I wanted to see exactly why Shooter's is very focused on monitoring who buys what before writing something up.
I went to Shooter's yesterday to see what they had for Black Friday. The top floor had a paper list of what was on sale and what wasn't. I noticed a lower I wanted on sale, so I asked to buy two. Guy behind the counter gives me a 4473 and asks if I was familiar with it - yes. Before I start filling out the 4473, I put my Rhode Island driver's license on the counter and tell the salesman "I'm going to need these shipped." Salesman says "we don't ship guns, guns going everywhere, legalities, you know."
No, actually, I don't know. I've been buying guns as a consumer both online and in person for ten years now and I've never heard of someone magically losing a gun in the mail. Nor have I heard of a competently-run gun store shipping illegal stuff into a state where its banned. Does it happen? Probably. Can it be avoided by some quick research? Yes.
If Shooter's is going to have a strict policy of "we don't ship guns," please make that public so people from other states don't waste our time traveling to your shop. Put it on a big sign at the front door. How is this policy of "we don't ship guns" going to work when you open your second shop that's specifically going to have Mass-compliant guns in stock?
I have never heard a shop say "we don't ship guns." In New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or any other state. Plenty of gun shops get most of their business from online and aren't being hauled into Boston courts. Might be a good idea to talk to their legal counsel and see what they do. If you don't want to do that, fine, but just put it out in public that you refuse to sell guns to anyone from out of state.
I'm not even angry about this. I'm mostly confused.
Actually you do come across as angry, but I'll take you at your word.
A gun store can ship or not at their discretion.
You went there specifically to look into their sales practices.
You informed them of your need to ship and why, before filling out the 4473, so you were aware of a possible issue.
So if you knew all this, why didn't you call and ask?
As for selling guns to non-NH residents, they do. They will sell long guns that they are comfortable selling to non-residents, which they can take with them, and they have already identified a MA FFL to do transfers for them.
So it isn't about salling, it's about shipping, and apparently they don't do that. And they told you as soon as they new. I think it's on you to ask when you want a retail store to provide an additional service, would you walk into a local craft store and assume they will ship for you just because they don't have a sign that says they won't? Or would you just ask"?
In the last month I've bought a gun in MA, "I'll take it, but you'll have to ship it to NH" I let them know up front what was needed and they had the option to make the sale and ship or not, no assumptions, no problems. I also attended a gun auction in MA, and before even registering, I asked about shipping to NH, no assumptions made. In both cases the seller did NOT have any information posted about shipping, and I would not have expected them to. The burden is on me to ask.
As to your original concern, gathering information, Shooters has commented on that before, so there was little need for you to confront them on that.