sounds like they were just trying to help. why shouldn't they tell you the legal way to purchase. doesn't sound like they broke any law. you may want to read the 2nd amendment.

Google "straw purchase". Its highly illegal.

Yep....

I'll bet! Probably knows how to do crown molding and can put on a hell of an African safari, too.

I know very well what the 2nd ammendment says. I also know what a straw purchase is too. You may want to read up on that.

I know what a straw puchase is. but they are right in saying that a 18yr old can legally purchase a pistol from an individual or give or get one as a gift. he's got a right to own a pistol. not ignorant at all.

True but that's not what they were saying. Go back and read the original post. He was in a gun store and they were telling him how they could get around the law of him having to be 21 for them to sell him a pistol. Selling an 18 year old kid a pistol, letting him walk out of the store with it, all in the name of saying its a gift for someone is against the law. Giving cash to someone to buy a pistol in their name for him is against the law. They never said he could purchase a pistol from a private individual. Why would they? They are in the business to sell firearms, not give advice telling him to buy elsewhere. They were trying to make a sell, out of their store and was telling him how they could get around the law. One of the workers used the exact words, "how we can get around the law". Nothing legal about any option they were presenting him. Very ignorant of them, especially with me standing not 10' from them hearing every word. I could have been a LEO for all they knew.

well I do agree that they didn't err on the side of caution. but straw purchase is really ment to stop people from getting guns, who aren't allowed to have them. giving information on how to get around the law is not illegal that I know of. acting on that information might be.

Let them try a NICS check on an 18 YO for a handgun. That sell will be shut down very fast by then NICS agent.

As the selling agent, yes, giving that advice was indeed illegal. It is jo different than a package store clerk telling an underage person to give money to someone old enough to buy them a beer. The seller is the responsible party and suggesting what they did was both illegal and stupid.
I would have asked to speak to a manager and ask if they were aware their employees were suggesting illegal gun purchases to customers.

I agree. Having a conversation about how to get around the law is not illegal and I never said they did anything illegal. But, listening to the conversation, the young man was trying to buy a pistol and the employee was telling him how they could get around the law and showing his willingness to do so, which is ignorant. I would be willing to bet if the young man laid the money on the counter, he would have walked out of there with a pistol.

Just to add some perspective to this, I've been working sales at Larry's in Hsv for about a couple of months. Usually two- three days a week. For y'all who aren't familiar with it he is about the largest gun retailer in the SE. I'm on the used gun side and when the door opens there is not a break in sales till the door closes. Really busy. I get about one attempt at a straw purchase a day. I was taught how to spot them. If there is any suspicion whatsoever about it we terminate the sale. Sure they fuss and whine and get mad but we just tell them why we think it is and send them to see the floor manager. Usually a male/female couple, he shops,handles, questions, selects, and wanders off and she walks up with the gun and wants to buy it. But he's observing. And when it gets stopped he always steps in. Then its on. Folks also get really mad when delayed by the Feds. Interesting job.

8 years at bass pro hunting department. i sell guns. there is no way the 18 year old could legally buy that gun. he could buy a long gun (rifle/shotgun) but not a pistol. you cannot, by law, tell someone how to get around that. no way would i risk my licensure by BAFTE for a sale. we don't use manual 4473's nor do we call NICS. EVERYTHING is computerized. bass pro worked with BATFE to develop and implement the necessary software. the software is idiot proof.

well I guess I was wrong on this one then. stupid law though, who wouldve thought you could go to prison for just explaining a customers options.

I'd call the law...kid might be in your house one night at 2am

Just because he is 18? Heck that's kinda discriminatory. If he looked and acted like a thug or gangbanger maybe I might think about that but in all reality he has the same right to possess a handgun as a 50 year old. He can't buy from them but he can own one.

He's old enough to die in Iraq but not old enough to buy a pistol from a store....

My thoughts too. And if he shows up at my house at 2am he will get treated like any other uninvited guest.

Thats about the dumbest bull shucks I've heard anyways... It is like telling a kid that its legal for them to drink, but they have to get someone else to buy it...


I don't blame the people at the gun shop counter, I'd rather them be explaining ways a young man could get a gun, than jumping in with obama on taking them away..

ford150man if that is what you saw happen you need to call the store and tell the manager. Those employees could get into a lot of trouble and even if they mean no harm and and are just ignorant, the management needs to know.