Are Wal-Mart guns lower quality?
- Thread starter monotonous_iterancy
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It's going to be the same gun you would get at a gun dealer if the model numbers are the same.
Now Walmart does occasionally have special runs for them which often are just a different stock, engraving, etc. however they will have a specific item number and the actual gun will be of no less quality. Heck in most cases like the 10/22 examples they often have better stocks than a similarly priced model from another dealer would.
Now, what you may see is a Remington 870 Wingmaster and Express at the gun shop, and only a 870 Express at Walmart with cheaper wood than the Wingmaster. It's not built specifically for Walmart, and it's exactly the same as the 870 Express at the gun shop, but it's Remington's low end 870 so will not have the quality wood and bluing you get on the Wingmaster.
An example that I personally experienced was a friend and I bought the same gun. He got his for $280 a few months before I got mine. He bought his at Walmart as they had it at the time. They hadn't gotten another one in when I wanted the same gun so I decided to just pay the extra from the gun shop to get it then. I paid $350 from the gun shop for the exact same gun. His from Walmart worked perfectly and looked identical to mine in fit and finish. Mine from the gun shop jammed every couple of shots and I couldn't get it to function properly. His also seemed to pattern much better with buckshot than mine did. After getting a couple of gunsmiths to work on mine, it finally started functioning properly, but I never did find a buckshot load that shot as well as his. That's just an example to show you that they are the same guns wherever you get them and you are just as likely to get one with a problem from a local gun shop as you are Walmart.
Now Walmart does occasionally have special runs for them which often are just a different stock, engraving, etc. however they will have a specific item number and the actual gun will be of no less quality. Heck in most cases like the 10/22 examples they often have better stocks than a similarly priced model from another dealer would.
Now, what you may see is a Remington 870 Wingmaster and Express at the gun shop, and only a 870 Express at Walmart with cheaper wood than the Wingmaster. It's not built specifically for Walmart, and it's exactly the same as the 870 Express at the gun shop, but it's Remington's low end 870 so will not have the quality wood and bluing you get on the Wingmaster.
An example that I personally experienced was a friend and I bought the same gun. He got his for $280 a few months before I got mine. He bought his at Walmart as they had it at the time. They hadn't gotten another one in when I wanted the same gun so I decided to just pay the extra from the gun shop to get it then. I paid $350 from the gun shop for the exact same gun. His from Walmart worked perfectly and looked identical to mine in fit and finish. Mine from the gun shop jammed every couple of shots and I couldn't get it to function properly. His also seemed to pattern much better with buckshot than mine did. After getting a couple of gunsmiths to work on mine, it finally started functioning properly, but I never did find a buckshot load that shot as well as his. That's just an example to show you that they are the same guns wherever you get them and you are just as likely to get one with a problem from a local gun shop as you are Walmart.
W L Johnson
Member
Just pay attention to the model numbers
simple
simple
oneounceload
member
The absolute stupidity among certain groups is our own undoing. It is absolutely amazing
how some folks seem to think that Walmart will go to all that trouble for something that is nothing to their bottom line in the overall scheme of things
how some folks seem to think that Walmart will go to all that trouble for something that is nothing to their bottom line in the overall scheme of things
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I'd say yes and no. On one hand, like others have said whatever you get will be the exact same gun as if you'd boght in a gun story. OTOH I havn't seen any high end guns at my local walmart. Asside from the ocasional basic colt ar (pre panic) pretty much the whole rack's around 4-500$ guns or less. It's not that they deal inferior guns, they just don't carry high end options.
coolluke01
Member
I can't speak to the quality of guns, but I do know for a fact that plumbing fixtures from big box stores are different than the ones I can get from my suppliers. Same model number and same lifetime warranty! I do believe the big box stores buy factory 2nds when they can.
The main concern I have though is that the big box stores are beginning to dictate the quality of the products the companies are making. They have so much buying power that they get to name the price and this forces the manufacture to reduce their production costs. This most often leads to lower quality. This seems to be the trend. Buying local and buying from small businesses will give you better customer service (hopefully) and keep the big box stores from controlling the market, thus insuring the quality of the products in the future.
The main concern I have though is that the big box stores are beginning to dictate the quality of the products the companies are making. They have so much buying power that they get to name the price and this forces the manufacture to reduce their production costs. This most often leads to lower quality. This seems to be the trend. Buying local and buying from small businesses will give you better customer service (hopefully) and keep the big box stores from controlling the market, thus insuring the quality of the products in the future.
"Same model number and same lifetime warranty! I do believe the big box stores buy factory 2nds when they can."
that'd be incredibly stupid if it were true factory 2nd as they would still be covered by the lifetime warranty and would occur warranty costs for the manufacturer....
also - how do you know that these are "factory 2nds" when it's the exact same model number as the "good part"
sorry... any manufacturer who would sell 2nd class stuff to Wal-Mart couldn't keep that a secret for very long. too many folks would know about it and one day it would come out. either a product meets the quality guidelines of the manufacturer or it doesn't. to think that a manufacturers sorts each product/inspects it closely and then puts the "less good" ones into the Wal-Mart bucket knows nothing about mass manufacturing....
that'd be incredibly stupid if it were true factory 2nd as they would still be covered by the lifetime warranty and would occur warranty costs for the manufacturer....
also - how do you know that these are "factory 2nds" when it's the exact same model number as the "good part"
sorry... any manufacturer who would sell 2nd class stuff to Wal-Mart couldn't keep that a secret for very long. too many folks would know about it and one day it would come out. either a product meets the quality guidelines of the manufacturer or it doesn't. to think that a manufacturers sorts each product/inspects it closely and then puts the "less good" ones into the Wal-Mart bucket knows nothing about mass manufacturing....
coolluke01
Member
Like I said I don't know about the guns, but I can point to many examples of lower quality products from big box stores. Lifetime warranties only cover parts and not labor, also they are only to the original owners + you often have to have the receipt. In other words they aren't worth the paper they are written on.
Look at what has been happening with gun quality over the last few years. Things are not getting better and the Walmarts of this world will only encourage the degradation of quality.
Look at what has been happening with gun quality over the last few years. Things are not getting better and the Walmarts of this world will only encourage the degradation of quality.
^^^
not sure if I agree with you. 20 yrs ago guns were also much more expensive (inflation adjusted).
You could get a U.S. made 10/22 for something like $200 a few months ago... does it last forever? not sure. but it's pretty darn solid quality.
Wal-Mart will never sell higher-end quality guns which are too expensive for their sporting goods section. Given how badly backordered Wilson/Nighthawk and others are I have no fear that U.S. gun quality is slipping.
Heck - SIG got even better within the last years. My recent P226 Elite is a very solid gun.
not sure if I agree with you. 20 yrs ago guns were also much more expensive (inflation adjusted).
You could get a U.S. made 10/22 for something like $200 a few months ago... does it last forever? not sure. but it's pretty darn solid quality.
Wal-Mart will never sell higher-end quality guns which are too expensive for their sporting goods section. Given how badly backordered Wilson/Nighthawk and others are I have no fear that U.S. gun quality is slipping.
Heck - SIG got even better within the last years. My recent P226 Elite is a very solid gun.
W L Johnson
Member
People were posting examples of rush jobs on many guns produced during the 08-09 panic. Some even had comparison photos of guns made before and during the panic, and it wasn't just US manufacturers. The same thing could start to happen with this one.
JustinJ
Member
The liability argument really is ridiculous. If Brand X usually uses milspec bolts to make their AR's but does not for a lot dedicated to walmart they are not assuming additional liability. One can not make a blanket statement that lower quality equals to higher danger in all cases. A cheaper extractor, looser specs, etc can mean a gun is more likely to fail or be less accurate without being more likely to blow up.
I have heard quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that some walmart products are of lesser quality as they manufacturers often sign deals to deliver a large volume to walmart at a reduced price. I can't confirm this of course but i would not take the chance on a weapon or ammo for which reliability is essential.
I have heard quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that some walmart products are of lesser quality as they manufacturers often sign deals to deliver a large volume to walmart at a reduced price. I can't confirm this of course but i would not take the chance on a weapon or ammo for which reliability is essential.
Walmart, or any other big retailer, is not buying factory 2nds. I think your LGS would me much more likely to buy the few factory 2nds that might be made available than would Walmart or Academy. Walmart would not be interested in 20 10/22s that might be $8 cheaper where a large local guy would definitely want them. By "2nd" I mean some cosmetic issue and not some design problem.
One of the things that make Walmart so cheap is there distribution system. They can get an item from point A to point B much more efficiently than can any of their competitiors. They have the volume to ask for, and receive, lower prices. They also have enough volume that manufacturers will make special runs specifically for them to their specs and/or to meet their price point. The Levis Blue Jeans is a good example. Levis at Walmart are different. I have not looked at product numbers but the ones I have from Walmart are deinitely inferior jean which is understandable since they ar $10 cheaper.
One of the things that make Walmart so cheap is there distribution system. They can get an item from point A to point B much more efficiently than can any of their competitiors. They have the volume to ask for, and receive, lower prices. They also have enough volume that manufacturers will make special runs specifically for them to their specs and/or to meet their price point. The Levis Blue Jeans is a good example. Levis at Walmart are different. I have not looked at product numbers but the ones I have from Walmart are deinitely inferior jean which is understandable since they ar $10 cheaper.
royal barnes
Member
Big box stores do sometimes carry a firearm which has fewer accessories or "add ons" than the local LGS. We used to get questions at the LGS about price matching on certain guns which were significantly cheaper at Dick's. Beretta marketed a semiauto, don't remember the model #, through box stores that appeared to be the same gun but it had a different SKU, 2 chokes instead of 5 , and no "Knock off recoil system". Not a cheaper made gun just different.
.455_Hunter
Member
Federal definitely makes specific ammo for Walmart. The product codes for certain 9 mm, .38 Special,.357 Magnum .40, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .30-06, .270, etc loads have a WM on the end of the number, such as 3006AWM.
Now the ammo MAY be just the same as the other Blazer Brass, Estate, American Eagle, Independence stuff, but it is a unique product.
Now the ammo MAY be just the same as the other Blazer Brass, Estate, American Eagle, Independence stuff, but it is a unique product.
Tommy Medlin
Member
I would think a Rem. mod 700 is going to be the same where ever you buy it.Difference in stocks and finish would be very obvious.I have a Rem.870 from Walmart with a birch stock,but you can also get the same Mod.with a walnut stock if you pay the diff.
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BADUNAME30
Member
There is a local gun store owner in our area that swears, ( and believes), that walmart ammo is "inferior". When he sells a gun to a customer he tells them, " you cannot buy ammo at walmart that will work in the guns I sell. Walmart ammo is factory rejects and only works in the guns that walmart sells ". 
As i said, he not only uses this line on customers to get them to buy his over priced ammo.(current times have nothing to do with his prices. They were always way too high), he actualy believes his 'theory' about walmart ammo and the guns they sell.
This is how these rumors get started and fed for the unknowing.
As i said, he not only uses this line on customers to get them to buy his over priced ammo.(current times have nothing to do with his prices. They were always way too high), he actualy believes his 'theory' about walmart ammo and the guns they sell.
This is how these rumors get started and fed for the unknowing.
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