Bass Pro is at it again!

[Blaster229]

ehh, kind've. Canada. It's not as much of a big whoop as other companies that cross oceans...but it does add another dimension to how they handle legal things with guns and other things.

Huh. I'll see if they're in Toronto the next time in up there and have time.

 

[BigSteve57]

Why does ANYONE patronize that S**TBOX store for anything firearms related? Go there to buy clothes or boots or cleaning patches if you're not concerned about getting mugged in the parking lot. Forget about them when it comes to firearms or anything related. Patronize and reward the hard working and knowledgeable folk at dedicated gun stores [edit: where the company policy is made by the people you are talking to].

That place is a disaster.

 

[brownspotz]

remember, you are all residents of marylandistan,its akin to residing in a concentration camp. need I say more?

 

[rico903]

That's just giving people living under someone else's policies a hard time. The counter-guys don't have control over the rules, they just do their best with what they have to work with. If you have a problem, it's best to direct it to management and then to corporate. Nothing will get accomplished by giving the guys at the counter a hard time except just dropping their morale a little bit, probably resulting in the next customer getting less than that employees best. If the counter employee has an attitude problem or is just a bad worker, then let management know so they can get rid of the dead weight slowing the good guys down. If it's a store policy problem, complaining to the store's management may get some changes rolling if there's enough voices complaining, but corporate is probably the best place to go voice that concern.

Many of the guys and gals behind the counter are very good people and were with us in annapolis to testify. They don't like this crap any more than you guys do, with many of them being military originally from more free states. In the back room, there's lots of, "What!? That's f^cking stupid!", when new laws/policies are handed down from leads and management at the beginning of a shift. Many of them have printed off MSI stuff and ran straight to the store management in protest of new policies that aren't necessarily the best for the freedom of the customers. I think it's important to know that before people take their frustrations out on the lowly counter-holder-uppers. Even the hunting manager has tried his best to be the voice of md gun rights....but again, a big international box store has a different business model and they'll play things very safely.

Very well said. The front line people in any larg business have to deal with the corporate BS all the time. No sense making their job any harder.

 

[rico903]

Last year I walked OTD with a Colt 6940 for $1300. No one else came close, or even had one.

 

[Ringmaster]

Just because you already own a handgun does not mean that you do not need an HQL to purchase another one. It only makes you training exempt for getting your HQL.

I guess I didn't understand the new law. I thought if a person was on record as having purchased handguns in the past then that person was exempt from having to go through the HQL thing.

 

[Mr H]

I guess I didn't understand the new law. I thought if a person was on record as having purchased handguns in the past then that person was exempt from having to go through the HQL thing.

A common confusion.

Only exempt from the training portion.

 

[deesly1]

We've been through this before. It is NOT an ATF requirement, it IS a Maryland Fire Marshall requirement.

 

[Relwarc]

You go to an exotic car dealership, they don't just let anyone test drive. Usually they require some sort of proof that you are even capable of buying the car.

Show up at a gun shop and ask to look at a gun. If you don't have an HQL, go away, quit kicking tires and wasting people's time. Simple.

I'd feel like a complete jerk if I went to a gun shop, handled a firearm, talked to the salesman and everything. Then told him(or her) i didn't have an HQL, put the gun down, and left.

 

[JettaRed]

To be clear, I didn't give anyone behind the counter a hard time. I simply asked why the information was being required. For something that is not usual (after all, no information is taken to purchase ammo), the employee should know what they're talking about.

I do expect, however, that I will be provided accurate information or blunt honesty if the salesperson is uncertain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[smokey]

You go to an exotic car dealership, they don't just let anyone test drive. Usually they require some sort of proof that you are even capable of buying the car.

Show up at a gun shop and ask to look at a gun. If you don't have an HQL, go away, quit kicking tires and wasting people's time. Simple.

I'd feel like a complete jerk if I went to a gun shop, handled a firearm, talked to the salesman and everything. Then told him(or her) i didn't have an HQL, put the gun down, and left.

In my mind(as a former salesman there), people have every right to want to get hands-on experience with different firearms before getting an HQL. Many people I helped wanted a gun for home defense, but didn't know what direction to go in. They were literally JUST starting out with an abstract idea to have a gun for defense. Before this HQL madness, I enjoyed showing them a shotgun, AR, and handgun...while explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each platform.

Some may decide to go the handgun or AR route, and then I'd inform them what they needed to begin the paperwork process. Others decided on a shotgun or hbar AR and didn't need to worry about the handgun training cerificate. Many were not able to really wrap their mind around some of the concepts until they were physically holding one type or another of firearm.

By being a source of knowledge and taking some time(if counter-conditions allowed), I was able to make the first steps into gunworld a little easier for these people. Many responded by coming back and buying their first guns from basspro, and all the goodies that go along with the gun purchase(fyi, guns to basspro are like gas to a gas station....they get people in but don't really make the store that much money. Selling add-ons like cleaning kits, cases, holsters.... are where the higher markups are and where the salesman can really generate money for the store.) By earning a little loyalty by showing new customers the ropes, it makes lots of money for the store.

It's also a pain in the ass to get an HQL. Right now, I don't have one. I have thought about getting one a couple times when new guns came out, but then decided it wasn't worth it when handling the guns in person. Some customers may be deciding whether it's worth it to go through the HQL madness and want to get hands-on with a gun to justify the process.

By preventing everyone from even touching a handgun that hasn't gotten arse-raped by the HQL process yet, it's really stopping a lot of people from moving forward and getting a handgun...at least from basspro. Again, working there with this stuff just wasn't fun anymore. It felt like I had both my hands tied behind my back as I tried to do my job...and then on top of it, damned near every customer I helped would spend the first 5 minutes or so of our time together yelling at me and complaining about things that were outside my control. In closing, f^ck frosh with a salt-covered porcupine, maryland sucks.

 

[smokey]

To be clear, I didn't give anyone behind the counter a hard time. I simply asked why the information was being required. For something that is not usual (after all, no information is taken to purchase ammo), the employee should know what they're talking about.

I do expect, however, that I will be provided accurate information or blunt honesty if the salesperson is uncertain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Those are both valid expectations. A line workers shouldn't be afraid to say is, "I don't know but let me find out for you". They've got a fairly high turnover rate there, so it's likely the guy knew it was some kind of govt agency that required it...forgot...and just used "atf" instead of "fire marshall". If you'd like this information to be more accurate, you can help them initiate a learning experience from it by letting ransay know. He's the hunting manager and is a pretty reasonable guy that would likely make it a point to just mention this in closing/morning meetings over a couple days.

 

[JettaRed]

Good idea. I'll keep that in mind.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jisham]

My first post here and I'm a TOTAL newbie to guns. I've registered for the HQL stuff at OnTarget for May 5-6. In the meantime, I've been doing a ton of reading here, watching YouTube vids and reading online reviews for 9mm pistols.

I was at Arundel Mills this past weekend for a movie and excitedly went to BassPro to finally check out some pistols in person. As I gazed in the cases, the salesguy behind the counter immediately asked if I had the HQL and if not, he couldn't show me anything. Then he went on a huge rant about how Maryland sucks blah blah blah. All of which may be true, but for someone new like me, all I want is to get some answers. Regardless of BassPro's policies regarding handling a gun, I didn't really need a lecture -- I wanted to get some basic info as I don't really know jack ... yet.

The upside is it made my decision to deal with the smaller dealers a given.

 

[babalou]

So, how is one able to look at different handguns to find the best fit and feel? Always was told to go the a range and rent/shoot some of the different handguns to get a feel for it. So now, you have to have the HQL to do that, even to just hold? Guess people will mozy to VA, PA, DE, or WV to do so.

 

[Mr H]

So, how is one able to look at different handguns to find the best fit and feel? Always was told to go the a range and rent/shoot some of the different handguns to get a feel for it. So now, you have to have the HQL to do that, even to just hold? Guess people will mozy to VA, PA, DE, or WV to do so.

I'm curious as to how you've come to the conclusion that just because Bass Pro does it this way, there's no way to check things out at other dealers?

There is no legal reason to require an HQL for anything other than to initiate the 77R paperwork for a purchase, or to "rent" (which by law is defined as removing it from the premises).

 

[madmantrapper]

I can remember your name and address being recorded for buying any ammo that would fit a handgun in the late sixties or early seventies. This was at Clydes in Lansdowne.

 

[Alutacon]

Exactly. MD dealers have been asking for ID for years. A guy recently complained to the Fire Marshall about Cont Arms asking for ID and was told they were 100% right.Of course because of the complaint they had to pay a visit and bust chops about some other petty things. It's the same thing as the limit on powder someone is allowed to have in MD. BPS is just fricking nuts about their policies though. The HQL thing is BS. I figure it is so they don't have to waste their time with someone who can't buy a gun to boot.

I think this part is exactly right.

 

[Alutacon]

Suppose you are already a handgun owner and don't have/need a HQL?

You would still need an HQL for a new purchase.

 

[Alutacon]

Why does ANYONE patronize that S**TBOX store for anything firearms related? Go there to buy clothes or boots or cleaning patches if you're not concerned about getting mugged in the parking lot. Forget about them when it comes to firearms or anything related. Patronize and reward the hard working and knowledgeable folk at dedicated gun stores [edit: where the company policy is made by the people you are talking to].

That place is a disaster.

Mugged in the parking lot???