How I Bought a Gun in 40 Minutes

By SHARON CARRICO-MARTIN HOUSTON

Today I purchased a gun. I've never used a gun before, never even handled one, unless you count my little brother's BB gun 30 years ago.

I set out to buy a 9-mm Glock 17, the same model that George Hennard had used two days earlier in his massacre of 23 people in Killeen, 175 miles north of Houston. I called Carter's Country, a gun store, first. They did not carry it but suggested several stores, including Wal-Mart. I decided to try the chain but struck out at the first Wal-Mart I visited. "I don't stock them," said the salesman. "This is a cheap-gun neighborhood." He suggested another outlet, and a customer-service representative dialed the number and handed me the receiver. I was told I would need about $550 for the gun and bullets. I stopped at the bank for money, then headed for the store.

I went to the sporting-goods counter and said I would like to buy a 9-mm pistol. "You want that Glock?" the salesman asked, recognizing my voice. He took out the display gun, which had a locked trigger, and gave it to me. "Here you are, Model 17. They make a Model 19 also." Another customer, who turned out to be a grocery-store manager, spoke up. "That's a popular gun right now. They're real popular with the kids -- high school kids. They buy them off the streets. They tell me if you pay $500 for a gun, you're paying too much. They can get them for $75 to $125." I expressed amazement. "Yeah, they come up to me and say, 'I can find you one cheap if you want.' "

I was tempted, but the salesman returned with the Model 19. We discussed the differences between the two models. "Well," I said, "I want one that's going to hit every time. How does it work?" When the salesman learned that I had never used a pistol before, he recommended that I get training from a professional at a practice range. I asked about the parts of the gun: the clip, the bullets, where everything fit. The gun holds a total of 17 bullets, and a spare clip is included.

"How much is it?" I asked.

"Four hundred and seventy-nine."

"Can I bring it back if I don't like it?"

While the clerk called for the department manager, the grocer showed me how to load, cock and fire the gun, and then tried to persuade me that a .38 might be better. Not once had I said why I wanted to buy a gun, much less this one. Both men had assumed I wanted it for protection, but the salesman didn't question the wisdom of buying this model. The manager arrived, told me I could return it and mentioned that Popular Mechanics had recently tested the Glock with excellent results.

The clerk brought out a yellow federal form, and I filled in my name, address, height, weight, race, and date and place of birth. I also answered eight yes-or-no questions about my citizenship, criminal record, illegal drug use, and whether I had ever been judged mentally defective or been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces. After I signed it, he asked to see my driver's license. I said I didn't have it on me but could recite the number and had other I.D. He insisted on the driver's license, so I retrieved it from the car. He compared it with the information on the form, filled in his portion of the Firearms Transaction Record and rang up the sale. As the manager walked me out, he told me that two months ago, Wal-Mart had changed its policy and now required that ammunition be sold separately.

I locked the gun in my car and returned to buy the ammo. The salesman showed me two types: one for target practice and hollow-point bullets that expand on impact. I was in a hurry, so I just bought one box of each. Total time spent in the store: 40 minutes.