Pistol-Packing Mama!

A young mother looks for a concealed-carry pistol in Charlotte, North Carolina

For this assignment, we pulled out all the stops in our search for a store that caters to a new mother's desire to protect herself and her child. In fact, a new mom and her three-week-old daughter, accompanied by the grandma (me), visited four gun stores in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area searching for a small concealed-carry pistol. I carried the baby in her little detachable car seat and the new mom went undercover as a woman who wanted to find a small pistol for self defense.

Store A
What was that smell? We tried to figure it out because not only could we smell it inside the shop, but also outside the shop. Turns out, it was the boys in the tire shop next door frying chicken in the back bay. Located on a busy strip in a rundown building, the store also bought gold. The salesperson showed our new mom a Ruger .380 semi-auto, then just quit offering guns for her perusal. She had to take the initiative and ask to see the revolvers. He then showed her a few Smith & Wesson models, including the new Bodyguard with a laser. When she recoiled after the fifth time he covered her with a muzzle, he said, "Don't worry. It's not loaded."

He did inquire as to whether she had training, but did not recommend a course of instruction. She noticed that he only picked up the more expensive revolvers, complete with laser grips. As we walked out the door, the salesman (an admitted grandpa) said, "Do you wanna trade that little boy for a gun?" Uh, no. And, thank you--the baby had a pink blanket tucked in around her.

Store B
We went upscale a bit, as the second store was in a much nicer (and safer-looking) shopping area. Again, the customer in this case received immediate attention at the gun counter and, I should add, so did the baby. My daughter-in-law appreciated that, and we highly recommend that sales associates compliment children who accompany their parents. With several guns in stock at his immediate disposal, the sales associate started by recommending revolvers because of their simplicity in high-pressure situations. She liked the Smith & Wesson Models 637 ($889) and 642 ($549).

He asked all the right questions, and then took a wrong turn--launching into a basic pistol course, leaning across the counter and turning my daughter-in-law around by the shoulders so he could instruct her in how to hold the gun. She felt quite uncomfortable as he encouraged her to take aim at the wall across the store, because it was quite busy in there. Also, he never asked if he could touch her, turn her, or wrap his hands around her hands on a gun. Then, the salesman encouraged my daughter-in-law to take his shooting classes offered nearby and to remember to state that she "feared for her life and the life of her child," should she be called into question for using deadly force.

Store C
Located in a posher neighborhood than the others, in a modern building with clean lines and good lighting, this store's website touts "exceptional customer service and quality firearms at unbeatable prices." It also states that the store trains its staff to provide personalized attention.

This turned out to be a case of truth-in-advertising. The sales associate not only showed my daughter-in-law a wide range of revolvers and semi-autos, but he also inquired as to when and where she would take her concealed-carry class. She liked the Smith & Wesson Models 442 ($420) and 638 (also $420). She said later, "He didn't treat me like a girl that didn't know anything, like the other ones did." He also handled all the guns safely and never once pointed a muzzle at her. But as a proud grandmother, I wish he had paid a little bit of attention to my granddaughter.

Store D
In an effort to leave no stone unturned, we included one big-box store. If body language could talk, it would have screamed that this guy did not want to sell a gun to a lady with a baby and a grandma in tow. He actually stepped back from the counter when she stepped up to it. When she told him, "I'd like to look at your guns for concealed-carry," his response was, "Really?"

Really? Then, he mentioned that he would show her a revolver because, since she was a woman, it should be "easy and simple" to operate. Ooh, bad choice of words. She had to point at guns and ask him to take them out of the case. She asked if he had any other revolvers without hammers, and his response was a disinterested, "Yeah, we got a couple others."

He did not bring them out of the case for her to see. When she led him to the semi-autos, he pulled out a Glock and a SIG. She had to ask to hold the guns.