doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Alcohol and firearms

A very large double gun dealer was setting up at a gun show this past Friday night. The weather was hot outside but the center where the show is held was air conditioned and comfortable. The dealer and his helper both had an open adult beverage under the tables while setting up. An official of the show noticed the beverages and after a heated exchange with the show officials both were expelled from the show. I commend the gun show for this. I believe drinking should be done only after guns are put safely away.

In that case British driven shooting would never have happened, nor double shotguns and the evolution thereof !! regards, Mike

As we Brits would say �they have thrown the baby out with the bath water.� What has happened to moderation in all things? I take it that other than possessing some Alcoholic Beverages their behaviour was not out of the ordinary. So what was the problem at the time!!!!!!!!! Or has some official come up with the old chestnut �Health and Safety� what next ban Cough Mixture because it can also have Alcohol in its make up.
Though to keep a balanced view being visibly under the influence of Alcohol and fire arms should not be tolerated in any circumstances but an Alcoholic drink in the hand of a normal person what is the problem?

It's difficult for me to accept an argument defending alcohol use while is possession of firearms. The gentlemen at the show made an error in judgement and were rightfully confronted in my estimation. Should the show officials have waited until the dealer was drunkenly mishandling firearms? This is exactly the kind of behavior that we must avoid at a time when our right to keep and bear arms is under a well coordinated and serious attack.

>Mr. Bailey: To compare the development of the modern game gun to this sort of behavior, and at this politically charged time, is to miss the posters intent entirely. What your/our ancestors did wasn't always the correct action, despite the outcome.

I you need a drink early in the morning while setting up a booth, presuming it is early when they set up, then it is more of a problem than just alcohol and guns...the operators of the show did the right thing especially from liability purposes...if these guys " sipped" all day....they then have to drive too I suppose....

If everyone who has a drink while attending the show is thrown out there won't be much show. As a non drinker I think the reaction overboard but throwing them out may have resulted from the "heated exchange" instead of the actual beverage.

[\quote]I you need a drink early in the morning while setting up a booth, presuming it is early when they set up, then it is more of a problem than just alcohol and guns...the operators of the show did the right thing especially from liability purposes...if these guys " sipped" all day....they then have to drive too I suppose.... [/quote]

The original post does clearly say Friday night. I can't see any problem with a modest drink when working late on a Friday night.

As Mike says, its entirely normal to drink in moderation when on a normal day game shooting here in the UK. Intoxication would not be tolerated, but a modest nip of sloe gin between drives, and a glass of wine with lunch would (in my experience) be the normal practice. I have never seen anyone intoxicated whilst out game shooting (and hope I never do).

I have no problem with those who wish to abstain, and some do with most shoots providing non-alcoholic refreshments as well, but the majority of people enjoy a glass of something with friends as a part of the days activites.

Sounds like a bit of an over-reaction. They guys were putting hardware on tables, not shooting melons from the hip and shouting Whooo hooo!

Reminds me of the mentality I experience when attending open air concerts and being told I can't smoke cigars 'in here'.

What would have been wrong with asking the exhibitors to put the alcohol away? This would be a rough policy to enforce at Beinfeld's shows. Obviously, many of our posters have not been to many gun shows.

That's it, Sam. If the sipper had been told tactfully that alcohol isn't allowed on the premises there'd been a different outcome.

There's also something about cyber-gunners getting up each other's noses. It hasn't happened ever on websites of airmen or fly-ins in my experience.

Uncommon courtesy and generosity abides with my clay-shooting forays.