Can you believe this? Allen, Texas Gun Show

[RaylanGivens]

This morning I went to the gun show in Allan, Texas, just a short drive from my home. I spotted a Ruger Standard 22 pistol. It was a good looking older pistol, like one I owned in the 80's. I pulled back the charging lever to check out the action. When I began to close the action I noticed that I was sliding a cartridge into the chamber. Yep, the pistol was loaded with a full magazine of ammo. I told the vendor his pistol was loaded and he needed to empty it. He was surprised. He apologized. I wonder what might have happened if someone not familiar with pistols had slid back that baby and pulled the trigger. Lucky there was no round in the chamber as it lay on that table. We have to be very careful and never assume a gun is unloaded, even on a dealers table

 

[pharmer]

Thanks for sharing that reminder. I was at a show today and couldn't believe how many times I was swept. Worst was a 12 ga SxS pointed at my guts. Joe

 

[RaylanGivens]

I had that same experience, being swept. Even saw folks looking through scopes on rifles across the crowd. We would not allow that on a deer lease or anywhere else. The vendors have a responsibility to curb that when they see it happening with one of their weapons. I'm not a vendor. I guess it's hard to keep control of your weapons with so many gawkers and handlers of their weapons.

 

[Faulkner]

Huh, that's interesting. I've not been to a gunshow in years where they didn't require a tie-wrap to be through the action for it to be displayed on the table. Even new in the box guns are supposed to have them. With the tie-wrap, even if it did have a loaded magazine you couldn't put the gun in battery.

 

[Drm50]

Discharge

Was at large gun auction in northern Ohio. I went to this auction
every month, very professional operation. Most patrons would
get their guns in promptly. This allowed them to be listed in
auction advertising. They would also accept guns during inspection period preceding sale. Well one day one of these last
minute guns, 1100 Rem 20g, went off in auction workers hand
This was during auction. Approx 250 patrons were seated in hall.
Fortunately he had gun pointed up. No one was injured. New
policy was adopted on last minute entries.

 

[e3mrk]

I was at a Gun Show in Ohio a couple years ago when Someone fired a Gun,You could hear a pin drop as Everyone just stopped what We were doing,Same thing,A Gun on the Table was loaded and Someone pulled the Trigger and put a new Hole in the Roof.
Ever since then all Firearms had to be checked and have a Zip Tie through the Chamber or Cylinder before it was allowed on the Table.

 

[RaylanGivens]

I was at a Gun Show in Ohio a couple years ago when Someone fired a Gun,You could hear a pin drop as Everyone just stopped what We were doing,Same thing,A Gun on the Table was loaded and Someone pulled the Trigger and put a new Hole in the Roof.
Ever since then all Firearms had to be checked and have a Zip Tie through the Chamber or Cylinder before it was allowed on the Table.

I like the zip tie idea for safety, but it sure makes it hard to get a good take on the mechanics. I know I will check every gun I touch at gun shows to make sure they are not loaded. It's a wise idea anytime we pick one up anywhere.

 

[4barrel]

Things happen --That would have been between me & him with no post. Every one has screwed up at one time or another. No need to blow the whistle if nothing happened. Everyone gets a lesson. Don't rock the boat.

 

[RaylanGivens]

Things happen --That would have been between me & him with no post. Every one has screwed up at one time or another. No need to blow the whistle if nothing happened. Everyone gets a lesson. Don't rock the boat.

You know, I agree with you. That's why I said nothing to the gun show staff. No harm was done. My post is just a reminder about safety, even at a gun show. Not at all to throw the man under the bus. He learned a lesson and so did I. Maybe the two of us will live another day or two. Thanks for your input.

 

[Beemerguy53]

I had that same experience, being swept. Even saw folks looking through scopes on rifles across the crowd. We would not allow that on a deer lease or anywhere else. The vendors have a responsibility to curb that when they see it happening with one of their weapons. I'm not a vendor. I guess it's hard to keep control of your weapons with so many gawkers and handlers of their weapons.

There are a lot of newbies at many gun shows, people who are interested in learning how to shoot or who want to buy a gun, but who have never spent much time around guns or responsible gun owners, and who've never had any real training. The behavior you describe is what I would expect of such folks.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Several years ago I was working security at a gun auction. My job was to spend the night with the laid out guns the night before the auction. The guns to be auctioned were from police agencies from around the state. Just on a whim, (actually I was bored) I decided to check them all to see if any were loaded. Out of 1200 guns I found six that were loaded and three of them had a round in the barrel. The next day someone fire a S&W model 15 through one of the tables. It was one I had checked. Someone had to have loaded that one. Bottom line: all guns are loaded unless proven otherwise....each time you pick it up.

 

[Beemerguy53]

...Bottom line: all guns are loaded unless proven otherwise....each time you pick it up.

This was the first lesson I imparted to my sons when I was teaching them to shoot, and it's something that has been ingrained in me for many years. It is such a habit that if I place an unloaded gun back in my safe after handling it, and remove it again for some reason two minutes later, I will open it and check it. Any time I examine a firearm at a shop or a show, if it is handed to me unopened (which doesn't happen often), I open it and check it.

Just last week in my county, a young man was fatally shot when he handed a shotgun he owned to a friend so he could 'look at it'...what a terrible, and totally avoidable, tragedy... Man, 33, accidentally shot, killed showing gun to friend - Baltimore Sun

 

[rwsmith]

As I've said before....

I LIKE hearing these stories because it reminds me to follow the rules and be careful. One that applies here is 'Always treat a gun as if it were loaded'. Don't assume anything.

 

[wrhk33]

Shows the importance of why you always remove the magazine first, before working the action. It is easy to forget.

 

[williamlayton]

A man---any man---is a fool if he trusts any other man to have checked a gun to see if it is loaded before he handles it.
Blessings

 

[CajunBass]

I've done it. I used to be able to walk out the back door and start squirrel hunting. When I came in I'd clear the chamber, put the round back in the magazine and put the gun back in the safe until next time. At the time I had a dozen or so 22 rifles.

Listed a rifle for sale, took it to meet the buyer, praise God, the buyer checked the magazine and found it still loaded. I literally could not remember the last time I had used that particular rifle.

I learned a lesson that day. UNLOAD the blinking magazine you dummy. And check them before you take them to sell them.

 

[Brian41]

The gun shows I go to now require the zip ties and probably a good thing.
Years ago they did not and my boss was at a gun show selling guns at his own table. A young boy a few tables over was looking at a .22 rifle and pulled the trigger. Gun was loaded and after bouncing off the floor it hit my boss in the thigh and severed an artery. He was bleeding out pretty good and instead of waiting on an ambulance he was loaded into an LEO's car and taken to the hospital where the patched him up. He did get some money from a lawsuit but had to sue the promoter as the gun dealer had no money.
I've always been big about checking any gun I touch.

 

[Arik]

Huh, that's interesting. I've not been to a gunshow in years where they didn't require a tie-wrap to be through the action for it to be displayed on the table. Even new in the box guns are supposed to have them. With the tie-wrap, even if it did have a loaded magazine you couldn't put the gun in battery.

Here they don't require that.

A friend of a friend had this happen. He was selling holsters at a gun show and using several empty guns to demo. The guns were semi auto and missing mags. Some time during the show he pulled the trigger and the gun went off. Luckily it was pointed at the floor. The ricochet or piece of the concrete floor hit a lady in the leg. There was an investigation done and he was found not guilty. He had no ammo or mags on him. There was no ammo for sale at his table and they compared the brass to the ammo that he did own and turned out he didn't own that brand. In the end all they could say was that at some point someone slipped a round in when he wasn't looking

 

[Taurus627]

When looking down the sights of a firearm at a crowded gun show, it's almost impossible not to sweep someone. Another reason i don't buy mine at gun shows.

At our local gun show about a month ago, had a similar indecent except with a much worse outcome. Let's just say no one died but there is a vendor with one less finger now. In case you're wondering, it was a 9mm and missed my foot by about 6 inches.

 

[3dots]

I disagree with several posts here. There is no excuse for this to happen. Firearms are serious business and a dealer at a gun show doesn't have that many weapons to check and verify before laying them on a damned table before the public. Oh, it was an accident. Oh, no need to raise a fuss. Oh, BS, he should have been thrown out on his ear!