I live in The Deep South, so it’s more like a swap meet around here. Frantic trading and dealing since day 1 of the pandemic.
In all seriousness though, I’ve gotten more of should I buy a AR, pistol or shotgun. Makes for a great opportunity to discuss safety, storage, over penetration, home defense plans, etc, and emphasize training.
OUCH! Not my first, second, third or 50th choice. But if that’s all that’s on the shelf and I didn’t have a firearm during some crazy uncertain times, I might buy it.
Dawn,
I’m athinkin You hit the proverbial nail right on the head ! Yep, Me Too !
LesB
I get to see so much of this sort of thing working as an RSO at an outdoor range. Generally, it is a private range but on weekends we are open to the public,–and they are the most in need of training!
I deal with improperly assembled firearms, missing parts in firearms, jammed firearms, and shooters who don’t even put the right ammo in their firearms. (Like putting 9mm into a .40SW).
We need more ranges in this country, to keep up with the proliferation of firearms–to keep people safe.
YIKES! I have seen the right ammo in the magazine wrong (rounds pointed in the wrong direction or in multiple directions). I’m teaching a beginner class this week and loading the magazine is definitely on the list of things to talk about. It’s a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGGG list. 
“Most” mags have a rounded side and a flat side and the rounded side matches the rounded end of the cartridges. An easy way to tell for most, even with ones eyes closed. Normally a higher side also to accommodate the angle of the cartridges…again, eyes closed.
LOL @Dawn I had a young lad a few years back that had obviously had “some” training. There he was gun extended finger on the trigger smacking the back of the slide that was back. It wasn’t going forward. Sure enough he had a mag full of backwards rounds. Needless to say he was a little embarrassed.
Cheers,
Craig6
I’ve seen that more than you’d expect, @Craig6. The very basics (how the rounds go in the magazine, how the magazine goes in the gun, how to release the slide) are some of the things that we may assume most people already know when they’re starting out.