Nope I agree with that 100%. I made him wait till he came back to my house where I had it unloaded before he handled it.
It just made me question, say if I was selling a rifle or something, would I be able to have it in a public place such as a parking lot, and inspect it without fear of getting in trouble?
+1 for practicing safe firearms handling skills and rules.... you just don't want to handle the firearm more than you need to. Showing it to a buddy for no reason isn't really the most safe practice. Showing him at a range where you've had a place to safely point it and clear/inspect it is better... but you already know that...
Good job on keeping a clear head and being safe.
Showing at home is ok too, but of course you just have to be more aware of when you're clearing/inspecting becuase of shooting through walls to rooms where people are...etc....
I have done more gun deals in a McDonald's parking lot than I can count...