The real life of an American police officer: Winning over others with virtue

Chapter 190 Perfect
The gun shop on this street is called Loganavi Gun Shop.

From its outward appearance alone, it looks quite ordinary.

Those who don't know might really think it's just a small shop.

But the fact that such a gun shop can be opened in Quantico means that there must be a big arms dealer behind it, and it must also be a highly cooperative relationship with the local authorities.

After all, Quantico is different from other places. As the location of the FBI headquarters and Marine Corps base, it is bound to be a key monitoring area for the ATF and the FBI.

Therefore, the authorities here will definitely conduct a thorough inspection and search of all the gun shops.

Even the shop owners may have law enforcement or military backgrounds.

However, he didn't intend to do anything; he genuinely wanted to buy a gun.

Buying guns legally.

He didn't want to do anything under the FBI's nose; there was no need.

Eric glanced at the store and walked in without making a sound.

The view changed instantly. At first glance, the store layout was no different from an ordinary store. However, unlike those stores that displayed all their goods on the outside, the firearms here, such as pistols, rifles, shotguns, and even various models, were all placed in the deepest part of the store.

He also spotted several sniper rifles.

Eric subconsciously raised an eyebrow, even though these guns had clearly been modified from civilian versions and their functionality had been weakened.
But in his view, with some modifications, it can almost be restored to its original factory performance.

Simply put, it's about upgrading a semi-automatic weapon back to a fully automatic one, which isn't too difficult for him, as he's about to start manually controlling firearms.

The fact that this gun shop could openly operate in Quantico and even openly sell sniper rifles, even civilian versions, suggests that it must have an extremely deep and special background, far beyond that of an ordinary gun shop.

Eric continued to scan the area as he walked inside.

Between him, the shop owner, and the firearms displayed behind him, lies a rather large counter.

Without a doubt, the glass used for this counter is bulletproof, and several handguns are displayed below it.

The shop owner behind the counter was a middle-aged white man with a thick beard and the typical build of a pot-bellied white man.

Eric understood why: the fast food that was readily available on the streets of America was shockingly high in calories.

What may seem like an insignificant little portion contains twice the energy.

These kinds of foods might be considered delicious in China, and some people even eat them every week, but here they are pure junk food.

Eric walked up to the counter and stopped in front of the shop owner as he watched the shopkeeper wiping and maintaining a rifle with a towel.

His pause also attracted the shop owner's attention. The middle-aged white man stopped cleaning the gun, glanced at Eric, observed him for a second, and then continued cleaning the gun.

"Welcome, looking to buy a gun?"

"Mm," Eric replied.

Having received a response, the shopkeeper finally put down the rifle he was wiping, leaned it back, and stood up to face Eric.

"Okay, feel free to look around. I have a wide variety of goods here, everything you could want."

He paused for a moment, a smile flashing across his face, and then added, "However, if you want to buy it, I might need to see some documents. If you don't have them, I'm sorry, I can't sell it to you; I can't do illegal things."

“I know the rules,” Eric said, indicating his understanding.

In the United States, taking California as an example, to buy a gun from a legitimate gun store, in addition to valid identification such as a driver's license, proof of employment is sometimes required. This is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a barrier set up by the stores themselves to avoid trouble.

In addition, those with criminal records, especially those serving sentences of more than one year, records of violent or firearms crimes, a history of mental illness, or a history of drug or alcohol abuse, are prohibited from purchasing firearms.

Importantly, different firearms have different requirements. Handguns fall under the category of concealed weapons and require a concealed carry permit to be carried on one's person. Therefore, those purchasing handguns must provide recent proof of California residency, such as utility bills, lease agreements, or bank correspondence with an address.

However, this requirement does not apply when purchasing rifles or shotguns.

As the state with the strictest gun control, California law also stipulates that before purchasing or renting a gun, one must first pass a written test and obtain a firearms safety certificate.

However, this requirement may be waived if one holds a valid hunting license and has purchased a long gun.

Of course, the above procedures are only for the general public.

After completing this step, he must wait for a background check, which typically takes ten days. During this time, the California government and federal agencies such as the FBI will jointly review the gun buyer's past.

As a senior patrol officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, Eric is even allowed to own an M4 at his own expense. He currently holds a full range of certifications, including a concealed carry permit, a hunting license, a firearms safety certificate, and a gun carrying permit, among others.

Under the shopkeeper's surprised gaze, Eric pulled a bunch of documents out of his pocket.

CCW concealed carry permit, hunting license, FSC firearms safety certificate, and carry permit.
Furthermore, with Tifa's help, he obtained some special documents that enabled him to purchase firearms in Quantico.

The appearance of this whole pile of items completely baffled the shop owner, who, who had been calm all along, smiled for the first time.

The person in front of me is well-mannered, but he must also be a very capable person.

After all, he had never seen an ordinary person with such complete identification documents, which meant that the other party's identity was most likely quite innocent.

However, some of these documents were signed by the FBI, which makes a difference.

The young man in front of me has connections.

Melvin glanced up at Eric; his young and handsome face betrayed no resemblance to Eric at all.

Those who aren't military or police officers are either physically aggressive or have a fierce fighting style.

Eric could feel the shopkeeper's observing gaze. He had nothing to hide and calmly asked, "So, I'm eligible to buy a gun?"

“Of course.” Melvin’s smile remained unchanged.
"Pick whatever you like. Judging from your posture, I think you already have a gun in mind to buy?"

Eric nodded slightly.

“That saves us trouble,” Melvin replied, stepping aside to show the exhibition area behind him.

"Look at it."

Eric's gaze wandered, finally settling on one of the shotguns in the display area.

"That's it." He paused, then slightly raised his chin in the direction of the target.

He still habitually used his usual shotgun, the Benelli M4.

Melvin understood, turned around, and precisely drew the shotgun Eric had chosen from the gun rack behind him, the action of checking it accompanied by a crisp click.

“Your taste is impeccable.” Melvin placed the sleek, military-looking Benelli M4 tactical shotgun steadily on the counter and gave a thumbs-up.

"The Benelli M4 Tactical Shotgun is a hardcore shotgun with a solid range of uses, suitable for home defense, law enforcement, security, and hardcore hunting."

After the introduction, Melvin's gaze deepened with inquiry as he asked again:
"Sir, are you going hunting?"

“Self-defense,” Eric said calmly.

"I'm planning a trip with my girlfriend, um, a road trip."

Melvin raised an eyebrow. Just for a vacation, and he's already buying a gun? His security awareness is really top-notch.

He glanced at the documents on the counter and still added, "If you're just going to leave, these documents might not be enough." "I understand. Don't worry, I'll strictly abide by FOPA, and if possible, I'll avoid sensitive states," Eric nodded.

The United States is not really a unified country; it is a federation, with the states being like the feudal states of ancient China.

So even though he has all the documents from California, other states won't recognize your documents because they don't accept documents from out-of-state countries.

Ignoring Melvin's odd behavior, under his surprised gaze, he picked up the Benelli M4 tactical shotgun and examined it.

“Let’s settle on this one first,” Eric continued. “At the same time, I need 70mm 12-gauge slugs, four boxes of fifteen rounds each.”

Some states impose restrictions on the availability of bullets, but in Virginia there are no quantity limits, and it is even possible to purchase 1000 rounds at a time.

Therefore, slugs are treated the same as regular shotgun shells here.

Melvin looked at Eric and nodded silently: "Okay, is there anything else we need besides this gun?"

Eric calmly replied, "Staccato 2011 P pistol."

Upon hearing this, Melvin's gaze turned somewhat surprised, a fact noticed by the astute Eric.

"Don't you have it here? If not, I can buy it elsewhere."

“Of course,” Melvin replied, snapping out of his daze. “I told you we have all kinds of guns here, but each one requires certain conditions.” He glanced at the identification below.

"With your qualifications, sir, you are certainly qualified to purchase one. What I want to say is, sir, you seem to know a lot about guns."

Melvin seemed a little sentimental, while Eric smiled and remained silent. He could tell that the shop owner seemed to really like Staccato2011.P.

He also knew why Melvin had said that.

The Staccato 2011.P is now widely regarded as the pinnacle of tactical pistols in law enforcement circles, featuring strong characteristics of the 1911 pistol, along with a grip safety and a double-sided manual safety.

It boasts excellent precision, superior trigger design, low recoil, and other advantages.

This gun packs competition-level precision into a real-world combat framework, like putting an F1 engine into a police interceptor car.

However, as always, Eric still prefers the gun's magazine capacity, 17+1 rounds.

If he can kill one person with one shot, then one pistol can handle a situation involving ten or more people at the same time.

“Please wait a moment.” Melvin didn’t receive a response from Eric. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned and left his seat. He bent down at the other end of the counter and rummaged around in a hidden spot, finally retrieving the Staccato 2011.P that Eric had chosen.

The matte black finish gives this pistol an exceptionally understated look.

"Please review it."

Eric took the Staccato2011.P handed to him by Melvin, examined it carefully, and then said, "We also need two spare magazines and four boxes of ammunition."

Melvin nodded, looking at Eric who was expertly inspecting the pistol, and said:

"If you want to take this gun with you, you'll probably have to fill out Form 4473."

Eric nodded to indicate that he understood and placed the inspected Staccato2011.P on the counter.

Form 4473 is a paper document used for background checks.

The form requires the purchaser to provide basic information, a fingerprint of their right thumb, and a series of questions regarding whether they are the actual buyer, whether they have a criminal record, whether they are subject to a court restraining order, and whether they are an undocumented immigrant.

Eric, of course, would not refuse.

He originally planned to purchase the gun through legitimate channels today, just in case.

Eric was thinking when he saw the shopkeeper take out a document and a pen. He picked up the pen and began filling in his personal information on the Form 4473 that the shopkeeper had handed him, including pressing his fingerprint.

“Sir, the total is $5004.59.” Melvin took the form, checked it, organized everything Eric had purchased, and looked at Eric.

"Will you be paying by card or cash?"

"Swipe your card."

Eric handed over his credit card. Although the information would be left behind, he genuinely intended to make the purchase openly and honestly, without any worries.

Importantly, he didn't have any cash with him.

After Melvin swiped the card, he returned it to Eric, gave Eric a deep look, and smiled.

“Thank you for your patronage, sir,” Melvin said, then continued.

"Goodbye, have a nice day. If you need anything in the future, our Loganavi Gun Shop and I, Melvin, will always welcome you."

Upon hearing this, Eric retrieved all his documents, picked up the guns and bullets he had purchased, and simply looked at Melvin, saying calmly, "..."

"Goodbye."

Eric came and went just as quickly.

Melvin's gaze followed Eric's retreating figure until he disappeared through the door. He then turned and walked towards the computer, watching through the gaps in the blinds as Eric loaded all his purchases into the car and roared out of sight.

Melvin then looked away, his gaze returning to the form on the counter, which he picked up.

"Eric Stevens".

As he silently recited the name, Melvin recalled the other man's calm, unwavering eyes and the precise, deft finger movements he used when inspecting a gun.

Melvin lowered his eyelids slightly, a barely perceptible scrutiny flashing in his eyes. He sat back down at the computer, his fingertips tapping the keyboard as he entered the information from the spreadsheet into the system.

But shortly afterward, Eric's personal information appeared on the computer screen.

It included details such as Eric's identity as a Los Angeles Police Department patrol officer and the details of the plane, etc., and was quite detailed.

A little while later, a released law enforcement video appeared on the computer screen; it was Eric's body camera footage.

Although the person has been blurred out for protection, in Melvin's eyes, the figure is undoubtedly that of the young man.

Bang bang bang bang! Gunshots came from the computer.

"Good heavens." Melvin stared at it for a moment, his eyes narrowing, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"This is a formidable character. Why would someone like that be here? Could it be..."

————————————————————

Eric was unaware of all this; he simply drove to the car return location, returned the car, and then rented a campervan.

After all, a motorhome is definitely the best and most comfortable way to travel by road.

Ultimately, on the recommendation of the surprised staff, Eric chose the Airstream Interstate 24GL, a luxury B-type motorhome based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and other similar models.

Departure point: Quantico; return point: Boston.

With a gun and a car, Eric thought it was perfect.

(End of this chapter)