In our last segment we were getting you ready for your first law enforcement (LE) demonstration. We reviewed the different types of rifles, subguns and shotguns you should have. In addition to these firearms, depending on State regulations, you may want to bring along an integrally suppressed Ruger 77/22 or 10/22 and a Ruger Mark II .22 pistol. These weapons are finding favor with departments all over the country. I prefer the bolt action 77/22 in my demonstration because of the reduced sound level over a semi auto. Both pistols and rifles come in either stainless or blue finish. You may choose a semi auto, bolt action or both if you like. Supressed weapons will give you a sales advantage over other local gun dealers by offering firearms that most departments can’t get from their regular FFL firearm channels. Today there are seemingly hundreds of Suppressor makers all claiming to be the best. Many of them are very good. Many of them are not. The choice is up to you.

Over the past three years I have been replacing my suppresser samples with new guns from Sound Technology of Pelham, Alabama, (205 664 5860). Mark White of Sound Technology is definitely one of the top makers of high quality suppressers today. His workmanship is flawless and his suppressers are very quiet. His trigger and bolt work on The Ruger 10/22 is something that should also be mentioned. He fine-tunes the standard Ruger trigger till it feels like a fine match target trigger. The refinished semi auto bolt and trigger works with every type of ammo I have tried, including “Jam-omatic” Russian steel case low power 22’s. This stuff even jams in bolt and pump action rifles. Mark will also do custom work in any caliber and for any gun you need. I suggest that you explore the manufacturers out there, and choose one whose product line covers your needs.

Additional items that you might want to consider for your demonstration would be; night vision sniper riflescopes and high quality spotting scopes. Both of these items will be discussed at length in future issues of SAR.

Well, you’re ready to go and your bags are packed. Let’s review a few things first. All the guns should be clean and dry of any oil or lubricants. You should have no ammunition loaded in any of the magazines or loaded in any of the firearms. If you are planning a live fire demonstration, keep all of the ammunition in a separate locked box away from your weapons. You should be dressed properly. Do not wear cammo, army boots or T-shirts with inflammatory or political logos such as “Airborne death from above” or “let’s kill them all and let God sort them out”. Most chiefs of police and sheriffs do not find this funny. It’s stupid things like that, which will kill your sale before you even start. Look and act like a professional. You should have a copy of your Federal Firearms License (FFL), as well as a copy of your Special Tax Stamp. That’s the receipt for payment of the Special Occupational Tax also called your Class III license, although it is really not a license at all.

I would also suggest that you set up a small loose-leaf binder and keep your FFL and Class III paperwork in clear 8 1/2 X 11-inch plastic sleeves. The binder and plastic sleeves can be purchased at any stationary store. The plastic sleeves will protect your important documents and it looks much more professional. The last thing you want to do is have to reach into your pocket and drag out a crumpled and torn piece of paper trying to explain to a chief of police that this is your Class III Machine Gun License.

You can also use the binder to hold catalog pages as well as any promotional material that you can get from your wholesalers and manufacturers. Most wholesalers get lots of promotional material from the manufacturers and would be very happy to send you some of it if you ask for it. When you call, specify that you are only interested in LE firearm literature.

You can also call the manufacturer directly. Their customer service departments can send out specialized literature to you, especially when you tell them that you are a Class III firearms dealer and you want to promote their products at LE demonstrations at your own expense. Ruger, Colt, Remington, and H&K all have specific LE catalogs of their products.

A properly designed business card is also very important and can help make your sale easier. It can also kill a sale before you even have a chance to open your mouth and say a single word. Keep the card plain and simple. It should state that you are a federally licensed law enforcement firearms dealer and that you are a Class III licensee. Do not list paintball guns, knives, archery, hunting clothes, boots, taxidermy, Army-Navy surplus or ammunition sales on your business card. If you do sell these items, print up separate cards for that. Do not confuse the issue here. You are here to sell and buy machine guns and specialized weaponry. Your card has to stand out and show that you are unique in the firearms sales area. Do not have a business card printed that will make you look foolish and unprofessional. Leave the paintball stuff for your local toyshop. It has no place in LE sales other than in the training context. If training is in your line, that is alright.

Before you leave to meet with any LE agency, I would strongly suggest that you call the department and confirm your appointment with the individual involved. Law enforcement, being what it is, often has emergency situations that take precedence over unimportant things like gun demonstrations. A phone call to the department can often save you a lot of time and a needless trip. There is nothing worse then driving 40 miles each way and having to drag 80 pounds of equipment up two flights of stairs to find out that you have been waiting for one hour for someone who will not be able to show up. A phone call to the department before you leave will be appreciated and also shows courtesy if the department’s officers have to have The appointment changed.

Well, you’re on your way. You spoke to the lieutenant and he and four other officers are ready to meet with you. Let’s go over in detail what you will need to say and do. First, always remember that traveling with any firearm, especially machine guns, always entails some degree of risk. The possibilities of legal complications and entanglements are always present. The last thing you need is the hassle of trying to explain to some rookie that the only reason you were speeding was that you were late for your appointment to sell machine guns to some police department in the next town. Try to keep a low profile when traveling with weapons. If you drive a car, keep the guns locked in cases and put them in the trunk. If you drive a truck or van, keep them covered with a tarpaulin or other type of cover. Do not drive around with any uncased firearms. If you usually carry a rifle or shotgun in the rear window rack of your vehicle, remove it.

Do not speed. Do not do anything to cause you to be stopped by the police. If you are stopped, all the paperwork in the world will not help you if the officer you are dealing with wants to bust you for carrying machine guns. If you are stopped, do not mention guns unless you are directly asked. If the issue escalates and you feel that it is getting out of hand, show one of your business cards and politely ask that the officer call the department that you have your appointment set up with to confirm your story. Better yet, DON’T get stopped.

When you first arrive at the department, find a place to park that is convenient. Often all the spaces near the main building are reserved for police business. You’re being there for a demonstration does not qualify as police business and you may have to park far away from the main entrance. You will often have to carry all of your equipment a great distance. It is truly amazing how heavy two rifles, two shotguns, and two machine guns can get when you have to carry them for several hundred yards or several city blocks. Just think of it as a good work out. When you get to the department, you will often be entering a lobby or entrance hall greeted by the desk officer of the day. Be polite and explain that you have an appointment. Ask for him or her by name. You will usually not be allowed to go into the department itself until your contact comes to greet you. If the desk officer or other department personnel ask you about the gun cases, just say that you are a law enforcement firearms dealer and that you have an appointment to demonstrate new weapons. Do not discuss which firearms you are carrying. Do not begin a dissertation on the advantages of an original 1918 Browning Bar over an FN FAL. Don’t waste your time. Be polite and be seated. You may have to wait a while until your appointment is contacted and comes to get you. When you meet your contact for the first time, whether it’s the Sheriff, Chief of police, or tactical team department head, put your arm out for a handshake. State your name clearly, smile, and hand him your business card.

If you carry a concealed loaded sidearm for protection while you travel, it is very important to let the department know that you are carrying a loaded gun before you go inside. Many departments do not permit loaded guns within the inner confines of a police agency, especially if the department also contains a jail or prisoner holding area. If it does have a prison area, you will be required to check your loaded sidearm at the door. This is very critical. Do not screw up here. Do not go into a police department with a concealed loaded firearm without letting the department know. Bringing a loaded gun into a jail is a felony. The dire consequence of the mere possibility of your loaded gun getting into the hands of a confined felon is beyond comprehension. Let them know that you have a gun on you. In most cases it will be O.K. In others it will not. Ask first, don’t be sorry later.

Once your initial introductions are over, you will usually be escorted into a meeting room, office or range area depending on the size of the department. As you are introduced to all those present remember to smile, shake hands, and give each one your business card. Place your gun cases on the table and open them up. You should control the discussion regarding your firearms. Do not get into any political discussions. Do not talk about gun control. Remember the reason that you are there. You are there to get the department to give you all their old machine guns. Do not get into any discussions other than about guns. Remember it is up to you to control and direct the discussion. Begin by explaining that as a federally licensed machine gun dealer, you can get the department any type of firearm that they can possibly want. Don’t try to show off what you know about guns. Just answer the questions when asked and let the conversation develop naturally.

I always take out the MP5 first. When you pick the gun up, be sure not to point it at anyone. The bolt should always be open. Even though you know it is unloaded, look down the bore before handing it to anyone. Always hand the gun to the highest ranking officer in the room first.

Before you hand out the gun, put in the empty magazine and leave the bolt locked open. As the firearm is being inspected and passed around, speak clearly and distinctly. Explain the different trigger variations available, caliber options and barrel and stock configurations as well as the weight, length, and firepower capacity of the weapon. This is where all the homework, reading and studying the technical manuals pay off. You have to show them that you are an expert without making it sound as if you’re showing off. When the gun comes back to you, place it back into the case. If during the show and tell, someone closed the bolt, dropped the slide, or racked the gun closed, OPEN it before you put it back in the case.

As you see, I am stressing the extreme safe handling of all the firearms. Even with no ammunition present, we are checking the chamber of every gun. Make this a regular habit. Treat each and every gun as if it was loaded at all times. Also remember, a live fire demonstration offers even more risks. If you do give a live fire demo, be sure that you supply the ammo. A recent incident in a large metropolitan police department gives ample evidence of both of these problems. Knowing where the ammo comes from and what ammo you are using is very important.

A department was trying out new Glock .40 caliber handguns for their transition from older 9 mm semi autos. One of the patrolmen handling a new Glock was practicing at the range. He took a handful of loose ammo out of his range bag and proceeded to load the .40 caliber magazine. After loading the magazine, he placed it into the Glock, dropped the slide, took aim at his target, and proceeded to fire the gun. At first nothing happened. He racked the slide again, took aim, and proceeded to fire: KABOOM. The gun exploded. The new Glock was torn to bits.

The slide and barrel were burst open and the gun frame split halfway through to the front of the trigger guard. Luckily, the officer was unhurt. A full departmental investigation was established. They had to find the cause of this catastrophic destruction of a new firearm. Glock Inc. immediately got involved in the investigation. They did this because of the possible damage to their fine reputation, as well as the consequences of this type of incident happening again. Glock offered the department all the help they could give. After about one year of testing and metallurgic analysis by both Glock and the department, a final conclusion was established as to the cause of this incident. It seems that the officer, upon initially loading the .40 caliber magazine with a handful of loose ammo, had inadvertently placed a live 9mm round as the last round in the magazine. When the officer racked the slide, the 9 mm round was driven up into the .40 caliber chamber and jammed half way up the barrel. When he first pulled the trigger, nothing happened. He racked the slide a second time and put a fresh .40 caliber round into the chamber. When he pulled the trigger this time, the round went off. The bullet met an explosive obstruction while traveling up into the barrel. Even Glocks can not withstand that kind of abuse. Glock was exonerated and the department made a large purchase of new .40 caliber Glocks. The officer involved in the original incident now inspects his ammo and always checks the chamber of his guns. You should do the same.

I usually take out the Sniper rifles next. The bolt should be open. Look down the bore and hand the firearm to the highest-ranking officer first. I prefer showing only one gun at a time. If you have more than one gun being shown and questions are being asked, it may become very confusing for both you and the department. Always remember KISS (keep it simple stupid) and you will not have a problem during the demonstration. Continue passing out the next gun as the other guns are returned to you. When all the rifles have been examined and returned to you, take out the shotguns and proceed as with the other firearms. When you are done and no further questions are forthcoming, shut and close the cases. Also, at this time most of the other officers present will excuse themselves and go back to their duty assignments. They have nothing further to offer, as the decision process is not up to them.

You will probably be left with your original contact, whether it’s the Chief of police, Sheriff or assigned officer. It is at this point in the demonstration that the subject of the department’s obsolete, unused firearms should be brought up. Ask what type of firearms the department currently uses. Ask what firearms do they have in storage and say, “I showed you my guns, how about showing me your guns?” This is not meant as a joke, although it usually does get a chuckle or two. By asking directly to be shown the departments’ guns, in every one of my demonstrations, I have been successful in getting to see them. It will work for you too.

In our next installment we will go over the type of weapons that you may find and what to do and say to encourage the department to part with their old Thompsons, Reisings, M16’s, S&W 76’s, etc, etc.

Send your questions or comments to:

Hal Lewis care of SAR, or you can e- mail him at: birchwoodmanor@cyburban.com

Many times he is found hanging out on the Tom Bower’s Machine Gun Discussion Board at: http://www.subguns.com

This series by Harold Lewis is designed to assist newer Class 3 dealers in their attempts to make law enforcement sales.

In our last segment we discussed how to get and set up your appointments with law enforcement agencies. We will now discuss the equipment and what information you will need to know to get through your first demonstration. We will begin with firearms. It would certainly be fun to bring an M60 or a Barrett 50 to your demonstration. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be able to sell any of these weapons, unless the Department has “special needs”.

Your inventory will be limited by the types of guns that your local Law Enforcement (LE) needs and the current political climate in your area. The guns that LEs seem to want are shotguns, sniper rifles, full auto sub guns, and semi and full auto rifles. Belt fed machine guns and light artillery do not usually show up on an LE purchase order. That’s good, as it would be a real drag to carry them around anyway. However, many departments do want training with belt fed and antique machine guns for forensic and farmilarization. Many municipalities will not permit full- auto weapons to be used by their police agencies, but they will permit the acquisition of new shotguns or a good sniper rifle. You certainly shouldn’t object if they trade in all their old rusty Thompson and Colt machine guns for new sniper rifles, sub guns and shotguns.

Over the past fifteen years many police agencies have established units trained in military assault tactics. SWAT, TAC teams and numerous other LE groups were formed to, “stop terrorism and fight the drug wars.” Ever since Waco and Ruby Ridge, however, many departments have changed to a more controlled approach to law enforcement. We now have emergency service units instead of assault teams. Whatever they call themselves, they are the only people who are trained to use the weapons that you sell. They will also be the only people you will deal with in the department for your demonstration. Very few LE personnel are trained to use exotic weapons. Most police and sheriffs go through their entire career without ever firing a shot from an automatic weapon. Only a few are chosen for these special units. They are well trained and most of them are very knowledgeable about the firearms they use.

What about handgun sales? Should you get involved in bidding wars on department purchases?

That is a personal choice. If you have had experience in this type of sale you may want to continue. Personally, I would much rather concentrate on selling National Firearms Act Branch (NFA) weapons. I would not mix this with peripheral sales. The sale of hand guns to LE departments is difficult, time consuming and very unprofitable. In most cases you will find that you are in direct competition with the gun manufacturers. Often the other bidders are the wholesalers that you buy your guns from. In either case you will not be able to out bid them. That’s O.K. That’s not what you’re there for. You are there to show and sell them guns that NO ONE else sells and to get the department to give you all their NFA Title II weapons in exchange.

The firearms you select for your demo can come out of your new inventory stock, or you can demonstrate used guns in good condition. In either case the guns should be kept very clean and dry. Make sure they are spotless. Even if the guns have never been fired, clean them before you go out for your demo. Wipe off all excess oil from the inside and the outside of the weapon. The guns will be handled by the LE personnel, and you don’t want anyone getting their hands or uniforms oily, dirty or greasy.

Remember, never carry the guns loaded with live ammo. This is very unprofessional and very dangerous. You are giving a demonstration of new firearms. You are not there to have a shoot out. Do not bring any ammo. You will not need it. The only exception would be if the department wants a live fire demo. In the last eight years I have never had a department ask me for one.

If you do provide a live fire demo, you will have to supply the ammo, and the guns will have to be cleaned. The wear and tear on your firearms may not be worth the time or effort. Other considerations are liability problems, should the department decide to use the reloads that they found in someone’s basement. Do not suggest a live fire demo. If asked, reply, that you are there to show them new weapons. The guns must be kept new and cannot be fired. Most of the personnel you will be dealing with have worked with automatic weapons, and shooting to them is no big deal. They may wish for a quick test fire to see if the firearms reliably cycle department ammunition.

Whichever guns you choose, be sure that you have complete knowledge and full confidence in your ability to handle the firearms you are showing. Never point a weapon at any human being or in an unsafe direction. (as always) Keep your finger off the trigger. Handle all of the weapons as if they were loaded. Read and learn everything you can about the guns you pick. Study the technical manuals and practice the assembly and disassembly of every part. You must know the names of all the parts, and learn all the technical information, weight, length, trigger pull, caliber variations, as well as all the different models available. You must become an expert with the guns that you carry with you to your demo. You should know everything there is to know about them. You should be able to field strip and reassemble every gun blindfolded. If you do not feel that confident in your familiarity with a particular weapon, don’t take it with you. Your lack of confidence, poor handling ability and inability to communicate important information about a particular weapon will give you away as an amateur and someone that the department will not deal with.

The shotgun will probably be your biggest seller. Every department has them and wants new ones all the time.

For your basic inventory, you will need at least two shotguns, one pump and one semi auto. It is interesting to note that the largest police agency in the country only uses double barrel shotguns. They are the exception. Most other departments will only consider pump or semi-auto shotguns.

The Remington 870 with a folding police or full factory stock and eighteen or twenty inch barrels should be your first choice. For your semi-auto I would suggest the Benelli super 90, with pistol grip, ghost ring sights, and a twenty inch barrel. Both of these guns would be a fine addition to your inventory. You may want to have one or both of the guns in a shorter, entry gun configuration. Any shotgun with a barrel under eighteen inches long must be registered with the National Firearms Act branch (NFA) of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF). These short barrel shotguns are certainly usable for your demo, but standard title I firearms are a lot easier to get and deal with. If they don’t sell, you can just return them to inventory. There are many other quality shotguns you could choose from for your demonstration. Whichever you choose be sure you know how to handle them.

Today’s modern sniper rifles offer you a very wide variety and selection to choose from. You can spend anywhere from $350 to $10,000 or more for a good sniper demo gun. These prices do not include optics! Most departments have one form of sniper rifle or another. Many small departments still use old, or confiscated hunting rifles that have been dedicated as the sniper rifle. In other departments I have seen old army match M14/ M1A rifles used as sniper rifles. All of these old guns will be a welcome addition to any trade or sale you make. Other departments may have the most up to date and sophisticated guns available. They would welcome some additional new guns into their inventory, hopefully in trade for their old unused Class III weapons.

Sniper rifles can be broken down to three basic groups. 1. Low cost mass-produced entry level guns up to about $900 without optics. 2. Factory mass-produced custom guns from $1,200 to $6,000. 3. Custom guns from $4,000 to $10,000 and up. Many of these firearms are reputed to be the ultimate in surgical instruments. Your choices here should be based on the realistic needs of the local LE departments you visit and the depth of your pockets. Remember your object is to get the departments to trade their old NFA guns for the guns you have to offer. You have to get them excited enough to be willing to give you anything you ask for. Having good quality firearms for your demo will certainly help.

Basic entry level guns

The Savage 110 FP comes in 5.56, 7.62x51mm NATO (.308 Winchester) and 300 Win Mag as well as several other calibers. It comes with a 24 inch long heavy barrel. The gun is 45 inches in overall length and has a black matte finish.

The Savage only comes with a long action bolt and new guns are all pillar bedded. That’s quite a lot of gun for under $400.00. Don’t let the low price fool you. While equipped with a poor trigger and a marginal stock, the Savage 110 FP shoots more accurately than rifles costing up to 10 times the price! Right out of the box this fine gun is capable of shooting 1/2 MOA or less with good ammo. Many departments on a tight budget will do very well with the Savage 110.

The Remington 700 action has become the industry standard for building custom sniper rifles and target guns. The 700 PSS from Remington comes with a McMillan style heavy composite kevlar stock. It has an aircraft grade aluminum bedding block and a free floating 26 inch heavy contour barrel. Out of the box this gun is capable of 1 MOA or less with good ammo. It comes with a 4 round, magazine. It is available in .223, 7.62×51 NATO, and other calibers. This gun is often sold as a package with a Harris bi-pod, Leupold Vari-X III, 3.5-10X scope, Pelican case and sling swivels. All for less than $1,400 to LE.

Group II

The low end of this group would include the Winchester M70 Classic Custom Sharpshooter. It comes with a 24 inch heavy stainless barrel, a glass bedded McMillan composite stock and a 5 round magazine. Winchester Guarantees 1/2 inch MOA with good ammo. This rifle sells for $2,500, without optics.

The Robar Company of Phoenix makes several grades of fine rifles, from the basic no frills SR50 with a 1 MOA pillar bedded rifle, to the ultimate SR90 – a Remington 700 action, with a match grade, fluted Schneider barrel and guaranteed 1/2 MOA. Prices are from $2,000 up. This group would also include the fine guns made by McMillan Gunworks Inc. of Phoenix Arizona.. McMillan is the oldest custom sniper rifle manufacturer in the United States. The M86SR with a 24 inch barrel is one of the finest firearms available.

Group III

Heckler and Koch makes several guns that can be used effectively as sniper rifles. From the $7,500 PSG1, to the very reasonable G3SG1 \ MSG90, for about $4,000. Other firearm manufacturers in this group would include Parker Hale, Mauser, Accuracy International, H-S Precision and Saco. These are typically in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Whether you are willing to spend that much money on a demo gun is totally up to you. Several other companies are now making dedicated LE firearms at reasonable prices, such as Steyr and Ruger.

You will need at least two different weapons for your demo. I usually carry the Remington 700, a Savage 110 and a HK 91 dressed up like a PSG1. I also have a Ruger .308 as a backup. I have found that the majority of sniper rifles sold are the guns made by Remington and Savage. Whichever gun you choose, learn everything you can about it.

The weapon of choice for submachine guns is the Heckler and Koch MP5 and its many variants.

The MP5 is on every LE request and wish list. It is just about the only gun that will make departments eager to part with their old firearms. The MP5’s reputation may be overrated but every LE department wants one, two or more. I have found that it is just as easy to carry an H&K SP89 semi auto pistol for my demos.

There is no paperwork to worry about and there are no legal hassles when traveling from state to state. If you have a clean MP5, use it for your demo gun. If your MP5 is a bit ratty, as many dealer sample guns are today consider having it refinished. F.J. Vollmer and Co. does a very nice job for a reasonable price. In addition, Walter Birdsong has a black-T finish that the FBI uses. It is considered the standard finish of the industry. H&K MP5s come in many different variations starting with the MP5A2 fixed stock, MP5A3 with retractable stock. MP5SD2 fixed stock with integral aluminum sound suppresser and the MP5SD3 with retractable stock and sound suppresser. In addition there are several short versions of the same guns, designated by H&K as the MP5K, with no stock. It looks just like the SP89 semi auto. The MP5K-PDW (personal defense weapon) comes with a side folding stock . There are also 7 different trigger groups available for the gun. They are single fire, 2 shot, 3 shot, full auto, Navy full auto with ambidextrous safety and two shot and three shot burst groups. It makes very little difference which variant of the MP5 you have. You will only need one gun for your basic demo.

This is the firearm that you absolutely have to be able to assemble and disassemble with your eyes closed. You must be very confident in the way you handle the MP5. Most of the people you are dealing with have used the H&K extensively. You do not want to be fumbling for the magazine release or the cocking handle when you show the gun. Bring one magazine for the MP5, but do not have it installed in the gun. Install the magazine during your demonstration. Remember NO ammo!

Some of the other submachine guns that are selling today in the LE trade are the new Ruger MP9 designed by Bill Ruger and Uziel Gal and the original Uzi, which is now being distributed by Mossberg. Since Ruger does not permit the sale of Class III to dealers it is difficult to get the MP9 for a demo. Neither the Ruger MP9 nor the Uzi have the versatility and flexibility of the MP5.

In my opinion, the MP5 is definitely the gun to have if you have any intention of doing business with law enforcement.

The final two groups of guns that LE departments are looking for are full auto carbines and semi and full auto rifles. The Colt M16 and all of its different models hold center court. The Colt comes in several different calibers including a short stocked 9mm carbine designed to compete with the H&K MP5. A clean used Colt AR 15 in semi auto is a good, inexpensive way to demo the entire Colt line of firearms. The only difference between the guns is the overall length, firing mode and caliber. The cost of a transferable Colt M16 is over $2,500, while a used AR sells for less than $700. The Ruger Mini 14 and its full auto companion, the AC 556 select fire rifle are also good sellers. You may want to get both the Colt and Ruger. Consider the semi auto versions of both. The Mini 14 costs about $350. A transferable Ruger 556 sells for about $1,700. It may not make a difference to the people you are dealing with as to whether the gun is full-auto or semi-auto. If you go with semi-auto you will not have to be concerned about the legal hassles associated with carrying live machine guns.

For storage and travel I use the large double rifle cases made by Doskocil. They will hold at least three guns if you leave off the optics . You can use any case you like, but I have found that it’s easier to carry one or two large cases with 4 or five guns, than carrying 5 individual gun bags or cases.

Last, but certainly not least, is how you dress and look for the demo. Do not wear any camo, OD green, or black and gray assault outfits. You are not going to a machine gun shoot at Knob Creek. You are not supposed to look like a charter member of the local “militia” swat team. The people you are dealing with are professionals. They may resent it and it will kill any chance you have of making a sale.

You are supposed to be a professional gun manufacturer’s representative. Look the part.

A sports jacket, collared shirt and slacks or clean jeans are acceptable. I wear an H&K staff field jacket. Any manufacturer’s jacket with logo would be O.K.. Do not look like a gun slob. Long hair, pony tails, and an unshaven, unkempt look are out. Do not wear combat boots, army hats, or military field jackets.

In our next installment we will discuss making your presentation. We will also explain how to get the departments to show you all of the guns they have in storage.