I really don't think the word "etiquette" applies,,,
What I'm saying is there are no rules to what you can ask.
If I'm looking at a rifle,,,
I fully expect to be allowed to scope the bore,,,
If the dealer won't allow that I will assume he's hiding something.
In that event I won't curse at him or anything stupid,,,
I'll just explain I won't buy it if he won't allow it.
It's up to him at that point.
Pistols are a bit different,,,
I still want to inspect them closely,,,
Especially for a used gun to determine the wear it's seen.
But even for a new gun I won't buy it if I can't closely inspect it.
Here's an example that happened recently.
I wanted to buy one of the new Taurus TX-22 pistols,,,
I take a small bore lamp with me when I'm shopping.
One store I went into said "no problem",,,
When I wanted to inspect the gun I would be buying.
It's a good thing too because that new Taurus had a very bad barrel,,,
The chatter in the rifling was very obvious.
I went to another store still looking to buy a TX-22,,,
The clerk at Bass Pro would not let me inspect the gun he brought out.
I found a manager type and he finally allowed me to inspect it,,,
This pistol had the same bad bore as the other.
I went to a third store and there the manager flat refused,,,
Needless to say I still don't own one.
The point of this long ramble is this,,,
Gun stores typically (as in every one I know of now) won't take a bad gun back.
They will tell you that it's a warranty problem,,,
And that "you" need to contact the manufacturer about it.
That alone is reason enough to require that they let you inspect the gun.
So I say, "Etiquette be hanged!",,,
I will be as polite and as friendly as possible,,,
But if they won't let me inspect the gun I'm out the door.
Aarond
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