Customer handed LOADED shotgun at local store

[dwalker460]

Weird, back in Tennessee we were learned that all guns are loaded until proven otherwise. So when your handed a gun you check to see if its loaded. If its not loaded well then you better go load it or what good is it?
We were also learned to always keep the muzzle (thats the end the projectiles escape) pointed away from anything we didnt want to shoot. In other words, a safe direction. Even in gun stores, or our living rooms.

Now, if no one else is going to say it, let me be the voice of reason-
Op Shit Happens every day and to leave a gunstoreand/or not do business with them because of such an incident is a bit childish IMHO. For all you know it was a snap cap or dummy round left in the gun by a previous sales person demonstrating the action, the trigger feel, or even a snap cap to another customer, you yourself said you didnt bother to check. MOST if not ALL gun stores will not allow a customer to dry fire a weapon, thats why there are snap caps.
However, even if it were a live round, the person who was handed the gun cleared the weapon and it was then safe. For all we know the salesperson directed the customer to clear the chamber, just like I direct people to do when I hand them a weapon. I dont usually bother to clear it because I KNOW whether the gun in my hand is loaded or not, but they should NOT trust me about this and clear it themselves. Thats how it works. If they do not clear the weapon while handling it, I gently suggest they do so.

[joeyshoe]

Op Shit Happens every day and to leave a gunstoreand/or not do business with them because of such an incident is a bit childish IMHO.

I never said that I wouldn't do business with them. I made my purchase and left. Also, I'm just not the type of guy to get all up in someone else's business. So yes, I assumed it wasn't a snap cap but that's because everyone was freaking out. Remember, I said that the owner said "what the hell" and "i'll have to review the tapes." probably not a snap cap.

[hollohas]

Weird, back in Tennessee we were learned that all guns are loaded until proven otherwise. So when your handed a gun you check to see if its loaded. If its not loaded well then you better go load it or what good is it?
We were also learned to always keep the muzzle (thats the end the projectiles escape) pointed away from anything we didnt want to shoot. In other words, a safe direction. Even in gun stores, or our living rooms.

Now, if no one else is going to say it, let me be the voice of reason-
Op Shit Happens every day and to leave a gunstoreand/or not do business with them because of such an incident is a bit childish IMHO.

You are assuming everyone in gun stores is going to follow good safety rules like you do? Bad assumption IMO. If a sales person hands a loaded gun to a customer who doesn't follow good safety rules, you're looking at trouble. That's a store I wouldn't shop at either. That sales person is responsible for making sure the gun is unloaded rather than assuming the customer is going to be safe.

Years ago, I was at Tanner when there was a negligent discharge inside the show...I haven't been back.