Maybe it was because your husband had been in there regularly, maybe talking to the guys behind the counter and they got to know him? I know some places the employees will deliberately hold back some boxes for their "regulars"
My husband and I always go in together, except for the rare occasion when I sit in the car.... Nope. Can't use that as the reason. And, I recently bought a gun from them... and have been in to use their shooting range several times recently.
There is definitely the idea out there that guns are guys thing. I guess those guys behind the counter think we gals want a vacuum cleaner collection, lol.
There was one salesman at the gun counter that wouldn't talk to me - literally, I would ask to see a gun and he would take it out and hand it to my husband and tell him about it. The second time he turned his back on me, we walked away.