Well, for what it's worth:

    When I was a young boy we would often go to a large
    sporting goods store in Bellingham, WA.  They had a large gun
    dept., and hunting gear, etc.

    The rifles were against the wall, stock down and barrel up in one
    long row.  In front of this was a long glass showcase filled with
    hand guns.  A sales man ws always standing behind the counter.
    This was the mid 1960s, but hey, maybe they'd been doing it
    that way for years!

    John Handley