Guns were beautifully displayed under glass and locked in cages. I did a double-take on some semi-automatic rifles imprinted with these words: Let It Rain!

I showed my newly obtained Douglas County permit and said, truthfully, that I didn’t think I was going to buy a weapon right now, that I didn’t want one in my house because I have children but that I was interested in the AR-type of semi-automatic rifles. A source had just told me how his dad takes such a weapon into the woods to shoot for fun. Perhaps something like that?

The clerk was attentive, knowledgeable and willing to tell me about guns without pushing one into my hands. He unlocked the cage of Rambo-looking weapons and showed me the difference between one that was good for shooting “varmints” at a distance and one that was good for “soft targets” like home intruders. He suggested training and practice at places where you can rent guns to try out. He said it was better to get the right gun than just any gun. He said there’s a lot of misinformation about guns and it’s best to learn.

I asked about return policy. It sounded too complicated if the weapon ever got fired.

I asked about magazine capacities. I was told 30 rounds is the standard but there are special orders.