Firearm Etiquette !

I spent the majority of my adult career working in various gun shops, so I have both considerable experience and a certain level of defensive bias. Everywhere I worked, we had an institutional requisite for absolute safe gun handling. Not gonna say we didn't have the occasional lapse in behavior, especially among the younger employees, but by far the most egregious behavior came from customers. My personal policy was always to verify that every gun was unloaded any time I laid hands on it, including taking it from a display case/rack, or receiving it back from a customer. I did the check in an obvious manner, to demonstrate that I was taking safety seriously and as a sort of passive "teaching moment." Same thing with avoiding the sweep. Finger off trigger, and manipulate the muzzle in an obvious arc away from everyone in the place.

A couple things regarding that picture of the tethered handgun display. While it may be convenient for customers to examine the inventory, I see an opportunity for any whack-job who comes along to slip in a live round undetected, or a less-than-honest person to slip an expensive magazine into a pocket. I'd much prefer to keep an attentive eye on anyone handling the inventory. Also, does it bother anyone else to see all those cocked hammers on the display guns? Looking into a display case and seeing a 1911 displayed with the hammer back has always been a pet peeve of mine.
 
I worked at an LGS briefly 50 years ago. Came to work one day to find a fresh .22 caliber hole in the floor. Somewhere in the course of the owner's wife showing a new Ruger Standard Auto to a customer a live round found its way into the chamber (or was there from previous handling) and she pulled the trigger before returning it to the case. Who knows how many times the two of them swept each other. If you want to be like a movie star, don't pick Alec Baldwin.
 
I've been know to:
-Casually, physically, redirect the gun away from myself or others.
-Leave the premises.
 
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Had a friend (now deceased) who shot himself through the hand with his LCP. Same kinda deal. He pulled the magazine and forgot about the round in the chamber. He was also a man who should have known better. Served in Iraq, regularly held tables at area gunshows, etc.

I'm not pointing a gun at my palm and pulling the trigger even after I've verified an empty chamber and no magazine. No way.
 
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