As heard at the gun store

[Blitz1]

He said something to the effect of, "Yeah I've been thinking of buying a p239. They give these to the State Troopers but they don't have any serial numbers on them so they can plant or drop them."

HUH?? WTF?? Damn.

 

[SKS Ray]

My favorite was when I went to a Bass Pro Shops in Maryland. I was looking at a few different rifles and the guy asked me where I was from. I said Massachusetts and his joking reply as he laughed was "I didn't think you people in Mass could still own guns"

Years later I heard that from someone else when I was ordering something on the phone. Must be some sort of joke floating around out there at our expense.

 

[matt]

I would have offered the guy $200.

I'd have offered $110... but I'd have goine up to $120.

 

[Blitz1]

My favorite was when I went to a Bass Pro Shops in Maryland. I was looking at a few different rifles and the guy asked me where I was from. I said Massachusetts and his joking reply as he laughed was "I didn't think you people in Mass could still own guns"

Years later I heard that from someone else when I was ordering something on the phone. Must be some sort of joke floating around out there at our expense.

Um...yeah, ya think? This State is a friggin joke.
[sad2]

Like you didn't know that.

 

[Another_David]

Um...yeah, ya think? This State is a friggin joke.
[sad2]

Like you didn't know that.

The more I travel and talk with other people in different states the more I think Mass. isn't as bad as some places. For instance, in Illinois concealed or open carry is greatly restricted to the point it's just not an option for mere citizens. So unlike Mass., you can buy whatever you want--you just can't carry it.

I talked to employee #1 (see my OP) for a while about this and he knew someone from Mass that had told him how he could carry in Mass. He knew Mass was anti but was jealous that we could carry. I explained how Mass. is dicey with the chiefs having final say for carry permits. Just to get the full picture here employee #1 had a 1911 cocked and locked jammed in his pants Magnum PI style. The lack of the holster was comical considering this shop had hundreds on display along with lots of other tacti-cool stuff.

Oh and when in CA, I've never even bothered to look for a gun store...

Don't get me wrong, no one should be content with Mass' attitude towards law abiding gun owners.

 

[mark056]

I think the best I've ever heard was here in Plymouth at M&Ms/Plymouth Bay Outfitters....however it was NOT an employee.

I was browsing closeby as a customer was looking at a couple of pistols on top of one of the pistol cases. He said something to the effect of, "Yeah I've been thinking of buying a p239. They give these to the State Troopers but they don't have any serial numbers on them so they can plant or drop them."

The MSP must have really screwed up at least one order of P239's because the ones that the guys and gals have in my office have serial numbers on them. They must have gotten the rejects or something .

Mark L.

 

[namedpipes]

I'll bring mine in to show them this week.

I thought you just had giant pistols?!

 

[stoneypete]

Here's one...

Me: That's a cool preban AR.

Employee: Yup, you can only use preban mags in a preban rifle.

Me: Really? So, I can't use my preban 30 round mags in a postban AR?

Employee: Nope

Would this shop be on Route 18 in Bridgewater and named for an over weight feline? Heared that very thing from him along with alot of other bovine fecal matter.

Maybe he did, but you're going to remember that and go back, aren't you? Not to mention that you just told the world that they think of the customer first. You can't buy that kind of advertising for $35!!

Ding! Some places get it, some don't.

 

[EddieCoyle]

How did the guy get screwed? The gun store didn't want the gun and gave the guy what is known as a "f*** off" quote. The guy didn't have to take it; there are other gun stores around. The guy was mad because he'd made a bad purchase and wanted the gun store to get him out of his own bad decision. Not the gun store's responsibility. It would certainly have been nice of the store to take it back, and a store like that is to be commended. But to say they 'screwed' the guy is just weird.

+1

They didn't lose a "customer" either. They guy's wife won't let him go back there. I would've offered him $50 because he let his wife push him around.

 

[packingungal]

No matter where you live - there are good feeling niches everywhere...

 

[Knob Creek]

Customer: I'd like to see what you would give me for this gun on a trade in.

Owner: Nice gun I could sell that easy but thats not a approved gun. Here is a special list that I get that includes the guns approved by the State and Attorney General.

Customer: I didn't think the AG had a list but anyway, I bought it three years ago from another dealer in Mass. Here is a copy of the FA-10

Owner: Well they might have violated the law. It might not be pre-98.

Customer: The SN# says it is a 1996-1997 gun as stated here in a printout from the Manufacturers Web site. And in the Blue Book of Gun values.

Owner: But that doesn't mean that it was actually registered in the state prior to 1998.

Customer: This is one of the largest gun shops in Massachusetts. I doubt they would do that.

Owner: I have stories I could tell you.

Customer: Well the gun I'm trying to buy from you is not Mass Compliant either. How do I know that it was registered in the state prior to 98.

Owner: Well I knew the owner, he was in law enforcement for 30 years. I was forensic expert and testified in major cases all over the country and knew him

Customer: Well then you should be able to provided documentation to me that he had it registered prior to 98 then.

Owner: But he's dead.

Customer: Well so is this gun sale!

Westport, Massachusetts gun shop

 

[Blitz1]

I would've offered him $50 because he let his wife push him around.

Wipped.^ I would have kept the pistol and sold the wife.

 

[Scrivener]

Wipped.^ [sic] I would have kept the pistol and sold the wife.

The gun has better resale value.

 

[Blitz1]

The gun has better resale value.

True!!

 

[abundigas]

The MSP must have really screwed up at least one order of P239's because the ones that the guys and gals have in my office have serial numbers on them. They must have gotten the rejects or something .

Mark L.

Those arn't serial #'s thoses are inspector reject time stamps...

 

[dwarven1]

Owner: But he's dead.

Customer: Well so is this gun sale!

That's great. Pathetic that this can happen in our screwed-up state, but it's still funny.

The gun has better resale value.

Depends on how hot the wife is.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Customer: Well then you should be able to provided documentation to me that he had it registered prior to 98 then.

The dealer is under no obligation to prove this, since the crime of non-compliant sale is one committed by the dealer, not the buyer. This is relevant to the buyer only if they want to be able to sell the gun through a MA shop at a future date.

 

[jdubois]

The dealer is under no obligation to prove this, since the crime of non-compliant sale is one committed by the dealer, not the buyer. This is relevant to the buyer only if they want to be able to sell the gun through a MA shop at a future date.

Which is exactly the trouble that Knob Creek was having with the current dealer, so it seems completely appropriate that he asked for proof. The dealer in this situation wasn't doing anything wrong, he was technically correct in his assertions, but he was being a bit pedantic and it obviously lost him the sale. Perhaps he was ok with that.

 

[Vintovka]

Ray: Wait... are you a member at Riverside?

Me: (thinking I'm going to be let in on a secret) yeah...?

Ray: Ok, what you do is... go over to the trap field, and if there's nobody there,
sometimes the clays don't break and you can pick up the ones that are still good!

Me: [speechless]

Ray: Yeah, it's a great way to get free clays!

Me: Um... yeah... good idea. I'll see you later, Ray.

LOL! I've heard Ray come out with some gems, but that's hilarious! Next time I buy clays from him, I'm gonna have to check for twigs...

 

[doobie]

I heard how bad Obama was for gun owners when I was at the gun shop. They must be wrong so I should vote for him, right?

*end sarcasm* Okay I know, bad joke...

 

[center442]

How about the following conversation at a shop:

Customer: Do you have any pre-ban, high-capacity AR15 mags?

Owner: (while handing the customer a brand new, blister packed, 20 round mag) Here ya go.

Customer: Is that a pre-ban?

Owner: Doesn't matter...you've got a class A license.

Customer: Thanks, but I'm going to hold off on the mag for now.

I could be wrong, but that seems counter to everything I've read here.

I've also heard this same owner tell customers that all transfers from out of state, by Federal law, could only be from an FFL dealer to an FFL dealer. IIRC, this is not totally true, especially in the case of C&R firearms. Again, I could be wrong.

I still do business occasionally with this shop, but I take any advice given there with a large grain of salt.

 

[drgrant]

I could be wrong, but that seems counter to everything I've read here.

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of dealers in MA simply don't give a crap about the MA AWB, when it comes to magazines. I have to agree that handing the customer a felony in a bag isn't exactly a nice thing to do, though. laugh] IMO "Buyer Beware" is a universal maxim people need to adopt with those issues, regardless of the
dealer.

I've also heard this same owner tell customers that all transfers from out of state, by Federal law, could only be from an FFL dealer to an FFL dealer. IIRC, this is not totally true, especially in the case of C&R firearms. Again, I could be wrong.

It depends on the nature of the transfer. For starters, an FFL can virtually accept an inbound transfer from just about anywhere, at least per federal law, including from non-FFL dealers. The sticky parts come in when the FFL transfers a gun to a non FFL, then you have all kinds of fun rules that apply.

Most of the time a dealer does FFL > FFL transfers it's because its a policy of their own, not because the law
requires it.

-Mike

 

[center442]

It wouldn't surprise me if a lot of dealers in MA simply don't give a crap about the MA AWB, when it comes to magazines. I have to agree that handing the customer a felony in a bag isn't exactly a nice thing to do, though. laugh] IMO "Buyer Beware" is a universal maxim people need to adopt with those issues, regardless of the
dealer.

True. That also brings up an etiquette question: should I just keep my big mouth shut and let the customer complete the transaction? It's not my shop, and technically none of my business what other people do, but I'd hate to see the customer get jammed up over something like this. I know that ignorance of the law is no excuse, but one would expect the dealer, a licensee, to be aware of pitfalls like this. While the dealer may not give a s**t, it's the customer who'll have to deal with any problems down the road.

It depends on the nature of the transfer. For starters, an FFL can virtually accept an inbound transfer from just about anywhere, at least per federal law, including from non-FFL dealers. The sticky parts come in when the FFL transfers a gun to a non FFL, then you have all kinds of fun rules that apply.

Most of the time a dealer does FFL > FFL transfers it's because its a policy of their own, not because the law
requires it.

-Mike

That was my understanding, and I have done transactions like that in the past. I can understand if a dealer only wants to accept transfers from other dealers as a business decision, but I wish they'd just say that outright. Why the malarkey of "Federal law?"

I'm just curious as to what others would have done in this situation.

 

[matt1956]

So unlike Mass., you can buy whatever you want--you just can't carry it.

depending on where you live... and who your COP is... you may not be allowed to carry here either.

 

[drgrant]

True. That also brings up an etiquette question: should I just keep my big mouth shut and let the customer complete the transaction? It's not my shop, and technically none of my business what other people do, but I'd hate to see the customer get jammed up over something like this.

As far as legal stuff in shops go, I just tend to keep my mouth shut, for a variety of reasons, the first of which being that it rarely results in anything changing, even if the dealer is willing to acknowledge that you're right- in most cases the best it can do is get the owner/staff of the shop pissed at you for interfering in their business. There's a time and a place to help people out (like on NES),.... doing it in some guy's establishment is just
bad form, IMO.

That was my understanding, and I have done transactions like that in the past. I can understand if a dealer only wants to accept transfers from other dealers as a business decision, but I wish they'd just say that outright. Why the malarkey of "Federal law?"

They do that because it sounds better than "I don't want to because I don't like receiving guns from non dealers" so they use imaginary laws to make excuses to divert blame from them. Some dealers also make up these sorts of excuses as a way to try to drive the shopper to one of the guns they're selling instead of transferring something else in.

I'm just curious as to what others would have done in this situation.

If a dealer is putting up BS in your way, that's objectionable to you, it's best
to find another dealer, it's really that simple. Vote with your wallet.


-Mike

 

[Another_David]

depending on where you live... and who your COP is... you may not be allowed to carry here either.

Covered that in the second paragraph of my post.

 

[RG617]

RE: Mags... just how do they expect to prove whether it was made pre or post? None of my mags are date or serial number stamped nor are any that I've seen of late. Even a preban that's been sitting in a back room for twenty years can look brand spankin' new, so I'm wondering for future purchases how this should be approached.

 

[jdubois]

RE: Mags... just how do they expect to prove whether it was made pre or post?

A lot of times they can't.

 

[In_God_We_Trust]

I remember I was in a store (not mentioning names) and overheard a conversation where the salesman was recommending a cleaning and lube product "because it seals in the pores in the metal and makes the barrel stronger."

I did a Scooby Do: HUUUUU? Ru-Ro!

And walked away....

 

[FrugalFannie]

My favorite gun store is Blue Northern in Ayer. One of the many reasons why it's my favorite store is that sometimes when you ask one of the guys - either Bill, Ron, Tom, Billy, or Dave- a question, they'll say, "I don't know". Followed up by, "I'll find out for you."

Imagine that? People at a gun store that actually won't knowingly give you bad advice.

+1

They are great, even if they do insist on calling me ma'am. (I'm too young for that)