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No More Guns at Wal-mart

1K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  natman 
#1 ·
I've read in the past about some wal-marts not carrying firarms, but now its all of them!!!
I went to 2 wal-marts recently outside of the town where I live and both wal-marts stopped carrying firearms.
My home town wal-mart still carries firearms for now. Even though they plan to stop soon. They plan to stop selling ammo as well.
I work in the building and zoning office, and the wal-mart here is remodeling. I just talked to a General Contractor today for wal-mart. He said that all wal-marts are gonna stop carrying firearms. I asked him why?
And the reponse I got was, because wal-mart is a family store :D
he said like for example the music they sell is edited etc..
My response was well their music has always been edited and they have always had guns, why now?
I also asked if they were gonna still sell alcohol since its a family store. He had no answer for that question :D
 
#2 · (Edited)
In my area there are 4 walmarts and only one carries firearms. I have questioned the sporting goods manager at that store, he said they were not getting out of selling guns, only reducing the number of stores that sell guns (by over 50%). They will only be selling guns in stores that have shown good sales in the past. In fact after the start of Hunting season and Christmas he only had 3 or 4 rifles and a couple shotguns left. in fact, as I was talking to him he was in the cataloges putting together his firearms order! NOTE: His books had a lot more firearms then they show on the special order website!

But he is only a dept. manager for the local Walmart. Nobody in that position really knows what they plan to do. I know they are fighting a battle about there image. If they thought that giving up gun sales would make them more popular (causing there bottom line to go up) gun sales would be already be gone! I think that is why only some stores have guns - all these stores are in areas where the population don't look at guns as being the reason for crime.
 
#3 ·
Wal-Mart is in the business of making money. As much money as they can make for any given square foot of their stores.

If they stop selling guns, it's just a business decision. I don't think that smaller gun shops and your local home-business FFL holders will look at this as bad news.
 
#6 ·
Good point but the politics of selling to Americans is the real challenge. China has new rules for Walmart. Gun sales are prohibited to any American that is overweight, taken an anti-depressant in the last 2 years, has a net worth under $ 80,000 and is ugly. Hmmmmmmm? Since when did the Chinese get to be so good looking, rich and skinny? :p

I stopped in a Walmart in a small MS town, it was the only action in town gunwise and this store had plenty of everything. Best I could tell they wouldn't be listening to China regarding anything, anyway. :Blasting_ M1911
 
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#7 ·
Yeah, this again (sigh). It's pretty old news.

From my front door I can drive 20 minutes west, into Yuppie-Town, to a WalMart where they don't even know the meaning of the word 'guns'. Or I can drive 20 minutes east, into Hicksville, where I can buy enough ammo (and guns, if they carried any I like) to sink a ship.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Between all the ruckus about walmart being such a big bad company, and so many people boycotting walmart, I don't like to shop there...much. But like everyone else, there are times I end up there...and buy a few things. Even a gun or two, and ammo occasionally.

That being said, it doesn't bother me a bit if they stop selling firearms...because there are multiple gun shops still out there, as well as several sporting goods stores that sell firearms as well. I've found that walmart's prices weren't all that good on rifles and shotguns, anyways...generally my local shops had better prices, and MUCH better service! There were a few exceptions, however.

Yes, walmart made buying ammo reasonable...their winchester white box was always the cheapest in town...but only by $0.50 or so. Once their guns and ammo are gone, so are all my reasons for going there...and to be honest, I'm happy for that.

They only supply hunting supplies during the major deer/elk seasons...after that it's T.S. if you need camo or supplies. Their archery selection was a joke. I usually end up waiting 10 minutes before anyone will help me at the gun counter (getting ammo)...and buying a license at walmart is nearly impossible--they make a 10 minute task take an hour (with ease). The sales people know NOTHING about firearms, and can offer no real help nor answer any quetions you may have.
And even after you buy the rifle there, you still have to go elsewhere to get good cleaning supplies, rings, mounts, etc...

So why the hullaballoo about walmart not carrying guns?
It's just as bad as all these remington owners complaining about their un-reliable, firing out of battery 597's, and poor quality remington rimfire ammunition....if it's such a problem, get rid of it...you dont HAVE to deal with it. ARGH!!!
 
#13 · (Edited)
That being said, it doesn't bother me a bit if they stop selling firearms...because there are multiple gun shops still out there, as well as several sporting goods stores that sell firearms as well.
Where do you live, Utopia??? I've seen half a dozen good gun stores go out of business here in Northern Virginia in the past six or seven years. Not many left now. Those that remain fall into two categories: fairly priced and over-priced. I can think of one that has made a living skinning people for forty years or more. Was in my local Dick's-used-to-be-Galyans last night and they now have such a narrow offering that it's hardly worth the trip. They have a double aisle of air soft and paintball guns while firearms accesories grow scarcer and scarcer. Plus the guys behind the counter are about brain-dead. (Maybe ex-WalMart employees? :p ) Checked out the selection of guns at Sports Authority lately? How about K-Mart? My nearest Bass Pro or Gander Mountain are both fifty or sixty miles away. AT $2.50/gallon a hundred mile round trip kind of takes the edge off of any deals you may find there.

Consider this - WM has a history of driving out the smaller competition. What happens then when it decides it no longer wants to be in that market? Maybe it's a sign of the times, but it's not all a bed of roses for a lot of folks when WM pulls the plug like that.
 
#15 ·
remember, though, that guns have a much smaller margin than other products. A shirt sold at wal mart probably makes 50% profit where a shotgun is more like 20%. guns are higher ticket items, but they sell loow volume.

think if they took that floor space and put more video games for sale there. they might only make $20 bucks on each one, but they sell 100 a day instead of 1 a day.
 
#16 ·
It won't be all that bad if Wal-Mart stops selling guns. I bought a rifle at Wal-Mart two months ago and a rifle at Gander Mountain last month. To be honest, it wasn't a pleasant experience at either one. I hate waiting in line and that is usually what you are going to do in most cases in big chain stores. Besides with the help of friends I have found a smaller "big" dealer who can compete with the big boys when it comes to price. It could be a blessing because it would be a shame for the chain stores to stop selling guns after the small shops have been driven out of business. Then there will be no guns for sale. The same holds true for import guns. I have no problem buying an import gun if it has the features I can't find on a domestic model, but if the domestic firearms manufacturers go out of business we are in a world of hurt. I can see the lawmakers making restrictions on import guns after the domestic guns are long gone. I believe this is how gun control will sneak in the back door.
 
#18 ·
Face the facts folks. We gun owners are being fazed out. We all say they can't stop us from owning guns....but if they stop selling them they can?...and once they raise prices or stop making ammo they can? Notice a trend here?...constitution says guns are legal......but nowhere does it say they will be available...or the ammo.....as well.
 
#19 ·
It's not a big deal that WalMart stopped selling firearms. Quite frankly, I'm glad. It gives the local gun shops a chance to stay in business again. The thing that burns me is the fact that Sam Walton was such an avid hunter and sportsman and now that he's gone, the anti-gun tree hugging Nazis just swoop in and do things their way. I just read on the NRAHQ website that there are over 200 million firearms in the United States and the Anti-gun minority is trying to convince people that the American people's interest in them are fleeting........BS.......wake up!

end rant....sorry......I'll step down from the podium.
 
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