Curious about Gander Mountain Ad

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meathammer

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I received a Gander Mountain flyer in the mail yesterday, and something really caught my eye. An ad for a Glock 23 with a short description under the picture.

Right below it, in very small writing it reads: "Sorry, due to local ordinances, handguns are not available in Madison, WI."

Can anyone in the Madison area shed some light on this? Is it possible this is just a single store policy? Just wondering. :confused:
 
I still have that add as well, I need to go look at it again. :confused:

IIRC, the main gun ordinance in Madison I was aware of was a hollow-point ban, similar to New Jersey's. I think that they tried to get some exemption from the statwide gun-preemption law we passed (thank God...), but it was limited to a number of years, and they couldn't add any more ordinances under it either.

My best guess is that its more because the uber-pinko Madison city government wouldn't approve Gander Mountain's zoning unless they agreed not to sell pistols.

Yes, someone from the Madison area please speak up if they're in the know, I'm curious too.
 
So the ad was saying they don't sell handguns in Madison?? Wow that is wierd I am pretty sure we have premption here in Wisconny.

I did look up the ads online but can't seem to find any glocks advertised. I think you might have seen this ad. I just called and talked to the Madison GM and they insist that it is against the law to sell handguns in Madison. Anybody have any ideas on this one??
 
Sturmruger,

Yes, the ad is similar to the XD one you linked to. But this was a sales ad/flyer in my mailbox. It's a picture and description of a Glock 23. With the small disclaimer.
Maybe someone can look up some other local gun shops in the Madison area, and hear what they say about it?
 
The Scoop

I found more info on www.packing.org that talks about preemption here in Wisconsin.


Here is the relevant excerpt from the Wisconsin State Statutes 66.0409

66.0409 Local regulation of firearms.

66.0409(1)(b)"Political subdivision" means a city, village, town or county.

66.0409(2) Except as provided in subs. (3) and (4), no political subdivision may enact an ordinance or adopt a resolution that regulates the sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, bearing, transportation, licensing, permitting, registration or taxation of any firearm or part of a firearm, including ammunition and reloader components, unless the ordinance or resolution is the same as or similar to, and no more stringent than, a state statute.

66.0409(4)(b)If a political subdivision has in effect on November 17, 1995, an ordinance or resolution that regulates the sale, purchase, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, bearing, transportation, licensing, permitting, registration or taxation of any firearm or part of a firearm, including ammunition and reloader components, and the ordinance or resolution is not the same as or similar to a state statute, the ordinance or resolution shall have no legal effect and the political subdivision may not enforce the ordinance or resolution on or after November 18, 1995.


It looks like the Madison Gander Mountain is still observing the city ordinance, that it expired in 1998!! What a bunch of idiots. I think I am going to send a nice friendly email to the general manager of the Madison Gander Mountain, and alert him to his mistake.



EDITED

I just called and talked to Mic who is the General Manager of the Madison Gander Mountain. I told him of my concern with the lack of handgun sales, and he explained the problem. The city of Madison turned firearms sales into a zoning issue!!! It is legal to sell handguns, but not if you are not zoned for it!!! He said that the corporate office has done everything they can to get around the ordinance but they have not been able to figure out what to do. He said corporate has received allot of angry letters but people don't realize that it isn't an outright ban on firearm sales just a zoning ban which unfortunately is legal.
 
Madison's Municipal Ordinance 25.01(11):
(11) Sale of Handguns and Handgun Ammunition Unlawful.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, association, or corporation to sell, give away, trade, or transfer any handgun to any other person, firm, association, or corporation within the corporate boundaries of the City of Madison.
Click to expand...

I think there is at least one gun shop ("Rusk") whose location was not originally in Madison but annexed later; I believe they have some sort of exemption.

-z
 
It is legal to sell handguns, but not if you are not zoned for it!!! He said that the corporate office has done everything they can to get around the ordinance but they have not been able to figure out what to do.
Click to expand...

Sounds like they need to take it to court. The city is using their zoning law as a de-facto ban on handgun sales. That's contrary to the spirit of the pre-emption, and should be stopped. Take them to court, and make them obey the law.
 
Zoning....

Wow, I guessed right.

Gander Mountain and other intending gun shops could probably take it to court, it's certainly a dirty trick to prohibit handgun sales without zoning for it, then refusing to zone anywhere as a handgun store area.

I would guess that Gander Mountian would have taken the City of Madison to court over it already, but the lawyers at Corp HQ, probably told them it wasn't worth the expense.

The good thing about Madison, is that with the isthmus, and all the lakes surrounding it, there's plenty of places to dispose of thier politicians. :fire:
 
Yes you were right AJ we should have never doubted you.

I might go over to the Eau Claire GM they have the SA DX40 on sale for $419!!
 
Glenview IL did the same thing to Galyans in order for them to build there. No firearms sales at all...not just handguns. Too bad because their gun selection in Schaumburg is pretty good.

Frickin' local pols....
 
Zac Smith,
Rusk is technically in Fitchburg which is why they can sell handguns. At least now there is a Galyans in Middleton so handguns are available there as well.
 
While we do have the pre-emption legislation, and it's true that selling handguns in Madison is legal, the city nevertheless makes life "uncomfortable" for shop owners who do so. The result is that there's a whole bunch of shops in the Madison area that don't carry handguns.

Amazing that a city can make life miserable for those who are law-abiding. Of course, that's where the powerbrokers convene to make sure we don't have the means to defend ourselves in public.
 
Another thing about Gander Mountain some fo you may find interesting, they do not carry any military stile weapons. I was told I couldn’t order a Marine Magnum from them, not used for hunting (company policy against military stile weapons). Maybe I should mention the military carries Berretas which they sell at the store.
The senior management at Gander probably doesn’t have the backbone to file a lawsuit. I like the store a lot but if I ever want to buy an AR-15 or something for sport, I'll have to go somewhere else.
 
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