In contrast I was made to feel very unwelcome at a nice gun store in Concord, NH by the two pot-bellied, scruffy proprietors who each had an ivory-handled Colt Thunderer in his belt. They had some pretty nice doubles on the wall behind the counter and I asked to examine a very nice looking 16 ga. Fox CE. (my well-backed checkbook was in my pocket) The first thing the guy closest to me said was "Well, are you gonna buy it?" I told him I didn't know if I would and I could only answer the question honestly after I examined the gun. He said "Look buddy, that's an expensive gun there and we can't let just anybody handle it. If you're not gonna buy it I can't let you touch it." I politely thanked him and left the store without even glancing at any of the other fine doubles on the wall or even those in the racks on the floor. I haven't visited that store since.
I guess boorish behavior isn't limited to the 'upper echelon' of gun dealers and I have yet to be treated so poorly by much finer gun stores.
|