This sucks!

[RabidWolverine]

I was at one of our local gun shops last week looking around for a CCW gun for my mother (and some 9mm for me) when the owner told me that the ATF had been there all week trying to shut him down. (He runs the shop from his basement) He didn't offer anymore info on it, and I didn't ask as I just assumed he was expressing his annoyance with them through sarcasm. Well, last night at our silhouette league I overheard that he had in fact been shut down. Apparently some guys were in there and stole 3 or 4 handguns from him. He's an older guy (80's) and has most of his stuff sitting on top of the shelves, and very little behind glass. He has been in the business for MANY years and that's just how he did things cause there was a time when you could actually trust people. According to the story the guys distracted and confused him while another guy stashed the guns. The ATF told him he could fight it (losing his FFL), but it would involve multiple court appearances, or he could just surrender his FFL and be done. Well, I would assume with his age and the fact that he was only still in business more for a hobby and to apply any profit to his grand kids college funds, he quit. I used to tell my wife that I worried about some thugs coming in and shooting him, then taking all of his guns. If he has to be shut down, I'd prefer it be for having someone steal some guns then for my fears becoming reality.

I understand the severity of people stealing guns, and them finding their way on the streets, I just hate that it happened to such a good guy. Also, I'd be lying if I didn't say that I hate losing the best priced FFL dealer in town as well.

I'd like to find the guys that did this and crush their faces with my size 12's!!

[niko]

Thats terrible Rabid. The sad part is the jerkoffs who did it can probably sleep at night knowing they just cost this guy his business

[TheGunMan]

Sucks to get robbed. Sucks to get old. Needed a scatter gun mounted on the wall with a remote trigger. LOL

The guys that stole his guns should be treated like old time horse thieves.

[brojohn]

It happens- ,
Possibly the ATF are looking for these scenarios- older people who can not defend a stash of guns. Maybe they see it as closing a possibility for BG's to get guns easily.
I feel for the old guy.
I have a friend who is 60, and in excellent physical shape. The ATF took his license and told him that he wasn't selling "ENOUGH" guns. Security had nothing to do with it. This guy was so clean- he squeaked when he walked. Go figure. So he was no kind of risk. He had a garage next to his home that was made into a gun shop. Fenced in with dogs-the whole nine yards. Go figure???

[RabidWolverine]

And now I get to eat some crow. (Fire up the grill) I passed this story along to my wife's cousin yesterday, so he decided to go over to the shop and check on it. Apparently I was given a VERY VERY fictional story. According to him their were no guns stolen, he is NOT being shut down, and the only thing the ATF was upset about was some paperwork issues to which his wife told them "If you guys had stopped by from time to time in the last 50 years we wouldn't have this problem". This quieted them up I hear. I'm embarrassed to have told this story here, BUT I'm very pleased to hear that he will remain open. Just goes to show you can't believe everything you hear, even if you think the source is reliable.

[TheGunMan]

RabidWolverine, Thanks for that!! It could have been real. Life is stranger than fiction most of the time, and fiction becomes life some of the time.