Sports Authority removing gun/archery items

[Desk Jockey]

Fortunately, we have three Sportsman's Warehouse stores in the Denver metro area which carry an excellent selection of guns at good prices.

Along with Gander Mountain, Bass Pro, and soon a new Cabela's.

I went to a Sports Authority in nothern VA when I lived there. The closest thing to a gun in that store was a baseball pitching machine. But as pointed out earlier, I think they're mostly chasing the golfers, little-leaguers, and soccer moms.

 

[1911JMB]

I got a 10/22 from sports authority a few years ago for 150 bucks, and I have bought at least a thousand dollars worth of ammo from them. My theory is, if they stop selling guns and ammo, they stop getting my money. Same thing with Kmart. I say boycot any jackass company that bows down to political corruption.

 

[jlseagull]

So we return to the question.... "where do the guns go?"

does SA have a subsidiary who will be quietly selling them at lower prices to keep them moving, do the store managers suddenly show up at a gun show pulling a red wagon of guns, do they drop them into the box-press at the back of the store and watch them get bent?

Inquiring minds want to know.

And for my part, I don't see this as part of a vast left-wing conspiracy. I think it has much more to do with economics. Think of how often big box stores have empty counters where they do sell guns. The areas are often staffed with part-time teens who have often never even held a gun. The liability issues are also immense. This hunting season, I went into Wal-mart and asked for a box of .243 shells for my dad.

I made the mistake at not looking at the box before I left, but discovered later that I'd been sold .243 super-short magnum rounds. I didn't test to see if I could have chambered them in a standard .243, but it looks like they might have fit and gone boom.

 

[DonP]

Once upon a time ...

I got a really nice deal on my Colt Government Pocketlite SA .380 at the SA in Calumet City, IL. But that was years ago.

Then they bought out SportMart and dropped all firearm sales. Now Sports Authority and Dick's are becoming little more than overpriced sport shoes and golf equipment sales centers for Yppie types.

Their tents and camping gear are pretty much backyard quality stuff and nothing I'd take to the Boundary Waters for a week or two.

Gander Mountain just opened two stores in our area and they still have guns, long and hand, albeit high-priced, but still a variety, including reloading parts and equipment at the local one.

Leave an opening in the marketplace and someone will fill in the gap at a profit.

It's only a matter of time before SA goes totally belly up IMNSHO. You can buy the same shoes at a Discount Shoe Warehouse for 15% less and there are golf discounters everywhere.

They can follow their politically correct marketing decision right into Chapter 11.

 

[TX1911fan]

Went today and everything is gone except paintball and airsoft. They don't even have hunting clothing (camo, etc.) or other supplies such as cleaning, ammo boxes, etc. It's pretty sad. I wish Sportsman's Warehouse was closer, but I guess I'll just have to keep making that 20 minute drive.

 

[Justin R]

Yea

I noticed that last year and I havent been back since

I have a Bass Pro Shop / Outdoor World within 20 miles so that helps

 

[panzermk2]

Dr Who you are so rite I live in Ill and for years now thats the way its been,
Hell the Kennedy's run this state through absentia by King Richard the D$ckHeaded

 

[feedthehogs]

I say boycot any jackass company that bows down to political corruption.

Did ya ever consider that this was an economic decision?

With the low profit margin on guns, that space in the store could be better used to sell higher profit items.

Everyone wants to buy items for pennies on the dollar. Doing so creates situations like this.
Guns are not a high profit industry. Ask anyone who owns a gun store.
Hell ask Winchester.

Thats the way the world works. The world demands Walmart pricing.
There are casualties to that way of thinking.

Quit looking for black sedans and helicoptors at every mention of stores that stop selling guns.

 

[scout26]

Could it possiblly have something to do with that video on the Brady Campaign website ??????.

(HINT: Hidden camera catches SA employee selling gun to a felon).

 

[LiquidTension]

There isn't a Sports Authority anywhere near here, and I only go to Dick's for laughs. I worked there for a brief time - the name is well suited. They do have the best price on 10/22s, but everything else is pretty steep.

How's Sportsman's Warehouse? They're building one right up the street but I've never been in one.

 

[Rockrivr1]

It's no big surprise that the SA in Massachusetts pulled all it's guns and ammo years ago. As some have already stated, it's not a big deal as their prices really sucked. I remember seeing some of the ammo with dust on the top of the boxes because they had sat there so long. The last time I was there the area had been filled in with fishing gear.

 

[mustanger98]

My brother-in-law just "discovered" Dick's... and he also embarrassed himself really bad. According to my sister, they were walking out across a parking lot and BIL hollers "I love Dick's". She said there was a black guy (I don't know why the fact he was black was significant, but he was) out there who gave BIL a really wierd look. BIL's like "I mean the sporting goods store!!!"

FWIW, from what they're saying, Dick's don't have nuthin'. And I don't bother. Especially since I know where all the real gun shops are locally.

 

[SouthpawShootr]

My brother-in-law just "discovered" Dick's... and he also embarrassed himself really bad. According to my sister, they were walking out across a parking lot and BIL hollers "I love Dick's". She said there was a black guy (I don't know why the fact he was black was significant, but he was) out there who gave BIL a really wierd look. BIL's like "I mean the sporting goods store!!!"

Yeah, that black guy was probably thinking "Something seriously wrong with that white boy."

Who bought out Sports Authority? I must have missed it. It's been about 10 years since I've gone inside any of the local SA stores. Lost interest with they stopped carrying handguns (as already stated never any deals, but occasionally an acceptable price).

 

[DHFirearms]

I personally think its great they quit carrying guns. We don't have one locally but I had the chance to visit one in Amarillo Tx early last year, along with a Gander Mountain. I found both of their selections to be extremely mainstream. By that I mean nothing but hunting type sporting arms, no AR's, AK's, SKS's or anything similar. I think the only auto-loading rifles they had were 22's.

The same goes for BasePro in St.Charles, MO but that place is just so damn cool I can over look their lack of evil guns. They all seam to carry a nice selection of handguns, but their political postion on those is probably their meant for law enforcement types.

Our local Walmart pulled their two little turn table things full of all 20 guns they carry. I think its a great thing, I wish Dick's would do the same. You can say its because I'm a dealer, and I would like to make the sale, true. But even before I got an FFL I still hated giving my money to giant corporations that operate the way they do. Such as bullying manufactures into giving them better prices so they can sell cheaper than anyone else and still turn a large profit, then keeping those profits by not paying their employees crap. And I still find on most guns I can comfortably match the big company's prices with out hurting myself. Just my .02

 

[Snorkel Bob]

OK, heres the straight scoop on The Sports Authority.
I am employed by the company and am running their highest volume hunting department. (In Cali no less).

The entire chain DID NOT get rid of the firearms, just certain stores that did not sell enough to warrent the continued waste of manpower and space. It was NOT a political move, strickly an ecomnomical move. Most of you know what its like to go into some of our store and not have anyone that knows anything about firearms. Trust me, its a pain to find people that are gun guys that want to work for the store. I end up training all my guys myself, most managers dont go to this level like myself.

All the stores that pulled the hunting departments sent their product to other stores that do sell hunting. I ended up recieving product from 5 stores in the past month, guns included.

The stores that still do hunting are doing very well in this category, they are just trimming the worthless fat right now. Alot of old stuff that has been sitting for awhile.

Yes they seem to be catering to golf/shoes/clothes. But thats were the money is made, sorry to dissapoint ya'll but guns dont bring in the money like the other departments do.

 

[LAK]

When whoever took over Oshmans made the trendy name change it should have been a red flag for what was coming. Very trendy indeed.

Let's hope that outlets like Academy Sports don't go the same way.

------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org

 

[Fire4Effect]

And I can not stand Dick's...Don't know Dick about guns

 

[Fire4Effect]

Call me a dirty old man but the only reason I buy ammo at Wal-Mart is to watch the girl bend over to get it... Kind of like Deuce Bigalow... and I always need to compare the stuff on the bottom shelf but seriously, you gotta love a store like Wal-Mart. Where else can you go buy prescription pain-killers, guns, bullets, jewelry, car parts, and a Big Mac under one roof? Oh! you can also get lingere, and "R" rated movies like Scarface and Goodfellas full of the "F-bomb", but you can't get an un-edited music cd cause people might find that offensive... :banghead:

 

[Fire4Effect]

Maybe I should have started a Wal-Mart thread instead of posting under this one...

 

[Don't Tread On Me]

Laugh at the free market. Free market principles are interdependent with a free society. Free market capitalism is the only form of economy that is compatible with a society that embraces liberty, such as the freedom of speech or the right to keep and bear arms.

Sports Authority is exercising their right to choose what not to sell. Perhaps the motivation is not a political one. Perhaps stocking guns or ammo is a greater expense than it is worth. Perhaps that space in stores can be used for something more profitable. Honestly, I never knew Sports Authority sold gun-related things until a year ago when I was in their store to buy some swimming trunks I saw that they have rifle bags, cleaning supplies, some hunting stuff. Similar to what Wal*Mart carries. My SA only had shotgun ammunition.

If the decision were political, and not based on sound business, then they will face the consequences. They will lose a source of profit that their competitors will use to get ahead.


The free-market aspect of all of this, which is what some people scoff at, is how YOU can also make political decisions. You can choose not to shop there entirely, whether it be for socks, shoes, tennis balls etc...you can vote with your wallet.


Now, as Correia says, the real marketplace is the internet. Prices cannot be beat on the net. The best, and I mean best part of it all is that when you shop on the net, you don't pay sales tax. That's very sweet. Not because of the savings which are often negated due to shipping, but because I'd rather give UPS my money, rather than have the government take my money. UPS will create jobs and wealth with my business, the government will only create poverty, corruption and injustice with my money.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I stopped by a Gart Sports (owned by SA) in Colorado Springs yesterday and saw that they are still carrying a nice variety of guns/ammo/etc.

Just an observation in support of Snorkel Bob's post.

 

[Springfield_1911SS]

my local wal-mart stopped selling guns, the used to have 2 of those spinning racks and now none, but they still have ammo

but in the same shopping center a Dicks is opening up, im hopiong they will have guns