What would you do?

[Jefe's Dope]

I was at Cabela's about a month ago to buy a rifle. There was only a few people there and there was only two employees helping. While I was waiting an employee was helping a customer find a holster. It was for a large frame revolver and the employee had pulled a display pistol out to check fit. While he was finger fucking the pistol and holster and pulling it in and out of the holster, he swept me and the customer he was helping. I gave him the eye and it appeared to me that he realized what he had done. But not sure.

Question: What would you have done? Say something to the employee? Brush is off as another gun store story like I did? Contact the head of the firearms dept. in regards to their employee and gun safety?

I certainly didn't feel endangered. Just annoyed that I was swept by a pistol in a gun store by an employee who, I believe, should have known better.

 

[AIAW]

To be honest, I wouldn't have gone to Cabela's to buy a rifle!

So many better places to buy, no matter what you are looking for - and at much less cost. Perhaps a family ran store or somewhere I have a personal history with. Support the "little guy".

Yeah I would have said something to him. A good public verbal ass-kicking will sometimes do wonders. Make sure there are plenty of customers around though. 1-on-1 isn't going to help.

You gotta remember too, there is no requirement to work behind that counter in a national chain like that. Breathing - check! The best information you can get is on your own (here ideally). That guy is there to show it and put it in a box after he takes your money.

 

[Cheyenne Bodie]

Stink eye all day. Twice on Sundays. I'm not one to make something out of nothing usually, but firearms safety ain't no joke. My first reaction when someone points a gun at me is to pull out my own gun, obviously and thankfully, we're all more intelligent than to light up the gun counter people for inspecting a product improperly. It's still unsettling and unacceptable to barrel sweep people, and I'll let ya know.

I like Cabela's for camping and hunting stuff, but it's basically the firearms equivalent of a Guitar Center.

 

[diverdon]

I would not have done any more than you did. When has calling someone out in public ever really made them safer in the long run. I've yet to see it. It would not be worth my grief. I would vote with my feet and leave.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

To be honest, I wouldn't have gone to Cabela's to buy a rifle!

So many better places to buy, no matter what you are looking for - and at much less cost. Perhaps a family ran store or somewhere I have a personal history with. Support the "little guy".

Yeah I would have said something to him. A good public verbal ass-kicking will sometimes do wonders. Make sure there are plenty of customers around though. 1-on-1 isn't going to help.

You gotta remember too, there is no requirement to work behind that counter in a national chain like that. Breathing - check! The best information you can get is on your own (here ideally). That guy is there to show it and put it in a box after he takes your money.

Rifle was on sale at the best price I'd seen for it and I've been looking for months. Even with tax. Actually might have been an online price mistake because it wasn't in his system and they overrode the system to give me the price I found online. But usually you're right.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

There are breaches of etiquette and there are breaches of actual safety. This was a breach of etiquette. At no time was anyone reasonably unsure of thier actual safety.

How a person responds to a breach of etiquette is up to them. An actual safety violation carries much more responsibilty to respond in my opinion.

 

[Blue Sky Country]

Being the gun store hog that I am, you wouldn't be surprised if I told you about all of the shenanigans I have witnessed. Might just be going in to pick up some ammo or components, and I'd always find myself staying much longer than I intend to engaging in gun or hunting talk and shootin' the shit generally. Helping out new shooters and giving them good, accurate advice is just as satisfying as going out to ring some steel.

That said, I have had around 4 or 5 times when I had been muzzle-swept or seen someone doing it. Always an innocent mistake though. One can easily get distracted when examining a firearm that they are really interested in.

All of these times I had responded...Nothing overly dramatic. Usually I raise my voice just a tad bit, "Hey buddy, not to interrupt you or anything but I noticed you just swept the barrel of that gun around the store and it was pointed at several people...That is not a safe thing to do and you must be careful about things like that." And I have NEVER received a bad response in return. Usually they would sheepishly apologize and agree that owning a gun bears with it great responsibility. And then we all end up talking and laughing. It is a learning experience, so I am usually never hard on folks who commit small errors, and I take this opportunity to drill safety facts into their heads at the same time. By the time they are handling live ammunition, I hope they would have developed the muscle memory not to commit such infractions again.

 

[cupid stunt]

If you are worried about safety stay away from Cabelas and gun shows.

 

[Milo 2.5]

It's not right, but if the employee had cleared the gun after he pulled it from the display case it is still not safe, but really not a threat. Handing pistols to customers in a gun store is a train wreck, getting a feel for a pistol while aiming at the ceiling isn't normal operation and sweeps are the order of the day.
Dipshit customers pulling their own loaded pistols in gun stores is more of a violation IMO.

 

[George P. Burdell]

I'd shop somewhere else

 

[George P. Burdell]

Even if it costs you a little more

 

[sabrecross]

I'd say something to the person but I would try to be tactful. If he's doing it in thee store he'll most likely replicate it out in public.

 

[Rthur]

None shall pass...
Any flagging will get a correction.
I don't care of he checked the cylinder 12 times.
1st rule of safety, it is always loaded.

R

 

[Fig]

As soon as I was swept I’d preform a tactical backflip and land with both Hi-Pionts drawn and blaze away cuting down both the employee and the customer.
Hey, I felt my life was in danger (and I’m a ninja).

 

[Cheyenne Bodie]

Usually I raise my voice just a tad bit, "Hey buddy, not to interrupt you or anything but I noticed you just swept the barrel of that gun around the store and it was pointed at several people...That is not a safe thing to do and you must be careful about things like that." And I have NEVER received a bad response in return. Usually they would sheepishly apologize and agree that owning a gun bears with it great responsibility. And then we all end up talking and laughing. It is a learning experience, so I am usually never hard on folks who commit small errors, and I take this opportunity to drill safety facts into their heads at the same time. By the time they are handling live ammunition, I hope they would have developed the muscle memory not to commit such infractions again.

I think this is probably the best thing to do. Weapons safety is only as useful as the vigilance with which it is practised, but like you said it's a learning experience, not really something to start an argument with a stranger over. Personally, it's really just the fact that I don't like having guns pointed at me. I got some rotten thick skin for a lot of other things, but that specifically pisses me off on a primal level, it could even be a paintball gun. Just giving them a polite tip that folks don't appreciate it would be the right way to handle it. A lot of times I take the long way around calling someone a dumbass and it tends to land wrong, so I usually just SFTU and wear a look of disapproval.

 

[Spblademaker]

Should have gotten one Of those cork rifles in the kids section and followed the offender around all day making that infernal popping noise.

 

[thejeep]

I would have said I was scared shitless and dropped a deuce right then and there. Without wiping.

 

[AIAW]

You would have probably gotten a sweet gift card too.

 

[hlee]

While sweeping someone with a firearm muzzle is a breach of safety, if you can’t handle being swept by an empty gun in a gun store, you should probably stick to watching YouTube videos and not go into gun stores. Black Friday at the Cabelas gun counter is an experience...

I’m with Skookem==> it’s impolite, but your actual safety was not in question.

 

[TheGerman]

'Hey, how about you not point that fucking gun at me?'

 

[Maxduty]

I'm torn. I don't like being swept. But you almost have to expect it in a store. There is no firing line to not cross. When a gun comes out at the store, there are people 360 degrees. Somebody gets swept at some point during the checking out. They don't sit muzzle down or up in the case, so it's got to cross someone at some point. The booger hook is the thing I watch. Grab the trigger and I'll let you know you're wrong. I'd let this one go. If he knew he did something wrong, he'll never do it again.

 

[mutzbauer1]

Considering its a big box store, be greatful you were only swept......I got a buddy that manages a Sportsmans gun dept. They stories he tells me are just outlandish. Maybe a quick word to the manager about safety would be good......

 

[buffalowinter]

Mind over matter...if you don't mind, it don't matter
.

 

[Dougie308]

You did well. However, it would also be acceptable to have have put two in the chest and one in the head in self defense. There’s not a jury on my couch that would convict you.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

so I usually just SFTU and wear a look of disapproval.

Me too and what I did this time.

I do recall calling out a customer at Gander Mtn. years ago as he was sweeping a rifle at everyone in the store. He just kept pointing that mother fucker at everyone. Finally told him to stop sweeping everyone and gave the counter monkey a "how stupid are you" look for making me step in.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Should have gotten one Of those cork rifles in the kids section and followed the offender around all day making that infernal popping noise.

I got one of those for Christmas when I as 4 IIRC. First thing EVERYONE told me was not to point it at anyone. First thing I did was cut the string and start shooting my cousin. I never saw that cork gun again. A few years later same grandfather bought me a Daisy BB gun and started over. ?

 

[buffalowinter]

I got one of those for Christmas when I as 4 IIRC. First thing EVERYONE told me was not to point it at anyone. First thing I did was cut the string and start shooting my cousin. I never saw that cork gun again. A few years later same grandfather bought me a Daisy BB gun and started over. ?

 

[Jefe's Dope]

View attachment 7018768

????

About a year or so after the cork gun incident I stuck a screwdriver in a socket. Popped the breaker and threw me back a couple feet. I still remember it. Was grounded for a week. AND not long after that, a buddy and I were 'playing' in a dumpster and got dumped into the trash truck. I recall standing there and saying to my buddy "it looks like the roof is coming down." and it was. I wanted to climb out the way we got dumped in but he was so panicked that all he could do was scream his head off. Fortunately the two trash guys heard him and opened up the back and took us out. Walked me back to my mom as I was pleading "please don't tell my mom, please don't tell my mom". He said he wouldn't. He lied. Grounded again.

 

[308220]

Some people never learn or care. I have scolded my nephew about barrel sweeping people and muzzle safety since he was 8. Hes 18 now and still does it every time he has a gun of any kind in his hands. Needless to say, I dont hunt or shoot with him anymore since his guns are no longer BB guns.

I had enough last year. We were coyote hunting. He had his 308. We were done hunting and I told him to unload his rifle. What does he do? Pulls the trigger. BANG! Shoots the dirt 3ft in front of me. He also barrel swept me 5 min prior. Im done!

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Some people never learn or care. I have scolded my nephew about barrel sweeping people and muzzle safety since he was 8. Hes 18 now and still does it every time he has a gun of any kind in his hands. Needless to say, I dont hunt or shoot with him anymore since his guns are no longer BB guns.

I had enough last year. We were coyote hunting. He had his 308. We were done hunting and I told him to unload his rifle. What does he do? Pulls the trigger. BANG! Shoots the dirt 3ft in front of me. He also barrel swept me 5 min prior. Im done!

?

I'm surprised you didn't put him over your knee. I know he's 18 but...