I attended the huge Indy1500 Gun & Knife show over the weekend. I witnessed an interesting exchange at the ZX Guns booth (a vendor I like to deal with).

A customer was asking questions about a wicked-looking semi-auto shotgun. The young sales guy answered his questions. Then a young woman–the guy’s girlfriend, I assumed–came over. They talked for a few seconds, and then the woman said, “I’d like to buy this gun.”

The sales guy pointed to the male customer and said, “I’ll only sell it to him.”

“Why?”

“He’s the only one who was asking questiona about the gun. It’s obvious that the gun is for him.”

“But I’m paying for it,” the gal objected. “Won’t you take my money?”

“You can’t buy a gun for somebody else. He’s the only one who was asking questions about the gun, so my conclusion is that the gun is for him.”

“Are you serious?”

“I’ll only sell to HIM,” he said, pointing emphatically to the male customer (who was remaining quiet).

The couple moved along.

When you fill out the paperwork to buy a gun from a federally licensed dealer, prior to them running a background check, one of the first questions specifically asks if you are buying the gun for yourself. It’s illegal to buy for somebody else–to be a “straw purchaser” for a person who doesn’t want to submit to a background check.

“Good job,” I told the salesman. “You read the situation right, and you held firm.”

“I’m not putting my butt on the line,” he replied.

There’s a reason that customer didn’t want to go through a background check.

I aplaude ZX Guns for showing some responsibility, and for training their employees well.

However, I’m guessing the NRA would like to do away with that requirement.