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"Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 4:31 pm
by High Power
My friend went to the C&E gun show at the Franklin County Fairgrounds today. As he was EXITING the show a State Trooper was stationed at the door.

As he was leaving, she asked him as well as everyone else that left; "Do you have any guns?"

My friend's answer was no, and he passed on through the exit.

My question is; does anyone know anything about why the OSP would be asking if anyone LEAVING a gun show would have any firearms? I have some ideas but want to know if anyone else has any thoughts or additional information.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:29 pm
by Brian D.
Perhaps looking for one that had been reported as stolen off a table?

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 6:44 pm
by Gramps
Brian D. wrote:Perhaps looking for one that had been reported as stolen off a table?
Plausible reason as it would be a felony to steal a firearm I believe.
I bet if someone did steal a firearm at a show they would say "Yes" if asked if they had one however... :roll:

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:20 pm
by MyWifeSaidYes
I'm disappointed your friend didn't say, "Why do you ask?"

:(

At the guns shows that C&E held at the old Westland Mall in Columbus, there was only one exit door they wanted you to leave through if you had purchased a gun.

I don't know the reasoning, but Chuck or Stryker74 may be able to shed some light on that.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:32 pm
by Brian D.
High Power wrote:My friend went to the C&E gun show at the Franklin County Fairgrounds today. As he was EXITING the show a State Trooper was stationed at the door.

As he was leaving, she asked him as well as everyone else that left; "Do you have any guns?"

My friend's answer was no, and he passed on through the exit.
A little research makes it somewhat clearer to me: The C&E show is held at the Ohio Expo Center, which is on the STATE fairgrounds property. Hence the reason for OSHP being used for security.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:36 pm
by JustaShooter
Brian D. wrote:
High Power wrote:My friend went to the C&E gun show at the Franklin County Fairgrounds today. As he was EXITING the show a State Trooper was stationed at the door.

As he was leaving, she asked him as well as everyone else that left; "Do you have any guns?"

My friend's answer was no, and he passed on through the exit.
A little research makes it somewhat clearer to me: The C&E show is held at the Ohio Expo Center, which is on the STATE fairgrounds property. Hence the reason for OSHP being used for security.
I understand why they would be used for security, but that doesn't explain the question...

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:51 am
by Brian D.
Okay. What some gun shows to is provide a sticker on guns being sold by non-licensed individuals whether the person is a table holder, or walk-around patron. So if I buy a gun from a non-FFL table, they then but the sticker on it, and/or give me a receipt. Naturally, if I buy from an FFL, they always give a receipt.

So on the way out, security can (and might) ask to see the sticker or receipt. I don't recall if C&E does that.or not, but it's been standard practice at the Indy 1500 show (and others run by that promoter) for years now.

Or, maybe the OSHP lady was just being flirty.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 8:44 am
by Stryker74
Brian D. wrote:Okay. What some gun shows to is provide a sticker on guns being sold by non-licensed individuals whether the person is a table holder, or walk-around patron. So if I buy a gun from a non-FFL table, they then but the sticker on it, and/or give me a receipt. Naturally, if I buy from an FFL, they always give a receipt.

So on the way out, security can (and might) ask to see the sticker or receipt. I don't recall if C&E does that.or not, but it's been standard practice at the Indy 1500 show (and others run by that promoter) for years now.

Or, maybe the OSHP lady was just being flirty.
When the C&E show was at Westland, they had a huge problem with thieves. (One guy snagged a KSG off a table and stuck it under his coat.) So, they made you exit out a specific door if you were carrying a gun and did not have a vendor badge on. They stationed someone there to check receipts and tags on the guns as they were exiting.

I suspect the OSP trooper was attempting to enforce a similar policy. I might have to run up there today to find out.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:56 am
by deanimator
Stryker74 wrote:When the C&E show was at Westland, they had a huge problem with thieves. (One guy snagged a KSG off a table and stuck it under his coat.) So, they made you exit out a specific door if you were carrying a gun and did not have a vendor badge on. They stationed someone there to check receipts and tags on the guns as they were exiting.

I suspect the OSP trooper was attempting to enforce a similar policy. I might have to run up there today to find out.
I've never seen that at any gun show, including Berea, Medina, Fremont, the OGCA and the PGCA.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 4:02 pm
by M-Quigley
deanimator wrote:
Stryker74 wrote:When the C&E show was at Westland, they had a huge problem with thieves. (One guy snagged a KSG off a table and stuck it under his coat.) So, they made you exit out a specific door if you were carrying a gun and did not have a vendor badge on. They stationed someone there to check receipts and tags on the guns as they were exiting.

I suspect the OSP trooper was attempting to enforce a similar policy. I might have to run up there today to find out.
I've never seen that at any gun show, including Berea, Medina, Fremont, the OGCA and the PGCA.
I've never seen that either so far, except at the Westland mall. I was with someone however at Westland who bought a used small gun from a private seller with a table, the guy paid cash, was given the gun, no receipt, and the guy slipped it in his coat pocket. We continued to walk around the show. When we left, we did leave out the correct exit if you had a gun, but the gun was still in his pocket. No one stopped and questioned him, although I supposed if a dealer had reported one was stolen, they would have.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 8:43 am
by High Power
At first, my friend and I were thinking that, perhaps, a firearm was stolen and the OSP trooper was trying to catch a thief that was stupid enough to admit to having a gun.

On the other hand, she could have been "baiting" the patrons as they left the door.

It's been a while since I was at one of the shows but if I recall, the signage at the entrance says that no loaded firearms are permitted; including those with a CHL.

Now if a CHL holder chose to disobey the signs and entered the premises they still have to comply with the "promptly inform" requirement. So, if a patron was carrying and was a CHL holder then they'd have to tell the trooper they were carrying. So they'd get nailed for disobeying the signage prior to entering the show.

Another possibility would be to trap a person who bought a handgun at the show. A lot of patrons carry back packs or shoulder bags into the show. After purchasing a handgun it could be placed inside a bag. When asked if they had a gun, the reply might be; "Yes, I bought one here today."

Then they could get nailed for carrying a concealed weapon if they are not a CHL holder.

So the bottom line was that we both felt it was some sort of a trap.

He went back to the show the next day and the OSP trooper was not there; other troopers were but they were not stationed at the exit or asking questions.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:23 am
by Brian D.
I'm no cheerleader for OSHP, High Power, but can't imagine that trooper was trying to do an entrapment of some kind. Let's face it, buy a gun in a store it comes in a case, box, or whatever, which the clerk might also (with a handgun anyhow) throw into an opaque plastic bag. Does that call for the closest cop to come arrest the buyer on a CCW charge?

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:51 am
by High Power
Brian D. wrote:I'm no cheerleader for OSHP, High Power, but can't imagine that trooper was trying to do an entrapment of some kind. Let's face it, buy a gun in a store it comes in a case, box, or whatever, which the clerk might also (with a handgun anyhow) throw into an opaque plastic bag. Does that call for the closest cop to come arrest the buyer on a CCW charge?
Oops. I forgot that ALL LEOs are completely honest, don't lie, are all pro-gun, are smarter than the rest of us mere mortals and don't ever try to entrap honest citizens.

That makes me feel better now that I won't have to have my voice recorder on if I'm ever stopped by a LEO. I can always trust them to tell the truth.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 11:56 am
by Brian D.
Just trying to be helpful here, based on having gone to gun shows in many states for lots of years. There are some venues that use whatever LE group on site for security as sort of Loss Prevention officers. Maybe that OSHP trooper was just doing as instructed, or got a bit overzealous.

Also, maybe three years ago at Westland, one of the C&E staffers mentioned that the venue had experienced several problems with attempts to spirit guns and such off tables and out the door. Hence the "This exit only with firearms" thing.

If your sarcasm is an indicator that you'd like me to stop posting on this thread, just say so.

Re: "Do You Have Any Guns?" Asked at a Gun Show

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:00 pm
by High Power
Brian D. wrote:Just trying to be helpful here, based on having gone to gun shows in many states for lots of years. There are some venues that use whatever LE group on site for security as sort of Loss Prevention officers. Maybe that OSHP trooper was just doing as instructed, or got a bit overzealous.

Also, maybe three years ago at Westland, one of the C&E staffers mentioned that the venue had experienced several problems with attempts to spirit guns and such off tables and out the door. Hence the "This exit only with firearms" thing.

If your sarcasm is an indicator that you'd like me to stop posting on this thread, just say so.
No sarcasm intended. I've never been any good at humor. Sorry if I offended you.

You're correct in that the LEO could be doing as instructed. She may have been just curious and wanted to make conversation. Or it could have been a trap.