? Because I do.
I'm with you guys, I would have tried to blow his cover. Just so he doesn't get some other poor sap to sell him a gun that maybe doesn't know the laws. There are still some old school guys that put hand guns out on the table at yard sales. I've seen it, even here in the PRNJ. I usual try to be nice and point out what they have to do to sell it. I never had someone get pissed for telling them.

 

[elrod]

Deanimator

Screwing with a friend I ran into at a show, I once said loudly, "Hey Jim, you still working undercover for the BATF?"

Some friend!

 

[Neo-Luddite]

Could be just some guy who lacks a knowledge of the law. Someone from overseas here for the first time wants to buy a gun. After all, here in the US we hand them out to all comers, right?

Assume the best intentions. Be a good Boy Scout. If it is an agent, so what, overwhelm the fellow with your best law abiding intentions. Interrogate him, and point him in the lawful dirrection of the ATF regs. Next time, be prepared---bring copies with you. If he is as he seems to be--well, he'll be all the closer to lawfully getting a gun if he wants.

Yeh, it sounds fishy--but if you learned about guns from our media, you'd think that a 'gun show' was the place to go---they never seem to stake out sporting goods retailers or gun stores on the news.

 

[Dgindlesperger]

SELLER In Vegas got 4 counts a few years back for same type of stuff. 4 different officers, 4 guns sales cash only with extra 50.00 "quick" background check.
HMMMMM selling illegaly as a dealer = 200.00
4 felony counts for sales = Priceless

 

[ir3e971]

I can see the value in making a scene, but to be honest, I was just taken aback. I didn't get the feeling of confused foreigner.

Either way, forewarned is forearmed. Watch for people who try to corner you and ask you to do illegal stuff. It will most likely end badly.

I thought I saw a post a while ago about a group of reporters who were frequenting gun shows to try and get bad stories to further an anti-gun agenda.

 

[Crunker1337]

In these situations, trust your gut feeling and refuse to allow this guy to purchase firearms.

Permanent residents, to my knowledge, are able to buy firearms if they can pass NICS, but even if you're a private citizen run them through a background check to be sure.

Could have been BATFE agent, could have been some Brit trying to get a gun for a less than legal purpose.... either way you lose if you sell him a firearm.

Be careful in these situations and if there's a such thing as gun show staff (never been to one meself ) then speak to them to kick the guy out.

 

[Agent 006 &7/8]

Could have been one of Bloomberg's "little trained minions"...

 

[Sheldon J]

If I was sure it was an ATF guy I would call the cops and pretend to be the horrified gun show attendee and file on him, that ought to make his day.

 

[CountGlockula]

I'd call security or 911 on the guy, to see who he really is.

 

[bogie]

"Hello, dispatcher? I was out at the gun show at the civic center this afternoon, and there was this fellow in there trying to buy a gun illegally. When we started questioning him, he then tried to say that he was a federal officer. Well, we didn't believe that either, and the guy pretty much got stomped. So you better send someone over by the emergency room, because I think you guys have yourselves a terrorist."

 

[Thin Black Line]

Sounds more like a free-lancer from BASIC, IANSA or some other NGO who is "researching"
a new paper on the "need" to control "small arms."

http://www.iansa.org/
http://www.basicint.org/index.htm

 

[Ethereal]

Alert his presense and avoid him completely

We had something like this happen here in western WA at the last big show we had at the puyallup fairgrounds. It was someone from Ceasefire who was trying to get members and showgoers to go out with him to his car where he had all kinds of killer deals waiting to be had. That didn't last long as the board members there found out about it pretty quick and let everyone know what was up and to be alert. His goal was to prove that there was such a "gun show loophole" but failed miserably.

 

[raginrednek]

weird buyers

i dont get much at gun shows anyway, and don't try to sell there. the quirkiest sale i witnesses was at gander mountain. the purchaser was a korean with no papers except an electric bill, he gave his street address as a restaurant and had to call to get someone elses address. when i took great interest in the transaction, it moved to a corner where i could not intrude.
the dude barely spoke english, had no drivers liscence or id other than the elctric bill, gave a wrong address that Gander checked, and still left with the handgun.
this was creepy.

 

[ProficientRifleman]

He's either an ATF agent, out fishing, or he's a snitch being run by an ATF agent.

Either way it stinks.

 

[sm]

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