m58,
Believe Tom caught it. To reiterate though, if the little girl demonstrated to me that she couldn't handle the shotgun in the store (couldn't heft it under control, couldn't control muzzle direction, etc.), I wouldn't let her have the shells with it to carry through the store, etc. For all I know the salesman was her husband and that, to me, is the essence of needing to know the rest of the story. Guess I am just an old skeptic that no longer takes a one person story at face value. My motto says it better.
As for the analogy, the auto dealer has the first choice of whether or not to sell you the car. It's his right.
Hopefully I am not as bad as the salesman in Walmart! I would have sold her the shotgun for Pete's sake.