Interesting experience at Wal-Mart

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WheelMan

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I'm sitting here minding my own business when I notice that the cartridge loops on my pistol belt are empty... That won't do.

I get up and go down to the house magazine... no .44 magnum... "Odd", I think, "that's never happened before." :)

So I walk around to the components. 1000's large pistol primers, 100s of .44 cal bullets, and 5 pounds of H110... eh I don't feel like reloading right now.

So naturally it's off to Wal-Mart

I walk back to the sporting goods section and a more-helpful-than-usual night stocker helps me retrieve a box of .44 and a can of .177 pellets (out of those too).

"This register's closed so I'll have to carry them to the front for you," He says cleverly, realizing that I might have an air-rifle down the leg of my trousers.

I counter with "I have some more shopping to do," hoping he would relent and just hand me my merchandise (There are 4000 shotgun shells and some clearance ammo (PISTOL AMMO!) setting on an unlocked, unglassed shelf to my left, which throws into sharp contrast the absurdity of this particular policy

Well he's too clever for that. He comes right back with, "I'll take it up for you then, Register 13." Now this I kind of like, it's like having a personal shopping assistant, "Say that ammo is so heavy, could you hump that up to the front while I saunter up there unencumbered? Thanks."

So I'm feeling grand, not carrying anything, making my merry way to register 13 where I understand my Man Friday has made arrangements for me.

I find register 13 occupied by three pre-teen girls buying compacts. They're shrieking and trying to disrobe each other, maybe that's what girls do, I dunno. I busied myself looking in the other direction. Anyhow I indicate that I'm the foreign dignitary who can't be made to carry his own purchases to the front of the store and the cashier starts to ring me up. I answer all the questions,

"Is it for a handgun?"
"Are you over 21?:
"Are you going to shoot an elected official?"

(I bet that last sentence will make this post show up in some FBI agent's email tomorrow morning. Dear FBI: I've recently started the "pre-Quantico" fitness program, if you could send me an FBI academy T-shirt and a pair of jogging shorts that would be swell, I'm sure you already have my address and sizes.)

Anyway, the cashier then says: "I bought my husband's academy (police, I would assume) ammo here and the manager had to walk me out because I bought so much"

Alright, what the heck is that supposed to mean? I assume she didn't mean he helped her carry it. What sort of message is that policy supposed to send? Here are my guesses as to what a manager might say when asked by a bulk purchaser as to why he's being escorted out:

"We're willing to take a risk on a one box rampage but a twelve box rampage just doesn't sit well with us."

"If you can afford $5000 worth of ammo, I want to see what sort of car you drive."

"Sir, I'd just like to be the first to ask for a place of honor in the new government you will no doubt bloodily carve out of our community using all this ammo"

These kinds of things are totally without thought and based on fear and emotion. Makes me ill, really.

Also, anybody around here use winchester USA .44 magnum (240 grain soft point)? some of them have a weird banded discoloration (a darker rusty brass color) on the part of the case that grips the bullet.
 
Crazy isnt' it? If you purchase it right there then they give it to you. Like a plastic bag with a receipt with foil evil intentions!

I had the same thing happen to me before. Register was closed so I got an escort to the front.

What I like is the "manager" that insists on taking things one step further on gun purchases. Instead of just giving it to me at the front of the store, they want to take it with me to the car. Strange that amnesia always sets in during those times. After about three to four rounds of the parking lot I usually remember where I park. Of course my sudden "cure" depends on the weight of the gun and outside temperature. Sometimes it takes a bit more to work up a good sweat. :D

Good Shooting
Red
 
Well, at least your Wal Mart carries ammunition. After hearing of the great deals on Winchester Bulk ammo at WM, I went to the WM Super Center here in Long Beach, People's Republic of California hoping to buy a thousand rounds. It takes 15 mins to find the sporting good section, I search there for another 10 mins and could not locate ANY ammunition. 15 mins later I track down a salesperson and she tells me they dont carry ammo... they dont sell any firearms either - - WTH is up with that? I guess I'll have to crank up my Dillon 1050 and roll some rounds; I was hoping to shoot the wht label up for the brass, but I guess I can squeeze a few more loadings out of what I have. I hate California
 
A few months ago, I was in Wally World and bought 5 bricks of 22's and a couple hundred rounds of 20 gauge shells. As I was being checked out a kid standing behind me asks if I was gonna shoot somebody with that.
I thought he asked if I was gonna shoot something. So I said yes I am.
My Daugher jabs me in the ribs and gives me that same look that her Mother gives! Now some times I'm kinda slow, so my Daugher explains to me what just took place. So I tried to straighten things out. It didn't work!

They carried my ammo out to the car for me!!!!!
Abenaki
 
The only thing that makes any sense is that they're afraid you'll pop the box, swipe the rounds loose and dump the box.

But it's probably just panty-wetting by management.

Apologies to any ladies who wear panties.

Or men.

Of course, all LADIES wear panties, though many WOMEN don't.

Ah, hell, I'll drop this. There's nowhere good to go from here.
 
Same thing happened to me. I bought a 100pk of Federal 12ga in #8, and a brick of Rem. .22lr.

her: Shotgun shells: Excuse me, I need to see your ID. :scrutiny: :scrutiny: :scrutiny: @ my license.

.22's: She still has the ID. Computer asks "for pistol or rifle?" She asks me, I say rifle. She then :scrutiny: :scrutiny: the ID some more, when it asks if I am 18.

I understand that they need to perform security and such, but when I have a box of sporting clays, a couple of slings, a buttcuff ammo holder, and a box of earplugs, that one might be doing something sporting with it. :rolleyes:

Next time, I will reply: "Humph. I am buying ammo, I didnt expect the Spanish Inquisistion..."



:D
 
I personally haven't been to WW in a long long time, and that was because Mom wanted something from there. But...

I have a lady friend whom has a CCW, had her daughter with her, she too is not a big WW fan...but daugter had a need for poster board, and stuff for a project. Mom decided to look at ammo, decided to buy, the questions were asked...
" Nope the .38spl ammo is for my daughter's handgun I gave her for her
9 th birthday, figured I'd let her take it to school for show and tell ...and that crazy neighbor's cat is bugging us....". :uhoh: :rolleyes: :D

After the saleslady picked her jaw up from the floor..." Umm I know better than that, it just the stupid policies we have here, we have to ask" . She paid for the ammo, placed into a sack, stapled with reciept, and she continued her shopping for the project needs. Oh the daughter did ask in front of the clerk if they had enough 22lr for HER 22 rifle. :D

Something about timid people deciding to back away from sporting goods counter too ,while all this was going on. ;)
 
Next time, I will reply: "Humph. I am buying ammo, I didnt expect the Spanish Inquisistion..."
Click to expand...

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise....


:p :p

Chris
 
These stories are great. The sad thing is that almost every WM is this bad. I just can't go in them anymore.
 
Glock;PhD Said:
These stories are great. The sad thing is that almost every WM is this bad. I just can't go in them anymore.
Click to expand...
Hmmmmm.....
Must depend on where you live.

In Oklahoma City I've bought ammunition at three different Walmarts. It's either Winchester 40 S&W or Shotgun shells.

I've never been grilled and the only time I even had to show my ID was when I bought a 100 shell value pack of 12 ga shotgun shells and the guy really made a joke out of that. I'm 51, have graying sideburns and a snow white goatee. He asked, "Sir are you old enough to buy this stuff", than asked for my ID and that was that. He actually seemed a bit embarassed about having to do it.

On many occasion I've carried the pistol rounds from the gun section to the front registers to purchase when I told them I still had more shopping to do. And it can't be a function of how much because once I bought 5 boxes of the pistol ammo, put it into the child carry seat part of my shopping cart and continued on my way.

All I can say is I'm glad I don't live in the Socialist Republic of California or the Communist Counties of New York or the \\Kennedy Kingdom of Massachusetts.
 
I've bought ammo at 3 or 4 Walmarts here in Houston, and have yet to have any snide comments or extra impediments to purchase. Just stroll up to the sporting goods counter, get the ammo, pay for it there (skipping the longer lines at the front), and leave. Most don't even ask if it's for a rifle or pistol.
 
I've tried to make sense of their policy, but there is just no logic.

Usually when I buy ammo, I've always paid for it at the sporting goods counter (along with whatever else I had to pick up) and they just bag it and send me on my way through the store.

Another time though they were busy making keys and checking someone else out so the guy just gave me my ammo and sent me up to the front all by my responsible self. I even used the self-checkout line but it freaked out when I scanned the ammo and someone had to come I.D. me before it would let me finish.

One night when there was nobody at the sporting goods counter I asked the kid that was buffing the floor a few isles down and he just came and reached behind the counter, grabbed what I wanted (it happened to not be locked up) and gave it to me to take up front.

And yet another night I had to get the manager because everything was locked up. She got everything I wanted but didn't ring it up there. However she was nice enough to carry the ammo for me up to the front. I had a shopping cart with other things in it, but she must of thought the boxes were going to slip through the slots or something!?
 
How fortunate to have Friday help. Last time I bought ammo it was 410 rounds (one was an older 60 round box of reloads) of 38 and humped it in a knapsack for over a mile under the broiling sun. Death march. Sometimes you're better off driving. When you're finished with Friday, send him to me.
 
WalMart is to me like calif. a picture of our future, here in my area in the
past ten years my local walmart reminds me of a mad max movie, no joke
its that bad, especially on sat. Im not sure which is worse the customers
or the clerks, all in all i find it a little sad, The trashing of America.
 
Justin's No-nonesense Strategy for Buying Ammo at Wal-Mart

There really is something of an artform to buying ammo at Wal-Mart, and if you don't go about it in the right way, it can be a big, fat hassle. The strategy is in the order with which you shop.

Do all of your other shopping first, then go to the Sporting Goods section, pick out your ammo and check out there.

Doing this has a two-fold advantage:
1)The clerk doesn't have to walk you up to the cash registers.
2)The Sporting Goods checkout counter is often the least occupied checkout place in the store. No waiting in line while three rabid soccermoms duke it out over the last issue of Cosmo!

The Sporting Goods section is like a small oasis in a sea of consumer mediocrity. Seriously. No one goes there unless they're buying sporting related stuff, which means the annoyance factor will be much lower.

An example:
You go into WM with a list of stuff you need to get. Grab a cart, fill it up with that stuff, then mosey to the Sporting Goods section where the clerk will ring up your purchases.
Ty-D-Bowl *beep*
Incense *beep*
Count Chocula *beep*
A head of iceberg lettuce *beep*
12 pairs of socks *beep*
Box o' Wine *beep*
Floss *beep*
Snuggle Fabric Softener *beep*
And, oh yeah, Chuck, could you toss a couple of those Winchester Whitebox 9mm valuepaks in there as well? They're on the second shelf, third from the right. Yeah, those are the ones.
2 boxes of Winchester Whitebox *beep**beep*

At this point Chuck will ask to see your ID. Show it to him. He'll scrutinize it for a moment then hand it back.

He'll also probably ask if the ammo is for a rifle or pistol. If you want some amusement tell him "Neither. It's for my sub machinegun."

At which point it won't matter which button Chuck hits.
Then he'll print your receipt and send you on your way.

And that, my friends, is Justin's No-nonesense Strategy for Buying Ammo at Wal-Mart.
:)
 
Rifle or pistol? Neither. A revolver.

Or, I don't shoot the ammo. I'm a collector.

Another question. Do you actually stop at the door when they ask to see your receipt?

I just say "no thank you" and keep walking, just as I would to a panhandler.

I have bought the goods in the bag. If they have an idea that I'm shoplifting, they will need to do more than ask to see the receipt.

The door check is really to check on their checkers, to see if they are stealing. I choose not to participate in their in-house security problems.

Just say no.

And, for the record, I know the prices are lower, but buying ammo from Wal-Mart guarantees that some gun store will go out of business.
 
There arent any gun stores within an hours run around here :(
That would be the reason for my 6 hour run to bass pro shop in mich. for that big deal on winchester 9mm whitebox!

Funny thing, i knew a boy that at the age of 16, went into a WM, selected some ammo, produced his shinny new id (that stated he was obvioulsy 16), handed over the cash and went home to shoot his newly aquired ammo. some security :scrutiny:
 
Guntalk Said:
And, for the record, I know the prices are lower, but buying ammo from Wal-Mart guarantees that some gun store will go out of business.
Click to expand...

Nahhh...

WW's selection of guns and ammo is not all that great - hell I can't even buy .45 LC there. The only ammo I buy there is .40 S&W and Shotgun Shells (I reload everything else and buy that stuff off the internet). WW does have a reasonable selection of cleaning stuff but it's not any cheaper than the gun store's I patronize. The rest of their stuff is just Chinese crap that I refuse to buy not because its made in China but because its crap. WW's selection and buying what little they have won't put any gunshops out of business.

WW won't put any gun shops out of business. What will though is the attitude of most gun shop owner/employees. In 30 years I've patronized only one shop of very many that had employees that treated it's customers with courtesy and respect. All the others are run by total ???????s at worst or ignorant and uninterested twerps at best. It's almost like the first question on a gun shop employment application is "ARE YOU AN ???????"? If you answer no then you can't work there.

??????? employees is what will put gunshops out of business not Wally World.
 
I've heard that when Sam Walton died Wal-mart started selling liquor and stopped selling handguns. Funny how Sam's and Sam's inheritors' visions of a "family" store differ.
Click to expand...

Sam's inheritors are worth $20.5 Billion EACH! (theres 5 of them)

I wouldn't really care much either with that money.
 
>>??????? employees is what will put gunshops out of business . . ..<<

Unfortunately, I find it hard to disagree with that statement. And it includes the owners -- not just the hired help.
 
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