Check your ammo before you buy!

[Howland937]

Just bought a few hundred rounds of .45ACP in a yard sale. One box was a partial, labeled 33 rounds. Several other boxes were "new and full". The 33 rounds in one box are actually only 18 rounds of mixed ammo and one box of "new" ammo is reloaded with cast SWC. The rest seem to be actual new ammo.

So, if you're buying ammo from a private party don't be like me. Open every single box and make sure you're getting what you think you're getting.

 

[twofewscrews]

I had a similar experience awhile ago buying shotgun slugs from a pawnshop/gun trader/gun range. What was supposed to be full box of old but still usable Remington slugs turned out to be four Remington slugs and a single Federal slug. The writing on the Federal slug read Maximum, I think. I might have been able to return them but I decided to keep them as a reminder to myself to check what I buy when purchasing things second hand.

 

[rperyam]

During the last shortage of ammo I was in a small gun shop when someone returned three bricks of Winchester small pistol primers. I told the clerk I wanted them so he threw them in my bag with some holsters and a pound of powder. When I got home (3 hours away) and pulled them out of the bag, the small boxes were empty. Not a primer to be had. Check your purchase before you walk away.

 

[.455_Hunter]

I open all ammo at the checkout counter, or at least representative examples if buying multiple boxes. Far too many factory defects and QA/QC clusters nowadays.

 

[Waveski]

When I got home (3 hours away) and pulled them out of the bag, the small boxes were empty. Not a primer to be had.

Weren’t the primer boxes noticeably light?
One would think the store guy would catch that- especially if he went about the necessary duty of checking out a return item.

 

[rperyam]

I should have checked things in the store. My wife was in the truck waiting for me and I overheard the return going on with another staff member. It was one of those opportunities that happen and I agree about the staff member I was paying should have noticed the light boxes, I was thrilled by my "find" and just wanted out of there before they changed their mind and limited how many I could buy. Limits were normal back then. Live and learn.

 

[Waveski]

Your description of the situation makes sense , but I maintain that store personnel should always carefully inspect a return item before accepting it.

 

[Speedo66]

I wonder if the primer deal was an orchestrated scam between the clerk and the returnee?

Farfetched, but possible.

 

[packetloss]

I wonder if the primer deal was an orchestrated scam between the clerk and the returnee?

Farfetched, but possible.

That's what I think as well. There is no way they would take a return without checking the boxes.

 

[toivo]

Once I asked a Wal-Mart clerk if I could open the Winchester white box .380 to see if it was round-nose or flat-nose. It doesn't say on the box, and the flat-nose don't feed well in one of my pistols. He told me it was illegal to open ammo in the store. That sounded fishy to me, so I asked him why.

He said it was because I might put fingerprints on the casings and then not buy the ammo, so if the brass turned up at a crime scene, it would throw off the investigators. Needless to say, that's a pile of BS. I told him so and left the store.

 

[DustyGmt]

Once I asked a Wal-Mart clerk if I could open the Winchester white box .380 to see if it was round-nose or flat-nose. It doesn't say on the box, and the flat-nose don't feed well in one of my pistols. He told me it was illegal to open ammo in the store. That sounded fishy to me, so I asked him why.

He said it was because I might put fingerprints on the casings and then not buy the ammo, so if the brass turned up at a crime scene, it would throw off the investigators. Needless to say, that's a pile of BS. I told him so and left the store.

Yikes. I've heard some beauties from Wal mart employees as well. I know of folks here that work there so no offense to them but the sporting goods section employees in particular are complete and total utter garbage. I've had one decent employee that I actually liked and was helpful and he didn't last long.

WM needs to do a better job at training their employees......

 

[herrwalther]

Years ago I found a single 380ACP round in a 50 round box of 9mm. I don't even remember the brand. I didn't have a 380 at the time so I just tossed that round in the trash. Since then I open every tray box before I buy to make sure everything inside is what it should be. Most clerks don't care if I check before buying, especially if the box is already opened. I don't check bulk packs of loose ammo. I normally don't have the time to check every round. I am just more cautious when I load my magazines.

 

[vintovka]

Yes I inspect each box and later each round before loading up. Repairing a blown cylinder, barrel or worse (top strap) has always been expensive and now beyond most folks means. At a show 2 months ago I saw unmarked boxes of reloads being readily sold.

The empty primer boxes suggest blatant fraud. Folks returning "empty" or "substitute item" boxes must be out of hand. Some net vendors are now complaining of receiving stuff like a brick or other items in lieu of the merchandise that was to be returned. Carriers won't help as the package was electronically recorded as "delivered" using ending any chance of a claim.

I see some tool stores limiting refunds on returns to less than 75% of purchase price. This is due to many just buying, using and returning. Before you buy do check the merchandise AND the return policy (if any).

 

[toivo]

Yikes. I've heard some beauties from Wal mart employees as well. I know entropy works there so no offense to him or anybody that works there but their employees, sporting goods section employees in particular, are complete and total utter garbage. I've had one decent employee that I actually liked and was helpful and he didn't last long.

WM needs to do a better job at training their employees......

I didn't mean to single out Wal-Mart. I've heard some doozies at Dick's Sports and even Gander Mountain.

 

[Ivy Mike]

Yikes. I've heard some beauties from Wal mart employees as well. I know entropy works there so no offense to him or anybody that works there but their employees, sporting goods section employees in particular, are complete and total utter garbage. I've had one decent employee that I actually liked and was helpful and he didn't last long.

WM needs to do a better job at training their employees......

WM doesn't care. They want the cheapest labor they can get and if you don't like it, feel free to go pay more somewhere else. Oh wait, WM managed to shut down the competition in your area too. Oops.

 

[JTHunter]

Some years ago at a local gun show, I bought some fired brass for reloading from two different vendors. Both bags were listed as having 100 shells but neither did. One even had some other brass of at least two other calibers. The problem is that there is no way to check them out at the show.

 

[vintovka]

WM doesn't care. They want the cheapest labor they can get and if you don't like it, feel free to go pay more somewhere else. Oh wait, WM managed to shut down the competition in your area too. Oops.

Last trip to Wally the cashier was so old he needed a walker, hearing aids and was stationed as close to the restrooms as possible. He tried his best but he was having real trouble seeing the computer screen and i felt for him. Not far behind myself. Between this and being panhandled by sub 12 year olds in the lot it is tough to go back.

 

[Waveski]

I wonder if the primer deal was an orchestrated scam between the clerk and the returnee?

Farfetched, but possible.

Quite possible that the returnee did what he did intentionally ; highly unlikely that the store person knowingly sold those empty boxes to the OP - that sort of thing is business and occupational suicide.
I'm going with haste , negligence and/or incompetence from the store staff. Those are all bad things , but not as bad as intentional deceit.

 

[vintovka]

Been remodeling a bathroom so spending lots of time at big box stores. Lately return folks routinely open packages and inspect contents closely. Two south of border types tried to return a very beat up Harbor Freight saw in a new Makita box! They Left in a hurry (without the beat up saw) when clerk called manager. When it was my turn clerk said it happens all the time but facial recog program had already given an alert!!. Guess "loss control" is now a huge deal. On that note
Local LGS has new sign saying "POSITIVELY NO returns -warranty repairs only". FWIW the store has been packed of late. Many are inquiring about how much longer the "instant" background check will take.

 

[Waveski]

Two south of border types…..

This particular detail should have been left out of your account.

 

[ACES&8S]

My L G S uses clear bags with #'s on them + tagged with the mixed names, looks like it took a lot of work, all that stuff
has been sold a long time back. More factory ammo showing up now at 2 times the original price.

 

[John Joseph]

Old, loaded ammo is a crap shoot during the best of times. As a matter of principle, I refuse to play that game. YMMV of course.

 

[Ivy Mike]

Been remodeling a bathroom so spending lots of time at big box stores. Lately return folks routinely open packages and inspect contents closely. Two south of border types tried to return a very beat up Harbor Freight saw in a new Makita box! They Left in a hurry (without the beat up saw) when clerk called manager. When it was my turn clerk said it happens all the time but facial recog program had already given an alert!!. Guess "loss control" is now a huge deal. On that note
Local LGS has new sign saying "POSITIVELY NO returns -warranty repairs only". FWIW the store has been packed of late. Many are inquiring about how much longer the "instant" background check will take.

Dude, you're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud.

Chances are good that the big box store didn't own that Makita saw to begin with. Most of those kinds of things are sold on a consignment arrangement. However, the store eats the returns that can't be resold. Ever hear about stores tossing out perfectly good unsold merchandise in the dumpster? This is why. If the store owned it, they'd just mark it down and stick it on clearance until it sold. But they don't own it. The manufacturer or distributor owns it and when it doesn't sell for the agreed price, they have to come pick it up. However, they generally don't pick it up because its too expensive to do so so it goes in the trash, often with instructions to the store that it be destroyed or defaced.
Wasteful excess. It doesn't sell but rather than donate it, its better to throw away the materials and labor and deny someone else its use. Yay capitalism.

 

[vintovka]

The facial recog is common around here and is being used to track many down. The load a cart and push it out door without paying types and the "swarmers" really have insurance companies attention. At our Wally world checkout there's a big screen you can see up on the wall. It draws a outline square around your face (if close enough) and then freeze frames it for a second or two just to let you know you are not only being watched. They also have private security altho they will never admit it. Thought i was being nice by not saying FIIMB's

 

[Ranger99]

Yikes. I've heard some beauties from Wal mart employees as well. I know of folks here that work there so no offense to them but the sporting goods section employees in particular are complete and total utter garbage. I've had one decent employee that I actually liked and was helpful and he didn't last long.

WM needs to do a better job at training their employees......

Yep

There's a national problem with people
in positions they're not qualified for.
I've seen bank tellers that can't count money, cashiers at stores that can't count money,
( where both jobs require the ability to
accurately count and make change)
people working at automotive related jobs
that know nothing about the automotive trade, people in gun stores/departments
that know nothing of guns, etc. etc.

It's a backwards world in 2021