Handling guns..politeness?

[TennBill2]

I had some fellows stop by one day who where church friends of my wife's. The conversation finally got around to hobbies etc. and the wife says "show them what you just made". I had just more or less finished a rather complex 'swivel breech' rifle built entirely from scratch. Not knowing them, and not wanting to appear cantankerous, I obliged.....much to my regret! Couple days later, my 'in the white' gun barrels had rust! Boy was I pis.......d. Just ordered a new supply of cotton gloves today which made think of this. I would never handle another fellows guns unless he offered, let alone, as some have done to me.....dry fire a gun! I always wear cotton gloves when handling my own guns. Is it crude to hand a guy a pair of gloves?

[policeluger]

I keep my white cotton gloves sprayed down with a light coat of Rem-Oil......and they wear the gloves as I do or don't touch at all.....never a complaint.

[sheepherder]

Let's be serious...You didn't wipe the gun(s) down with oil afterward??? You let them sit for days??? There's only one person to blame here...your wife...

[TennBill2]

It's always the wife, isn't it! I would never have dragged the thing out of my own accord. I do accept part of the blame; I should have known better. But, I guess we live in era when most guys treat guns as tools....like a hammer: use it and throw it on the bench. But, my Go.., take a man's antique cap and ball and dry fire it! I keep all locked up, even my closest friends, and......my kids.... have never seen all of 'em!

[alanint]

If you ever want to die just visit a Colt Single Action Collector, pick up one of his unturned Colt revolvers and **** it.

[Edward Tinker]

I have found that those with familiarity are the worst, they just pick guns up, dry fire and aim them across the room full of people.....

Those that know nothing about guns, well, they should be guided and told as they attempt to pick them up.

ed

[Sieger]

Hi:

I also learned the hard way!

Now, I never let anyone know, locally, that I even have a collection, so that their wondering eyes, hands and especially their big mouths wont, somehow, spoil my hobby for me.

This might seem a bit anti-social, but with the current climate of "gun control" we find ourselves in, I really don't need to chance it.

Sieger

[Edward Tinker]

Sieger, I grew up being careful, always heard it from my parents and grandfather about not talking about guns around lots of folks, not until you really got to know them, same with all valuables.

My brothers daughter mentioned to a friend that my brother had some guns, he had 4 or 5 stolen and they were never recovered.

Ed

[MikeP]

I learned around old collectors at a very young age about handling others stuff.

Never **** or work the action without invitation.
Never dry fire, although an old boy said-go ahead-you can't hurt a Colt.

I took a friend to look at a Katana a vet had.
He brought it out-not a bad late model, but the 1st thing my buddy did was grab the blade with his sweaty monkey paw-I thought he knew better.

I have never got any cotton gloves, but I watch what I touch.

Sometimes after so many years habdling thie stuff, I don't really need to pick up everything anymore.

[hansfischer007]

Ive set up at our annual Military Show twice a year...for over 10 years.....couple years back...I brought a Schmeisser MP-38 for display..it was one of the MGC..models made in Japan over 30 years ago...mostly metal..(pot metal)..mine had an original mag..original sling on it..probably had been handed down from half a dozen dealers..had dents and scratches..."looked battle worn"....the majority of people that looked at it..including other dealers thought it was "real"....had it on a display rack that held it horizontal.....got a lot of of compliments...then here comes this guy....wearing a suit and tie....with his wife and 2 kids behind him....he just walks up to the table....without so much as a "may I"...grabs it up....holds it at his hip...spins around....points it at his wife...... going rat- a -tat -tat -tat -tat..grinning like an idiot....I reached over and took it away from him...his wife was embarassed ...then he caps it off with the two fingers under his nose..gives "The salute"..says SIEG HEIL real loud......I wanted to smack the **** outta the SOB...told him "I dont let children play with it"...he stomped off........after that..I wrapped it up and took it out and put in car trunk...didnt have patience for idiots anymore.......well guys...thats my $0.02 worth.......Hans Fischer

[alanint]

That's exactly why I don't do shows in South Florida anymore. I only wish I just had to deal with boors like that described above.
Our shows have been invaded by gangbangers and street crud of all types. I lost count of the time's I've heard, "Dood gots Uzis!!" (you see, EVERYTHING that looks like a machinegun is an Uzi!). They'll crowd around you and will have one or two distracting you while the rest see what they can pinch or mess with. I've lost count on how many times I've told someone that a particular item has been sold just to keep it out of their hands.
And what's with the family outing crowd? Show customers find themselves gridlocked with the number of baby carriages chocking the isles, pushed by mama, who is also dragging another 2 to 3 greasy fingered tykes behind. Is this really the best way to spend a family Sunday?
Gun shows in South Florida....No thanks!

[mrerick]

The families come to the shows to savor the beef jerky and buy the knife sharpeners.

We're seeing about 15-20% non-firearms/knife oriented vendors at our shows in North Carolina now.

The ones that try and navigate the overcrowded aisles with children in baby carriages frankly amaze me almost as much as the conversations attached to the floor in the middle of the most crowded aisles.

Most vendors here with collectible firearms have glass cases now. It prevents much of the handling and abuse...




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And yes, Bill, I don't hesitate to hand a friend gloves before giving them a collectible firearm. I've actually been buying the thicker string gloves (used by many construction workers) for casual handling.

Marc

[alanint]

Serious collectors down here attend only the Maitland and Hollywood shows, which are strictly collector shows. No beef jerky, jewelry, folk art, cleaners, beany babies, etc.
They even reserve the right of admission, since technically it's only for members of the various collectors associations. I wish they could do that at the general gun shows!

[mrerick]

Here in NC we're starting to see shows that prohibit anything but firearms... Here's one coming up in April...

http://www.realwilmingtongunshow.com/index.htm

Marc

[silverknife]

I'm not so certain that keeping the custom knife sellers out of gun shows is such a good idea. Custom knife collectors also tend to be quality gun collectors as well and the cash or credit cards stuffed into our pockets spends just as fast on guns as it does on knives. I bought my 1939 42 code luger while I was at a gun/knife show set up selling quality knives. I think that the Tulsa and Las Vegas shows are good examples of how quality knives can bring in serious gun buyers. Of course the $10 flea market junk blades are a different story.

Just my .02 worth.

Regards,
Doug

[Edward Tinker]

Also, I usually buy some beef jerky while there

And if there are empty tables and the gun show can't sustain itself, then you will see fewer gunshows.

Yes, I hate the real non-gun ones that so many have. And back east there is a much larger selection, or should I say, from Penn and slightly west to North Carolina you see a lot more than back west (where I grew up in WA).

ed

[alanint]

Agreed,

I'm ok with anything outdoor and shooting-hunting sports related. I may want to look at safes, or cammo, or knives, etc. It's the totally unrelated flea market stuff that is an issue.
As Ed stated, the promoters have to stay afloat somehow in today's economy!

[Vlim]

After being reminded by these stories, I remembered to order some white cotton gloves for handling the guns. The package arrived this morning and had, a bit of a surprise, two pasta cooking timers inside.

Leaves me wondering how and when pasta cooking timers could be mistaken for white cotton gloves

It just shows that it is not a gun collecting nation. And I'm wondering about the poor fella or gal who is wondering how to time his/her pasta cooking using 2 pairs of white gloves....

[lugerholsterrepair]

Tables I have no interest in I completely ignore like they were empty. Of course I wish they were loaded with good stuff but...

Jerry Burney

[TennBill2]

Please do not cook Lugers too long, they become very hard to chew! Bill