Whats your view on Gun dealer layouts?

4200fps

Hi folks. I do be checking out what some dealers have in relation to firearms near my neck of the woods. There is some which I won't name but you go in and say your thinking of getting a particular firearm let it be a shot gun or rifle. Nothing is as bad as not being able to have a visual of the guns without the need to request if he has one in stock. I have to admit the lay out of David Mulvehills in Ballymahon Co Longford is outstanding http://outdoorsports.ie/ , he has about 300 guns in his store to date, also Lake lands in Mullingar is very well layed out too.

Cass

I've been in a few shops that have a fantastic set up. All guns on view and some with tables, etc for you to lay down a couple of guns to compare. Not always the case though.

There are some dealers that have a room and let you in. Others have a room but never let you in. Even though i've been frequenting these shops for over 20 years i still cannot get in and must request each gun specifically. The problem being the last two guns i bought were not the ones i went to view. It was only by pure chance i spotted them through the door.

This freaks me out. I can understand not letting many people in at once, letting people handle/maul the guns or if it's someone they don't know, but after years of going to the same shop and leaving thousands there in sales i'm wondering why i still visit when i'm treated like a stranger. It's primarily the reason i stay with the same two-three shops. I am treated like a friend/valued customer. So i give them my business.

Obviously others are not bothered by the attitude/carry on of these dealers as they are still in business, but i think it's a bad showing.

Eo1n8wrd

Agreed, I like to be able to browse,
Lakelands is fantastic in that respect but it is understandable in our nanny state that some might be required to limit access.
I know i would love to get into the back room of my local dealers for a little nosey but he is very accomodating and will let you see anything and will show you anything he thinks you might be interested in, which can be very helpful because if you're not overly familiar with firearms you might skip over something if you're just browsing.

Take that lad that managed to shoot himself dead inside a dealers in the UK last month (I never followed up on that story so not sure of details) i thought at the time; here we go this will be an end to handling firearms in the dealers!

Eo1n8wrd

This is the article i saw:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/reigate-gun-shop-death-man-3133445

Cass

There are no details in that report, at all. So it could be a number of things, but most likely the elderly man bringing in a loaded gun himself.

Again i can understand not letting people in that the dealer does not know or even people he does know in large groups. But when i'm the only one in the shop and the dealer knows me for years????????

Eo1n8wrd

I never saw any details after that article either, but to be fair i never looked.

Regardless of the dealer knowing you or not, if its on his insurance that he can't let people in then his hands are tied regardless of how well he knows you, if some freak accident happened and you were in the back he would be crucified!

Cass

It's nothing to do with insurance (IMO). If it were no dealer would let anyone touch a gun.

It's about trust. It seems no matter how long you are dealing with a person they never fully trust someone. It;s also the layout. The shops with tiny gun rooms outside of the main store seem more inclined to refuse you access. Other places like Lakelands where the store Is the gun room has no such concerns.

I'll add that it's one or two only, not the majority which again shows that insurance does not seem to be the motivation. Plus i've seen, on occasion, others coming out of the gun room.

Eo1n8wrd

Even in lakelands though, while you can see all the firearms, if you ask to see one you've spotted they check the chamber before handing it to you, there wouldn't be that level of control if you're able to pick up whatever you want yourself.
I can't say about the picking and choosing of who gets let in but i can see how something as simple as a counter acts as a safety barrier, and i also can't speak for many dealers as i have only been in a few but none had firearms that were not behind the counter at a minimum.

Cass

I've no problem with safety to that level, but in Lakelands, Mourne shooting in Monaghan, and a host of other shops while you may not be able to physically pick up a gun without someone handing it to you you can see what is on offer.

That is all i'm saying and the point, i think, behind the thread.

Witcher

My own range has a dealer on site so he knows me well. No issue with club members going in and looking around/taking down guns etc. once you wipe them off if you're mauling them:p

Cass

Blay wrote: »

............. once you wipe them off if you're mauling them:p

Probably not a great choice of words i know , but it is a pet peeve of mine and i understand a dealer not wanting people to handle their guns. Nothing worse than looking at a gun and seeing hand marks, finger prints, etc. all over the barrel, and gun.

Eo1n8wrd

yeah internet debates are great
I guess it might be the layout of the store, Lakelands the whole room is designed as a safe, there must be massive cost involved in this, they also have the room laid out so that that back wall can act as a display and have a couple of people in there to keep an eye on it.
I guess it must come down to space available that can be adequately secured and the size of a display area that can be monitored by the staff available. If you're trying to mind a shop on your own you can't keep an eye on everything around you.
It doesn't answer the selective manner of allowing access to the back room that you noticed though.

Cass

Eo1n8wrd wrote: »

It doesn't answer the selective manner of allowing access to the back room that you noticed though.

Its a blanket ban. AGS are not the only ones that issue them.

Eo1n8wrd

I know its ash wednesday but i have far too much wine drank to be figuring out acronyms WTF <- (see what i did there) is AGS?

Lotharmike

+1 on David Mulvihill absolute gent & what a gun room.Enjoyed the chat with the man & will deal with him in the future.Very welcoming and let me go for a good look at the merchandise.Not always the case with other dealers I met.Top guy highly recommend him.Give Stakelums a shout as well good lads in there.Be heading to Niall in Lakelands shortly very efficient on the phone also John Lambert good guy to deal with.Dom Byrne also total gentleman.

Cass

Eo1n8wrd wrote: »

AGS?

An Garda Síochána, the fuzz, the po-po, five-0.

4200fps

Cass wrote: »

I've been in a few shops that have a fantastic set up. All guns on view and some with tables, etc for you to lay down a couple of guns to compare. Not always the case though.

There are some dealers that have a room and let you in. Others have a room but never let you in. Even though i've been frequenting these shops for over 20 years i still cannot get in and must request each gun specifically. The problem being the last two guns i bought were not the ones i went to view. It was only by pure chance i spotted them through the door.

This freaks me out. I can understand not letting many people in at once, letting people handle/maul the guns or if it's someone they don't know, but after years of going to the same shop and leaving thousands there in sales i'm wondering why i still visit when i'm treated like a stranger. It's primarily the reason i stay with the same two-three shops. I am treated like a friend/valued customer. So i give them my business.

Obviously others are not bothered by the attitude/carry on of these dealers as they are still in business, but i think it's a bad showing.

took words out of my mouth!

Eo1n8wrd

Cass wrote: »

An Garda Síochána, the fuzz, the po-po, five-0.

I would have gotten it... actually, probably not!

Nekarsulm

And in Sportsden in Navan , the showroom is effectively a room sized safe. Usually thirty or so rifles on display, perhaps the same number of new shotguns and probably fifty or sixty second hand shotguns. Plus often a pile of thirty or forty "breakers" in the corner.

1shot16

Griffen and Hawe Athy
they have no problem in letting you go in and look around yourself, great service and lots of guns and very friendly,Got my first gun there thumbs up

Only thing was i was told a rifle licence was 18 not 16,youd think they know :pac:

cw67irl

Iv never been to a dealers that didnt have a gun room accessible to the public, It would definitely put me off not being able to examine any potential purchase, You could go in looking for something and come out with something else entirely!!! Its happened!!

If a dealer has a decent amount of stock theres no reason you cant be taken in to browse the shelves and see whats what. Whether they would leave a stranger unattended in a strongroom is a different story, Definitly a trust issue there.

Again with a stranger definitely a different approach but if a person cant see the stock they can hardly make the best decision.

Just my 2c

German pointer

Liam Walsh in knocknagoshal has a fine collection as well. The whole shop is one big safe

Snakezilla

My nearest shop has turned more into an airsoft place so its becoming less and less to do with hunting :mad: , as for guns - like somebody else posted , you have to mention a calibre or make of firearm and wait there like a child while he brings out something entirely different :rolleyes: I wouldt mind but Ive known him since he's set up the shop ! Sportsden is a decent sized shop but I found the gun room poor. Very poor selection of rifles and calibres but a nice selection of shotguns. Courtlough has a pretty good selection of guns but way over priced on absolutely everything (bring vaseline)
If it was handy for me to get to I think Neill in Crescent sports would get 100% of my business !

meathstevie

Nekarsulm wrote: »

And in Sportsden in Navan , the showroom is effectively a room sized safe. Usually thirty or so rifles on display, perhaps the same number of new shotguns and probably fifty or sixty second hand shotguns. Plus often a pile of thirty or forty "breakers" in the corner.

Wouldn't be exceptional at all to find a very decent s/s in that pile in the corner for small money.

Nekarsulm

They had a lovely Simpson & Suhl lying on the counter, the last time I was there.

BattleCorp

Cass wrote: »

i understand a dealer not wanting people to handle their guns. Nothing worse than looking at a gun and seeing hand marks, finger prints, etc. all over the barrel, and gun.

It's the dealers business though and letting you handle the guns increases the likelihood of a sale (which is in his interests).

So what if there is a few fingerprints, a quick wipe and they are gone.

A gun dealer not wanting you to touch a gun because he'd have to wipe it down afterwards is kind of like a barman not wanting to serve you a pint in case he had to wipe the counter afterwards.

Cass

I'm making the distinction between multiple people handling every gun just to do it rather than a couple by one or two people out of genuine interest. Plus most dealers don't wipe down a gun after it's been handled.

As i said above i'm not defending the practice. In fact i believe i was quite the opposite. annoyed at the lack of being able to view them.