Dry firing at the gun shop counter?

[Bfish]

Be very sure the firearm is unloaded. I went to a gun shop Saturday and picked up a shotgun to look at, as I was checking it out my buddy says that thing has a shell in it. Sure enough, there was a shell in the magazine! Very weird feeling, I ejected the shell and gave it to the guy behind the counter. He did not say a word, no thank you or anything. If it were my shop I would have checked.every gun on the floor right then!

 

[Jeremy1066]

I will dry fire any firearm that I am interested in. I don't even ask if its ok to do it at box stores. I inspect the firearm to make sure it's empty (even if the employee has already inspected it), point in a safe direction (usually towards the roof) and fire away. Heck, that's really the only thing that Gander Mtn firearms department is good for anyway.

 

[sprmario123]

I would NEVER buy a gun without feeling the trigger. I always double and triple check it's clear and point in a safe direction though.

Dicks doesnt let you pull the trigger because they cant take the trigger gaurd off and hand you the rifle. I had one sales guy let me pull the trigger when he was holding it. It was a muzzleloader mind you.

 

[mikefraz]

I'm in the camp of not buying a gun unless I can pull the trigger on it at least 2-3 times. Do you buy a pair of jeans without trying them on first? How do you know if the jeans are going to fit? In the same way, how do I know if the trigger is going to "fit" me unless I try it it first. And of course the fact that it causes no harm at all to 99% of centerfire guns. To each their own though.

 

[ModernGunner]

Safety rules apply, of course. But, NOT buying any gun, private or commercial sale, without checking the trigger. That's as basic as checking if the slide fully racks on a semi-auto or the cylinder opens & closes on a revolver.

If dry firing that gun creates a 'problem' with that gun, much better to find it out before hard-earned $$$ is laid out for it.

JMO, YMMV.

 

[rhino]

Dicks doesnt let you pull the trigger because they cant take the trigger gaurd off and hand you the rifle. I had one sales guy let me pull the trigger when he was holding it. It was a muzzleloader mind you.

I'm in the camp of not buying a gun unless I can pull the trigger on it at least 2-3 times. Do you buy a pair of jeans without trying them on first? How do you know if the jeans are going to fit? In the same way, how do I know if the trigger is going to "fit" me unless I try it it first. And of course the fact that it causes no harm at all to 99% of centerfire guns. To each their own though.

This is why I won't even consider buying a gun from Dick's, Dunham's, or any other place that won't allow the buyer to dry fire first.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Safety rules apply, of course. But, NOT buying any gun, private or commercial sale, without checking the trigger. That's as basic as checking if the slide fully racks on a semi-auto or the cylinder opens & closes on a revolver.

If dry firing that gun creates a 'problem' with that gun, much better to find it out before hard-earned $$$ is laid out for it.

JMO, YMMV.

Yep. Its not like it is a pair of socks that you can just return for a full refund because they dont feel right.

 

[dirtybird]

Most newer guns require you to dry fire them to be field stripped anyway, so it doesn't harm the gun like it used to, if it ever did I'm not sure about older guns.

 

[Sniper 79]

The wife and I stopped in Blyths in Valpo. There was a mess of dry firing going on in that place not to mention muzzles being swept in every direction. I broke out in a cold sweat and we ran for the door.

NOT GOOD! Even saw a guy with a warm gun off the indoor range drop the hammer without checking the chamber. Later found out they have had some negligent discharges in that place. What a shock. Would really like to go back but I didn't feel safe in there.

 

[indyblue]

I will dry fire any firearm that I am interested in. I don't even ask if its ok to do it at box stores. I inspect the firearm to make sure it's empty (even if the employee has already inspected it), point in a safe direction (usually towards the roof) and fire away. Heck, that's really the only thing that Gander Mtn firearms department is good for anyway.

This is what I do too, except I do ask. I don't trust pointing at a floor, especially a concrete floor or even a wall (concrete or block). If there were to be an AD it could just ricochet in a bad direction. If it fires toward the roof it just goes into the sky.

 

[snowwalker]

The only center fire revolvers it would mess with are those with the firing pin on the hammer. I have a S&W 36 and a Rossi M720 that are like that, snap caps for those.

 

[rhino]

The wife and I stopped in Blyths in Valpo. There was a mess of dry firing going on in that place not to mention muzzles being swept in every direction. I broke out in a cold sweat and we ran for the door.

NOT GOOD! Even saw a guy with a warm gun off the indoor range drop the hammer without checking the chamber. Later found out they have had some negligent discharges in that place. What a shock. Would really like to go back but I didn't feel safe in there.

So was the problem the directions the muzzles were pointing (and at what they might be pointing), or the act of dry firing?

I can see being concerned enough to leave immediately due to the former (I probably would), but not the latter.

 

[BugI02]

Although I too want to feel the trigger on any potential purchase, visualizing that (dry firing) going on who knows how many times is why I won't buy a display gun unless there's just no other way

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Although I too want to feel the trigger on any potential purchase, visualizing that (dry firing) going on who knows how many times is why I won't buy a display gun unless there's just no other way

Not enough to hurt it unless it was junk to start with or certain rim fire guns. I dry fire at least 10 minutes a day. Way more then a display gun will ever get.

 

[BugI02]

Not enough to hurt it unless it was junk to start with or certain rim fire guns. I dry fire at least 10 minutes a day. Way more then a display gun will ever get.

With or without snap caps? I'm probably a little OCD about it but I minimize wear and tear where I can.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

With or without snap caps? I'm probably a little OCD about it but I minimize wear and tear where I can.

Without. I used to use them but haven't seen any difference.

 

[BugI02]

That's good to know. I know the impact point on them where hammer/striker hits gets very worn and may not really serve the desired purpose long.

 

[GIJEW]

I had an AR15 firing pin chip but, of course, there's no spring with it and it was an off brand 'titanium' pin.

 

[phisch]

I always ask permission before pulling the trigger. They always say go ahead, never been told no. Like stated before,mid never purchase a firearm without pulling the trigger, and (now) try not to purchase one without actually firing it first.

I also recheck the chamber after receiving it from the salesperson even after watching the salesperson do it in front of me. Just habit. Do it to my friends too.