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Old December 3, 2008, 02:16 PM   #1
LongbowTap
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ATF Working Gun Store?

I recently overheard an employee doing the purchase paperwork at Trader's Gun Store, in Taylors, SC, state he was a retired ATF agent.

Personally, I would have stopped the purchase and walked out of the store, because that makes me a bit uncomfortable. I have never met or heard of an ATF agent that was a gun store enthusiast.

It also concerns be that he may keep his own set of purchase records on any given purchase. Considering their background, the current political environment and Hussein Obama's gun position, I don't want anyone keeping their own set of records of what I purchase. Call me paranoid, but I'm retired from the federal government and know weird stuff does happen.
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Old December 3, 2008, 02:35 PM   #2
Wildalaska
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Personally, I would have stopped the purchase and walked out of the store, because that makes me a bit uncomfortable. I have never met or heard of an ATF agent that was a gun store enthusiast.
Tinfoil

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Old December 3, 2008, 03:08 PM   #3
Thiokol
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I don't see that as being a problem. If you or he are not doing anything illegal, what is there to worry about? As far as he being an employee, the sales records are not his to take as they belong to the dealer. If he subsequently steals the records, or misappropriates them for his own use, then he may wind up with his backside in a sling. I doubt that he would want to jeopardize his pension over records of a legal purchase.
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Old December 3, 2008, 03:23 PM   #4
B. Lahey
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Who cares? Lots of old cops end up working in gunshops. I don't know that they make particularly good salesmen (most seem to have absorbed a lifetime's worth of old wives tales, military folks seem to make better gunsellers), but they need a job just like anyone else. Lots of BATmen are just regular shooter dudes with no desire to bust noncriminals, if they want to work in a gunshop when they retire, good for them.

If it was some kind of sting, he wouldn't have been so sloppy as to say he was ATF.
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Old December 3, 2008, 04:08 PM   #5
ryanl
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He said he was ATF and you belived him This is a gunstore employee were talking about right? I met one the other day who was a retired Army Seal. Who was just working at the store in between contracts over in Iraq
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Old December 3, 2008, 04:29 PM   #6
mav88
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wow.1st time hearing something like this...
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Old December 3, 2008, 06:15 PM   #7
onexjarhead
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"was a retired Army Seal" Maybe he had to work there because he had to constantly register his hands as "lethal weapons"?

AAHHAAAHAHAHA

Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I met quite a few prior cops, and military working at gun shops, and all were really friendly. Out at the range, I rarely meet anyone out at the range that isn't prior law enforcement, or prior military.
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Old December 3, 2008, 06:34 PM   #8
vranasaurus
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The fact that he said he keeps his own records would make me suspect of him actually being a former agent. There are laws and regulations that govern the keeping and disposition of records of gun purchases. And keeping or using your own set retired ATF would seem to be a violation of the law.

Further if he was a former agent he would know announcing such along with announcing that he keeps his own records would probably not make him a popular salesmen.

I have my own tin foil hat but this is not a situation that requires its use.
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Old December 3, 2008, 07:05 PM   #9
cowboy1984
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Army Seal

I haven't met many Army seals. Try Army Ranger or Navy Seal.
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Old December 3, 2008, 07:26 PM   #10
Chipperman
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...a retired Army Seal
That was Priceless!


Quote:
I haven't met many Army seals.
You're obviously not hanging around the right gun shops.
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Old December 3, 2008, 07:33 PM   #11
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Some rangers can go to seal school but its rare.
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Old December 3, 2008, 07:42 PM   #12
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I'm with Wild on this one. I've known and worked with several & they're just like any other cross-section of people. Some were great guys- more concerned about sending only righteous cases up than you'd ever dream, if you didn't know them. My favorite flat refused to submit a case on an old man who had a felony bad check 20 or so years prior- and got checked by a game warden while bird hunting.

I crossed swords with another agent some years ago, who felt compelled to try and intervene on behalf of a very active house burglar (and a damn little gun thief, to boot) I had worked six months to catch- so said burglar could help him with 'gun cases' across state lines. Probably wouldn't do for me to run into either of those guys again.
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Old December 3, 2008, 07:57 PM   #13
Shane Tuttle
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Quote:
Personally, I would have stopped the purchase and walked out of the store, because that makes me a bit uncomfortable.
You were uncomfortable just because he's a retired ATF? Contrary to the horror stories on the internet, just because he's a retired agent doesn't mean he's out for your guns.

I personally would like to see that bureau shut down or at least minimized. But that doesn't mean the person working in that agency is anti-gun. Sounds to me there's a bit of paranoia...

Quote:
It also concerns be that he may keep his own set of purchase records on any given purchase.
What specific evidence to you have? I smell something fishy...

Wild, can I borrow your spare tinfoil hat?
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Old December 3, 2008, 08:24 PM   #14
VonFireball
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Quote:
I recently overheard an employee doing the purchase paperwork at Trader's Gun Store, in Taylors, SC, state he was a retired ATF agent.

Personally, I would have stopped the purchase and walked out of the store, because that makes me a bit uncomfortable. I have never met or heard of an ATF agent that was a gun store enthusiast.

Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he retired from the ATF for a good reason?
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Old December 3, 2008, 09:39 PM   #15
kevinarmstrong
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He sounds like a typical retired federal LE guy. Naturally, he digs guns. He probably is pretty happy to be working in a post-career, low stress job that he has a bunch of experience in.
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Old December 4, 2008, 03:08 AM   #16
JohnKSa
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Ok, retired ATF agent working @ Trader's Gun Store, in Taylors, SC.

Duly noted. (For whatever it's worth... )
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