Wally world

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Kevin3824

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I was in wally world tonight waiting in line to buy ammunition when all of a sudden a young kid walks to the front of the line and interrupts the salesman filing out a hunting license for a customer asking how much their cheapest .22 rifle is. The salesman replied 107 dollars. The kid says his mom works in the pharmacy and he would be right back. A few minutes later he comes back with mom again cutting in front of others like myself in line the first chance he got. He asked to see he rifle. The salesman opens the case and hands him the rifle.

Keep in mind this kid looks like he is maybe 14 years old. He started telling me about how he was going to use this rifle for home defense. I informed him that it was not a very wise choice for that purpose and a shotgun would be more effective. He said he did not want a shotgun because previously he fired one and landed on his arse. He then went on to tell his mother who seemed pretty uneducated on guns in general that this was an automatic rifle and how he would just keep shooting anyone who broke into their house till the clip was empty but did not want to kill them only stop them. I simply corrected him that it was a semi automatic.

I asked the boy if he realized that if he was to shoot a person even in his home he would more likely then not be arrested and have to pay legal costs to stay out of prison. He then told me he was told by a Scranton Police officer that if a person breaks into his house and threatens his life he could legally shoot them.

The boy did ask the clerk how much the smallest quantity of ammo they sold for the gun was and wanted two boxes of that as well.

The entire time this was going on I could not help but to stop and think that this clerk is about to sell a gun and ammo to a child and run the pics on mom. Once they leave the store the gun will be in the child's control as mom is clueless on its operation. I did suggest that she may want to pick up a free cable lock from the sheriff's office to be able to control child access to the gun.

If I was the salesman I would have only let the adult handle the gun and only sold to the adult. I would make sure that they understood if the child uses it in an illegal fashion that the gun is owned by the adult so therefore they are responsible for what happens with it as well. This entire incident screamed out to me like it was a straw purchase setup as the child was the one calling the shots.

At that point I looked at the mom and told her to go online and check out the pa firearms owners website as well as the website for the state attorney general office as there she will find some sound advice on the law.

I will go in there again soon as I know where the mom works and talk to her about it hopefully she will see the value of teaching another person about the responsibility of gun ownership. I did not really have a decent conversation with her as the son was all knowing when it came to guns.

I think maybe I will offer to take them both to the range someday soon as the only range the boy mentioned knowing about was the one in Gouldsboro when I was asking for directions to an indoor range I had recently heard of but never tried before.

Gouldsboro SGL is currently closed for lead removal which the signage says will take about 30 days. I did not know at the time it was closed for lead removal but found out a little while later.

The boy mentioned it It seems to me that if the boys dad was around he would not have hounded mom like he did. I think mom and the boy would both benefit from some safe range time.

The entire time I was CCW my S&W 649 .357 Magnum and had both a Glock 34 9mm and a .22 Ruger Mark 1 in the car as well. When the sales clerk asked me how they could help me I just picked up two boxes of 100 round 9mm Luger FMJ and 1-100 round box of 357 magnum SJHP and spent almost as much as his rifle without the kid even thinking about what I was buying there.

Anyhow, I thought I would share this experience with you all. If it does go further I will also keep you informed. It would also not surprise me if mom does not sign up here as well and start participating in this forum as we all know the two websites are so closely related.
 
The entire time I was CCW my S&W 649 .357 Magnum and had both a Glock 34 9mm and a .22 Ruger Mark 1 in the car as well.
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How did you have your G34 and Mark I secured in the car? Were they loaded?

Just curious.
 
You tried to do right. MY mom would have told to to mind your own business, but she was out spoken like that. Are you sure there is no Dad at home, he may have had to work.

Never would have let him cut line, twice, like that.:uhoh:
 
The entire time I was CCW my S&W 649 .357 Magnum and had both a Glock 34 9mm and a .22 Ruger Mark 1 in the car as well.
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Interesting story, but what's the point of mentioning that? Did you feel threatened by the little kid and his new toy? ;)
 
ok the other two guns were in the car in a hard sided locked case inside a large duffel bag I got for a range bag with my other range stuff. The doors were locked and alarm was set.

I would have only sold the gun to and adult I would also never have handed the gun to a child directly as I would not want to lose my job over something stupid like that. To me the child's level of responsibility was up to the adult (Parent) to judge not the clerk.

As far as letting him cut line twice he is just a kid no reason to go of on him he was obviously excited about possibly getting his first gun which he may one day use to shoot responsibly.

As far as me thinking dad was not around well I have no real fact to base that on other then gut feeling but even those when I feel them this strongly are typically pretty accurate.

Point of mentioning I was caring was the fact that I did not think the kid even had that much of a clue about his surroundings. Had he known that maybe he would not have acted like he knows everything there is to know about guns in the store. If for any reason I would have felt threatened I would have simply tucked in my t-shirt and gone to open carry mode.I actually could have offered to take them to the range prior to them buying the gun at that very moment.

Do you see a 107 dollar rifle as a better HD weapon then a shotgun as well like that child was insisting? Do you think that even with a 22 rifle you will be able to take down an armed burglar without killing him by simply shooting him till the clip is empty. Oh and by the way this armed burglar would be shooting you at the same time now too.

I responded to this post in this manner as I somehow felt like I was being bullied by the what is the point line of questioning. Overall I thought it was a nice experience to share with others here now I am wondering if I should have shared it at all.
 
Most people at Walmart are not gun people, but they will sell it to those who have an adult with them.

Before I could legally buy ammunition, I would go with my grandfather or one of my parents. None are truly gun types, but they all would know the basic operations of one.

However, on one occasion I recall asking the cashier if I could get a box of .22 RF. My grandfather was standing behind me at the moment. He got the box out, and handed it to me. When I tried to get him to ring it up, he said, "no, you aren't old enough for that, and I can't sell it to you".

Now, I was never an odd looking type of person, and I could have easily demonstrated my competency with the subject at hand. I have always been of the comb over, polo shirt, khaki pants type- not the sort who draws negative attention in a gun store, and who quite frankly looks pretty much at home there.

So I called his manager down there, and he chewed the cashier out for it. I got the box of ammo (Excuse me, grandad got the box of ammo), and went along with my business.

The tl,dr of it is that cashiers have no business trying to arbitrarily stop sales to children, particularly when most walmart cashiers aren't going to know enough to determine whether or not the person is competent.

When I started reloading as a wee lad, my parents were pleasantly surprised that they could stop going into all those gun stores, because gun stores don't have to "card" for components :neener:
 
Kevin3824 said:
Do you see a 107 dollar rifle as a better HD weapon then a shotgun as well like that child was insisting? Do you think that even with a 22 rifle you will be able to take down an armed burglar without killing him by simply shooting him till the clip is empty. Oh and by the way this armed burglar would be shooting you at the same time now too.
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Better than nothing isn't it? I'd rather have a .22 than no gun at all. Considering the kid's experience level (or lack there of) I'd say a .22 is the best choice. Whether he should have a gun or not is his parent's business.

When the kid is older he'll get a better HD gun. I wouldn't worry about it.

Though it is strange they let him handle the gun without handing it to the mother first. I thought that was WM policy.
 
Most people at Walmart are not gun people, but they will sell it to those who have an adult with them.
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Oh really? Who fills out and signs the ATF Form 4473?

It sure ain't the kid.
 
Mom or Dad buying a firearm for their kid, is NOT a straw purchase, not in Ohio, probably not anywhere.

UJ
 
The kid shows as a perfect example how a .22 long rifle is a home defence platform.
Mom can buy that .22 rifle and put it in the house and not break any law. that kid can use it to protect "family"

Since when is the .22lr underpowered and especially stingers. The gun if it is repeatable "semi" tube fed is great will be pretty damn good in my book.
A rifle is a rifle. Good for keeping people at a distance.
A pistol is a pistol. Good for keeping people off of your person.

If you unload a tube of stingers into a "house breaking thief" He will not be smiling I guarantee you that.
Farmers have been knowing this for years. Ask them what have they been using to slaughter hogs and cattle with. Answer .22lr

Go to home depot and get one of those power hammers that takes the .22 short blank and drive a nail into concrete. Drive a nail into a 2X4.
Even the slow 720 fps subsonic rounds that do not cycle well will penetrate hard wood 3/4 of an inch.
Until you develop a healthy respect for any firearm and the devestation it can cause try a power hammer. I know the cartridges might be a bit heavy on the power side but you will understand.
That kid might prove smarter than you think.
 
Did they invite you to give all of this advice, or did you invite yourself?

I forget what the actual number is, but some very large number of self-defense uses of firearms result in no discharge of the firearm. The mere presence of the firearm ends the danger to the defender. I believe it is over 80%. In that regard, the .22 rifle and the shotgun may be equivalent.
 
"As far as letting him cut line twice he is just a kid no reason to go of on him he was obviously excited about possibly getting his first gun which he may one day use to shoot responsibly."
Don't care how old the boy is, rude is RUDE! Don't stand for it.
From the tone of the post, I get the idea that this is one of the sad cases of a kid who runs the parents. IF this is the case, bad idea in my opinion to get the kid a gun. Sounded like he just wanted to shoot someone.
Good luck with the Mom.
And yes any gun is better than no gun for HD/SD.
 
If this is the case in many locals why do so many of you want a CCW permit??

"I asked the boy if he realized that if he was to shoot a person even in his home he would more likely then not be arrested and have to pay legal costs to stay out of prison."
 
Well my parents had no problems having me wait in line, and actually, I was trained if there was a women behind me with only a small purchase and I had a purchase that would take a while (for example, she getting a box of ammo, and I am getting a gun) that I would let the women go first.

Sorry you had to deal with rudeness, but it seems that that not uncommon these days. Then agian, my parents and exp. my mom got a lot of flack on how she raised us, made sure we where polite and limited our TV watching to "good for the mind" items. she must of done something right as she has 4 kids and all of us turned out rather well.
 
My only issue is with the incredible rudeness (line-cutting, etc.) displayed. There is nothing wrong with a parent buying a .22 rifle for a kid, nor is there anything wrong with the clerk letting the kid handle the rifle in the store with an accompanying adult. A .22 semi-auto rifle for home defense is not my first choice, but I would not go up against one either.
 
Kevin,

It sounds like your intentions were good in offering advice to the teen and his mother. It is even more commendable that you are considering taking them shooting. Goodness knows that we need more knowledgeable firearms owners than ignorant one's.

If I may offer some input though; I have read the corresponding posts that have been put up in response. It's obvious that some choose to focus on the nuances of your conversation and offer you their take on it. That is what these boards often generate whether you asked for it or not. It is another fact that this exact type of store interaction has been known to go "the other way" (in instances of the gun store 'know it all') where the difference is one offers an innocent, unsolicited opinion (rather than being obnoxious) and the other party gets offended. It's a completely subjective reaction and, hey, that's the risk one takes. The 'myob' did not happen to you (this time). Don't take the posts too critical... we can be inherently critical as responsible gun owners and forget the general motive for the behavior, it sounds like you were just trying to be helpful. I try to think of the 'critical' posts as tough love sometimes, though, you get what you pay for right? ;)
 
The line cutting should not have been tolerated. That's just plain rude. As far as the kid handling the weapon, if the clerk handed it to him, they were violating company policy. A weapon must only be handed to a person of legal age to purchase. Not much you can do if the adult hands it to the child, though.

My wife manages a sporting goods dept at Wal-Mart, and has ticked off quite a few people by following the rules. She's good at ignoring line-jumpers, too. No matter where they work. I've seen her in action while buying ammo. Kind of funny, actually.

As for advice, she leaves that to Dr. Phil, unless it is solicited. So do I, and in my state, much of your advice would've been incorrect. I guess you don't have the Castle Doctrine where you're at.

Selling a long gun to an adult knowing it is a present for a child is not against any law I'm aware of, either. Isn't that how most of us got our first .22? I know it was for me, but back then I suppose things were different. Mine came from Western Auto, if I remember correctly.
 
But if you had said you were ccw a 380 some one would have told you how dumb you are for carrying such a underpower cal. go figure...:banghead:
 
I will go in there again soon as I know where the mom works and talk to her about it hopefully she will see the value of teaching another person about the responsibility of gun ownership. I did not really have a decent conversation with her as the son was all knowing when it came to guns.

I think maybe I will offer to take them both to the range someday soon as the only range the boy mentioned knowing about was the one in Gouldsboro when I was asking for directions to an indoor range I had recently heard of but never tried before.
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soooooooooooooooo, sounds like the kid's mom is hot, eh?:D


on a serious note.....most of us were excited about gettin' our first gun, and most of us were know-it-alls and most of us were somewhat rude @ age 14. That didn't necessarily make us irresponsible with firearms. Give the kid the benefit of the doubt.

Most states require a firearm safety class before one can buy a license to hunt regardless of age........this is something you need to suggest to mom. If there isn't a father figure in the picture, you need to recommend she take the class with her son.
 
Not to turn this into a Walmart hate thread, but I was trying to buy some ammo and before I paid for it, I wanted to check the ammo to make sure no bad primers or bad setbacks, so I needed them to open the boxes so that I could inspect it quickly, it would take 15 seconds a box at most. Somehow it ended up taking 40 minutes and I only got 7 50 round boxes, and I rejected 2 boxes due to not liking the primers. I'm definitely not anal retentive, but at $.20 a round now, I'm going to want what I paid for. They wouldn't even let me touch the ammo, or even the box before I paid for it. Mind you, before she would even let me view the rounds, she had to card me. I definitely don't look under 21, but whatever. That was the most painful experience at Walmart so far.

On another note, at a different Walmart, the ammo case in open on one side and you can get to most of the 9mm, .40 and .45. And they don't seem to bother fixing it either since its been like that for at least 6 months. So I just grab a few boxes of ammo and take it with me since there is no clerk nearby. Never seem to have any issues other than getting carded when its time to pay.

In summary, the policies of Walmart seem to not be the same from store to store.
 
If you do happen to see them again I would explain the rules of joining me to a range secession, and if all parties agreed, I would take this young man and start his experience as a responsible gun owner.


On a side note... I asked for 2 boxes of 9mm for a friend of mine as I was going to get shotgun slugs anyway. The clerk told me to stay behind the counter (more like the end of the isle.) I was laughing and a little agrivated that I wasnt trusted to stand in the same isle as an open glass case of ammunition. Then followed by additude of "I dont make the rules" in which i politely explained that the store policy ISNT her fault but that they do not have fire arms locked only ammunition. Then she asked about what kind of gun it was for... (non of her business) "rifle" I replied. and went on my way. I just was sooo amazed that 1. I couldn't be near ammo with out being 10 ft. behind her and 2. she probably wouldnt have sold me the ammo if I told her my true intentions (going to the range with my buddy and not wasting his ammo) I have heard these things before on the forums but I have never witnessed it first hand.

This experience has not stoped me from shopping at wally world as they STILL have the lowest prices for practice 9mm and 20 ga. slugs. And like has been posted I'm not trying to turn this into a wally world thread but this young man buying a .22 is so far from the service I get here in CT.
 
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