OC'd to Bass Pro Shops

[JJ]

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So I OC'd to Bass Pro Shops in Manteca tonight. I had my two sons with me. (8 &14) When we tried to enter an employee stopped me at the door. He told me I was at the exit and needed to enter through the entrance doors. I said no problem and walked to the entrance.

As I entered the store through the proper entrance I noticed the same employee now standing there apparently waiting for me. I believe he mentioned my sidearm and asked me if I had ID. (I was sterile, left wallet in vehicle) I told him no I didn't have ID and asked if ID was required to shop there. He said no and then asked if I was an officer or if I had a permit, again mentioning my sidearm.

I said no, I was just a regular citizen exercising my rights and what I was doing was perfectly legal. I offered him a couple different pamphlets that I carry (he declined them at first) and he said as long as I was legal there was no problem. I mentioned that OC was becoming more common place and the pamphlets had some good info in them and he ended up taking them.

We walked around the store a while and browsed with no other contact from store employees or customers. (nobody panicked, no stampede for the doors etc.)

We also made two other stops. One for gas at a 76 station where the clerk also inquired if I was an officer. I told him no and also gave him a flyer. The other stop was at TJ Maxx (also in Manteca) where I had to drop off some files for my district manager. He was not in the store and the files were confidential so I had to wait at the front of the store while the store manager was called.

It was pretty crowded, but again no panicked women or children. When the store manager arrived I explained who I was and why I was there and asked her to secure the files in a locked office. No one seemed to take notice of my sidearm and I left without incident.

 

[wewd]

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I've open carried at Bass Pro in Rancho Cucamonga several times. The first time the employees never noticed, the second time the greeter asked if it was loaded, to which I replied in the negative, and he welcome me inside. Bass Pro corporate has done a good job at disseminating the open carry policy to the various stores.

 

[Ranchero]

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I support Open Carry friendly Businesses, and Bass Pro Shop in Rancho Cucamonga is one of them.

Centerfire in Riverside is anti-OpenCarry.

 

[OPS MARINE]

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Good job...

 

[guitrman1001]

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I went to Bass Pro in Rancho last night and was never treated like I was ever.
First. I have been to Bass Pro many times carrying. At least 10. We even had a monthly meet up there which I attended.

So as I go through the front door they are checking weapons. I was just going to walk through like I had so many times before. But I stopped and waited.
I asked the man "Do I need to check my weapon" He looked at my holster and that I that I was carrying and said yes. So I waited.

It is my turn and he says Are you law enforcement? I said no. He said ok. Put your fire arm up here. I confirmed. Take it out and put it up here ( On the podium)
He said yes. I figured he needed my serial number to write down. So I took it out (It was unloaded) and he asked did I have any magazines? I said yes. Put the empty one up there and then the loaded mag I had.
HE TURNED IN TO RAINMAIN.. I swear... Oh oh oh oh now we have a problem.
Oh oh sir don't you know you can't carry bullets with a weapon. oh oh oh oh we have a problem. I think we need to get a manager.
So he goes over and gets some young girl looks about 19. Who proceeds to assure me although they respect my right to carry I can't have a loaded magazine with the gun. That's called a loaded weapon when they are together, I said "He told me to take out my gun and magazines and placed them on the podium. He said. Now that you have taken them out that is a whole new set of problems. We need a manager.
oh oh oh don't you know you can't carry like that. It is my understanding a magazine and gun together is illegal. I proceed to tell him he is wrong and state the law but he doesn't want to hear it. I have my girlfriend and two small kids with me.
I said look I am not trying to cause any problems. I have carried here many times no problem. I don't want to argue just want to buy some stuff... I will have my girlfriend put the magazine that was loaded in the car.... At this point I was pissed and tired and I wanted to get out......

Needless to say He locked up my gun with a gun a lock and placed it in a plastic bag while we shopped.....

Ok chime in,....................

 

[oc4ever]

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I would have walked out of the store without arguing, and without buying anything. When convenient later on, I then would have tried to get a hold of the "real" manager, or district manager and tried to straighten things out. The best thing is to make it clear you (were) are a long time customer, have OC'ed many times before, and now do not intend to spend any more money at Bass if you can not OC.

The best way to sway a private business's policies is with your wallet.

 

[ConditionThree]

imported post

guitrman1001 wrote:

I went to Bass Pro in Rancho last night and was never treated like I was ever.
First. I have been to Bass Pro many times carrying. At least 10. We even had a monthly meet up there which I attended.

So as I go through the front door they are checking weapons. I was just going to walk through like I had so many times before. But I stopped and waited.
I asked the man "Do I need to check my weapon" He looked at my holster and that I that I was carrying and said yes. So I waited.

It is my turn and he says Are you law enforcement? I said no. He said ok. Put your fire arm up here. I confirmed. Take it out and put it up here ( On the podium)
He said yes. I figured he needed my serial number to write down. So I took it out (It was unloaded) and he asked did I have any magazines? I said yes. Put the empty one up there and then the loaded mag I had.
HE TURNED IN TO RAINMAIN.. I swear... Oh oh oh oh now we have a problem.
Oh oh sir don't you know you can't carry bullets with a weapon. oh oh oh oh we have a problem. I think we need to get a manager.
So he goes over and gets some young girl looks about 19. Who proceeds to assure me although they respect my right to carry I can't have a loaded magazine with the gun. That's called a loaded weapon when they are together, I said "He told me to take out my gun and magazines and placed them on the podium. He said. Now that you have taken them out that is a whole new set of problems. We need a manager.
oh oh oh don't you know you can't carry like that. It is my understanding a magazine and gun together is illegal. I proceed to tell him he is wrong and state the law but he doesn't want to hear it. I have my girlfriend and two small kids with me.
I said look I am not trying to cause any problems. I have carried here many times no problem. I don't want to argue just want to buy some stuff... I will have my girlfriend put the magazine that was loaded in the car.... At this point I was pissed and tired and I wanted to get out......

Needless to say He locked up my gun with a gun a lock and placed it in a plastic bag while we shopped.....

Ok chime in,....................

You asked for it.

This encounter is no different than ones with uninformed police. You need to have a recorder going, get the staffmembers name, get the managers name and an address to their corporate office and write a letter of complaint.

The store manager has no right or interest in your sidearms serial number. In most circumstances a private person has no right to inspect your firearm, but you basically asked the store staff to. No one but you and law enforcement should ever touch your firearm.

If you are not running a recorder, you probably arent doing some of the other things recommended in the newbie thread. Since you were 'telling' them what the law was, I can assume that you probably didnt bring any OC pamphlets that contain the citations of law.

 

[coolusername2007]

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Education is key. Carrying the pc brochure along with your sidearm may help in these types of situations. He clearly does not know all the details about UOC. I would have asked him what good would it do to carry a gun without ammo...that would just be plain foolish.

 

[guitrman1001]

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You know you are right I did ask for that one. I have been open carrying almost full time now without incident that I didn't have any brochures on me or a recorder.
Hopefully there will come a day soon where we do not have to deal with all this bs..... still thinking about Arizona....

Guit

 

[Sons of Liberty]

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coolusername2007 wrote:

Education is key. Carrying the pc brochure along with your sidearm may help in these types of situations. He clearly does not know all the details about UOC. I would have asked him what good would it do to carry a gun without ammo...that would just be plain foolish.

I'd also suggest taking with you a copy of Open Carry "press release" of the Bass Pro Shop policy here: http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum66/28171.htmlwhen you go to BPS.

 

[LB94EG6]

oc in manteca bass bro shop

Date was 11-28-10, i was going shooting that weekend and on my way to hodge road for some fun. I made a stop at the walmart across from BPS and needed some ammo and clays but were all gone so no choice and went to BPS, i got to BPS and side arm on my hip and mags on the other side, i entered and soon as i did was greeted by person at the front greeting the customers and he noticed that i was armed, he pulled me to the side and asked if i was a LEO and i said no, then he said if i was active military i said no, so then he asked what was my reason for carrying my weapon i answered that it was my right to do so !! He then said that he was glad that i was imbracing my 2 amendment and asked that for any reason was i going to remove my side arm i said no, he asked if loaded i responded no, asked if my mags were i said yes, asked to check my hand gun, i said ok, he then gave me hand gun and said thnaks for coming to Bass Pro Shop, i then went to where they had the ammo and clays as soon as i got to where the clays were, i was approached by a man which carried a tag that titled manager and had no name, first words were are you LEO i said no then said are you active military i said no, so then he said that since i was neither that it was against company policy that i oc in the store and would have to leave the handgun in the car , so i responded saying that i should have ben told before entering and that i was already checked and givin the ok, he then said thanks for your practice and turned around and started walking without responding what was his name ! so i then went down stairs and told the guy which gave me the ok what happened and told me that was incorrect and knew nothing bout that being company policy and asked the name of the person , which i didnt know since he walked away. then he told me that he was sorry and that he could install a lock on the gun but i refused and told him that it defeats the purpose and was giving up my right which i had no intention to do so i told him that i would rather take my business else where and left.

 

[Iopencarry]

That is why you need to get more info when dealing with people. Names are very important. Without the names, you can not even write corp with a complaint.

I, among others, have oc'd in the Manteca store many times and have never had any problems. Not even asked at the door.

I will continue to go and use that store as often as I need to. They support legal carry.

 

[teemgreen99]

I have been to the rancho BPS many times without incident. I carry recorder, pamphlets, gun, everything. The last time i was in BPS i walked through the gate i had my daughter with me in a cart they let me through without even noticing. Seconds after i passed through i heard the greeter (an older man) calling sir, sir. I turned around and he asked me to step over to the side, he asked me what my business was for being there today i told him i was here to shop. He asked what my business was with the firearm i told him i was open carrying and it was for personal protection, he asked if it was loaded i said no but my magazines are, you could tell that he didnt like that i had a gun and ammo but he said ok thanks have a great day. I was there for almost 2 hours, i had some friends with there 6 month old and my daughter had never been there so we toured the place and nobody else ever said anything.