I went to a decent size gunshow at the Erie County Fair Grounds (Buffalo, NY) this morning.

Nice selection of stuff.
I spotted a somewhat neglected Winchester Model 61 .22 pump rifle with some sight modifications done to it on a Dealer's table,,,I thought 'Right up my alley!..Another project gun that I don't really need"

I asked to take a look at it and they said sure go ahead.
I opened the action and staring at me on the carrier was a Golden Bullet HS-LR round of ammo.

It actually had 8 or 9 rds total in the magazine that I cleared.

A big..What If???

Good thing I checked.

Good on ya for checking.

,

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Death? Smile back...

So soon after the OGCA debacle? Idiots.

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Release the Kraken

What was the dealers reaction? Apparently there was no checking of weapons being brought in ?

I definitely wouldn't have cleared it myself, with no knowledge of the rifle's mechanical condition . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I've never had a table at a gun show where anyone checked anything in any gun that I brought in. Generally some cursory inspection about zip ties through actions, but that's about it, and that wouldn't salvage what the OP is reporting . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

You should have reported that dealer to the sponsor of the Gun Show and to the fairgrounds staff and that dealer should be put on a list and banned from gun shows for a decent amount of time.
To much of this **** happening.

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Hipcocked & Locked

OP I was at the same show for a couple hours. It did not seem nearly as busy as normal. Which was nice. I noticed a bigger selection of non plastic guns and prices actually coming down. Quit a few S&Ws but nothing that made me reach for my wallet. Saw a beautiful model 18 with box docs and tools. But $1199 ? No thanks.

You followed one of the Iron Rules of Gun Safety.

Surprised, shocked, stunned,,especially after dumping the first rd into one of their hands and having them feel that that was it,,relieved that the gun was now unloaded and safe.
I then slowly worked the action again and another rd came up.
I said it's still loaded guys!

Then they really started to get nervous.
I had the rifle pointed upwards all the time. At that point I just depressed the slide latch and worked the action till no more rds came out. They were all over the floor and the glass topped display case. Lots of scrambling then.

When I thought the mag was empty, I pulled the tube and left the action open. There was no round on the carrier of course.
I could then peek down the empty magazine outer tube and you can see the shiny steel carrier. I was sure the tube and gun was empty.

I had asked them if they had any action proving dummy rds handy. I wanted to run one through the mag and back out the action and into my hand. That will prove that the entire system is clear of live rds. Dummy in,,Dummy out.
They looked at me like I had asked for something in a foreign language. Maybe they just didn't hear me , I speak rather softly most of the time.

Can't use a Sharpie marked up/blackened LIVE rd as a check,,I'd be placing a live round into the rifle,,then I'd be the bad guy.

So I did the mag tube look-see to confirm it was empty.
It can look odd to bystanders as you appear to be looking down the bbl of the rifle,,but I wasn't about to hand this rifle back to any of them with the chance it was still loaded.
Where would that leave me if it was.

The Table Holders/Dealers have their own side entrance to the building not unlike most venues.
Their guns are not checked at the 'door' by security, they just walk in with them,,and back out freely as a Table Holder.
Standard procedure.

Anyone coming in through the Public Entrance/paid customer,,if you bring in a gun, it must be checked in. You show your DL, the gun is checked to make sure it's unloaded,..Magazine removed if equipted.
Gun is tiewrapped closed and tagged with your ID and guns info.

I saw a lot of guns on tables that were not tie wrapped. That kind of surprised me.
It's been common practice at shows around here for yrs that every gun in the show, carried around or on a table is to be tie wrapped.

This rifle was not tie wrapped on the table. Not unusual at that particular event as I looked around.

But I am still glad I didn't let my guard down this one time and just pick the rifle up, work the action... and perhaps pull the trigger...it could have happened so easily.

I would never enter this gun show as a paid attendee with a gun to sell . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt to assume you are knowledgeable enough about firearms to not dry fire a rimfire firearm, and that wouldn't have happened . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Thank you for the benefit...I think I'm knowledgeable enough about guns in general.
No I don't condone dry firing any firearm, no matter the make, model age, etc.
I've said that in more than a few of my posts in the past.

That aside, what if (another what if of course) I had worked the action w/o looking closely and had chambered that first up live rd.
Never seen it,,looked the gun over and decided to pass. Then just set it back down on the table again for the next customer.
Now it's lying flat on the table at waist level w/a loaded chamber and the Safety (was) OFF.

Maybe the next person to look at it would be the one to pull the trigger. Lots of people do even if you tell them not to dry fire the guns.
Happened at OGCA, though that gun was tie-wrapped closed which was supposed to be a sign that the gun had been checked, was unloaded,,and then the breech secured from any possibility of loading the gun.
That worked out well.
It just shows that anything can happen. You can't really trust much. Not the guns Safety mechanism, a Tie-Wrap,,or the word of some-one when they say 'It's unloaded,,(I checked).

Anyway,, as far as not attending such a show with a security set up as described when bringing in a firearm,,,then don't.
But it's the way it's done here..
Don't want to use your DL for ID,,then any Gov't issue pic ID will do.
You probably don't like that either, again your choice. Don't go.

What brought it on was the State Law change that said all transfers and sales of firearms must to go thru an FFL. At a show, outside a show,,anywhere..
If you brought a personal gun in for sale, and wanted to leave with the same gun (unsold), it is a way to confirm that the gun and the person leaving with it is the same that entered with it. No sale/transfer has taken place.

Guns sold by table holders have to be tagged with similar info and the dealers FFL etc to allow the person that bought it to exit the show. That showing that the sale was made thru an FFL (4473/NICS).

Yes there are ways to defeat the system.
But that's the set up they use.
The State put the law into effect about all transactions going thru an FFL Dealer, so the shows have to do something to comply to stay open.

I'm guessing other States with the 'All sales/transfers must go thru an FFL' have something similar at shows.
Maybe they don't and they simply take everyone at their word that they did everything the correct and lawful way.
Sure...

If the action is closed I treat the gun as LOADED. PERIOD!

I was once handed an 870 turkey gun by the Chief of police at an "informal" gun sale at a residence in town. I opened the action to have a live round pop out onto the floor. I recently was handed a loaded pistol and told it was empty. Nope. Live round in chamber and full magazine. They responded it wasn't suppose to be loaded.

It only takes a second to check but an eternity to get over a needless discharge, that could be fatal.

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Remain Viable

I've encountered loaded guns at shows 5 or 6 times. Friends have come across them too.

I've also been present when 4 negligent discharges occurred. Fortunately, only one resulted in an injury.

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"I also cook."

When I was a reserve officer in the early eighties we would sponsor a yearly gun show. I was working the gun check table at the entrance and had a elderly gentleman hand me a 22lr semiauto pistol. He had dropped the magazine to show me it was empty but when I opened the slide out popped a loaded round. The look on his face was something to see as probably mine was also. I kept the round and told him he could have it back when he left the show but he never picked it up.

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Retired reserve 30 yrs.

Wow, just wow.
Be safe out there.

All guns are always loaded. To believe otherwise is to invite disaster.

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Even older, even crankier....

And what happened to the practice of opening the action/cylinder before handing a gun to another person?

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Jim
Many K and N Frames

Hard to do when most show promoters require cable ties securing the actions.

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"I also cook."

The sellers I've seen have extra cable ties and have cut the ones on the gun to let a customer inspect it. Not all the time, but if someone is a serious customer and not a window shopper I've seen that.

Then they just put another tie on after the customer is done.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

Good to see someone following the rules of gun safety, I've seen some scary stuff at gun shows and even at FFLs.

The below must be a NY thing. I've been to gun shows in MA, NH, AL, and now TX. While they all ask if you're carrying a loaded gun, they accept whatever answer you give. They all have signs at the entry about no loaded guns.

I started a few years ago just locking my gun in my truck and going in.

If they ask if I have a loaded gun, I'll just say no. If they look like they have sense of humor, I'll say I'm just here for the beef jerky.

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Can open, worms everywhere.

If you don't make sure, it's on you. If you are not sure then make the seller make sure while observing his actions for flawed checking. There aren't any accidental discharges, just stupidity.

So, did you buy the rifle?

I go to that show twice a year - Fall and Winter. I can't count the number of guns and stuff I have bought there over the years.

The security I have encountered is quite good. I can't believe this happened. Someone screwed the pooch on this one.