Mossberg 500 prices/Walmart

[Seanpcola]

Been shopping shotgun prices for two weeks and had come to the conclusion that the best price I am going to get on a Mossberg 500 w/18" bbl is $329.00 at the LGS. On-line a little cheaper but then there's FFL fees and such.

This afternoon I stopped at Walmart and went to the sporting goods dept. to pick up some ammo. As I'm paying for it I noticed the same model Mossberg in the display case for $207.00 I asked the cashier if that was correct and he said "Yeah, all Mossberg 500s are $207.00.".

Am I missing something? Can there be that much difference in price? Is there such a thing as a "cheap" model sold exclusively to Wallyworld and is the quality different?

 

[hAkron]

I saw the same deal at mt Walmart. They had an 870 for $299

 

[BigN]

And they wonder why we shop at WalMart

 

[tango2echo]

First, Wal-Mart sells guns? Wow. I haven't seen a gun in a WM in 10 years. (Yes I know some still sell them)

$207 for a 500? I'll take 3 or 4. A used one is more than that here. I'd buy it.

T2E

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Yeah they are the cheaper models, they have a plastic barrel and bolt and a potmetal reciever. At least thats what they tell us at the gunshows and shops.

 

[Kendal Black]

Economies of scale. If Walmart orders two buzzillion of them and Mossberg keeps the line cranking, Mossberg is happy, you are happy and Walmart is happy.

 

[Seanpcola]

I looked at the one that was in the case today and it didn't have a plastic barrel. Only difference that I could see from the ones that I've handled in the LGS was the stock and fore grip are wood on the WW example and synthetic on the LGS.


I agree on the economy of scale angle but still seems ridiculously cheap. On the way home from the range I'll stop by a different Walmart and see what they have.

Can't say for sure on the receiver but I'll check that too.

As for ammo, I bought Winchester white box 9MM for $21.87/100. Funny thing is that the rounds in the 100 box are just dumped in, no foam or cardboard racks. 100 count of .380 of same was $34.97. Seems like that's about as cheap as I've seen.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Yeah they are the cheaper models, they have a plastic barrel and bolt and a potmetal reciever. At least thats what they tell us at the gunshows and shops.

Just Bitter men who can not compete with Wal -Marts buying power. As the Late Frank Sipes of Sipes Gun Shop in LR Ark used to tell folks. Go to Wal mart and buy your 870 or 500 and bring it in and I will turn it into a Home Defense or Riot Gun. Frank told me he would order and sell you one but don't gripe when he would be 75-100 higher. He understood his limits and worked with them to make money.

 

[Zoogster]

Walmart sells a lot of merchandise, they can sell many items for little more than cost, and they buy in large numbers so cost is lower.
They don't depend on gun sales for a living, and are busy making money on all sorts of other merchandise, so don't have to price their guns accordingly.

Compared to a small gun business that not only needs to sell the gun, but also pay the monthly rent for the storefront, and pay for the salaries of employees with primarily or just the limited number of guns and ammo they sell, and buys guns individually or in the hundreds instead of in the thousands with special contracts. They need wider profit margins just to cover the expense of existing.


Of course Walmart can also throw you to the wolves at any time, or simply cease to sell guns as they have at many stores, and since they make profit on so many other items not care as much as the small business and individual FFL that would fight for your guns, or at least their ability to sell them.



It is a pact with the devil, the devil may take care of you, and then when many of your local FFLs are out of business after being unable to compete and Walmart is the primary option left, drop you like a rock without a care in the world.

 

[BBroadside]

The gun stores in my area don't have to worry about competition from Wal-Mart. Every time I've asked Wal-Mart employees about guns (if they could be found at all) they always seem completely clueless and distracted.

 

[washambala]

I just picked up a 500 at my local Wally for 217. That was with a ported 28" barrel, threaded with choke tubes.

 

[tango2echo]

I do plenty of business with my local FFLs and have probably kept a couple of them in business, so I don't feel guilty about buying from a chain store now and then.

I called around and found these Mossy 500's at a WM about 70 miles from here for $211. Haven't decided if it is worth the gas/drive to go get one or two or not.

t2e

 

[oneounceload]

Sounds more like the price for the Maverick 88 by Mossberg - at least in my area. Here the 88 is around 200, the 500 pushing closer to 300

 

[Jeff F]

Wal Mart did sell a Ruger 10/22 that was stainless and had a 20 or 22in barrel that I could never find at a LGS. Could of been a WM exclusive? Every other WM gun I have seen is the same as any at the LGS.

I just checked and Ruger does make some Distributer Exclusive models of the 10/22 though I did not see WM listed.

 

[HGUNHNTR]

When (if) you come to the realization of what a Walmart does to a community, $207 will look very expensive. Who is getting a smaller piece of the pie when wallmart sells a $280 gun for $200?

 

[MAKster]

The wood stock with 28 inch barrel is much less expensive than the 18.5 inch models with plastic stock because the chain stores buy them in such large volume. I was able to buy a 28 inch model and an extra 18.5 barrel for less than it would have cost to just buy the model with the short barrel.

 

[hdbiker]

I bought my Mossburg 500A ,cammo,ported ,xxx turkey choke,for 235.00 at WalMart,great shotgun. biker

 

[mr.scott]

When (if) you come to the realization of what a Walmart does to a community, $207 will look very expensive. Who is getting a smaller piece of the pie when wallmart sells a $280 gun for $200?

If you mean they bring construction jobs. Transportation jobs, jobs for younger people, jobs for handicapped people, jobs for contractors to maintain the store infrastructure, taxes for the city our town they are in, and generally a much larger selection of goods at a better price thus helping the lower income people of the area.
They do a lot more good for an area than bad.

 

[evan price]

Meh, it's just gun stores who are angry. They only buy 12 Mossbergs a year. Walmart buys 2000 Mossbergs a year. Who can negotiate the better dealer price?

There's no such thing as a potmetal receiver and a plastic barrel and whatever else that guy was ranting about. It's the same gun as anywhere else. Mossberg uses an aluminum receiver because all it does is contain the parts- it provides no strength to the action.

I'd rather have a Walmart Mossberg than a Chinese copy of a Remington.

 

[oneounceload]

I'd rather have a Walmart Mossberg than a Chinese copy of a Remington

or a Chinese copy of anything

The new Walmart that opened here resulted in several hundred folks having jobs. Because of the store, in this same former empty area, we now have another department store as part of the complex, almost 50 small mom and pop business that have opened in the out lots of the complex, including 6 restaurants, thus making it a destination spot for a lot of the seniors who live in this area.

Their business model, whether it is groceries or guns is simple - buy in volume at the lowest possible price, keep internal costs down, pass along the savings to customers;

Bud's seems to have followed this model, IIRC, originally developed by SS Kresge, aka KMart

 

[GWARGHOUL]

I bought a used 500A for $150 total. Wood stock. Slugster barrel.
I'm not sure how much more the wood is worth, or the barrel with rifle sights.. but I'm feeling like I got a bad deal now. I might buy one of those... as I need a barrel with a choke.

 

[tango2echo]

So I made the drive to look at these today since it was a lazy day anyway. The nearest WM to me that sells guns is about 70 miles one way.

The Maverick 88's were $211 with plastic stocks and 28" barrels, or you could get the exact same thing with a 18" barrel for $249???.

The M500's were $238 with wood stocks and 28" plain barrels. They also had a combo for $289 with a 18" smooth bore barrel (no chokes) and a slug barrel (20"???) with wood stocks.

I also saw a Ruger 10/22 for $248 in stainless and a Remington 870 with laminated stocks, 26" vent rib barrel, and three choke tubes for $309.

I decided not to buy anything guns today, but may later on if I feel the need. I did pick up a few bricks of Winchester Auto 555 .22LR ammo, 36gr HP 1280fps for $14.98. Oh, they also had Federal Champion (blue and black box) .22LR 40gr RN for $1.29 for 50rds, so I bought 4 boxes. They had a "6 Box Limit" on ammo, so the two bricks and 4 50rd boxes was my limit. Go figure.....

t2e

t2e

 

[jlott00]

If you mean they bring construction jobs. Transportation jobs, jobs for younger people, jobs for handicapped people, jobs for contractors to maintain the store infrastructure, taxes for the city our town they are in, and generally a much larger selection of goods at a better price thus helping the lower income people of the area.
They do a lot more good for an area than bad.

you have a lot more research to do. one thing for sure is most walmarts negotiate for little or NO taxes....look into it

 

[GWARGHOUL]

So.. I can go get a brand new Mossberg 500A 12 guage, with chokes for under $230?
Again, I feel kinda ripped off having paid $150 for my used 500A.. with a 24" slugster barrel (not rifled, no chokes)....

Granted, it does have wood furniture. But I'm seriously considering picking up a second one as a hunter. My current one is my home defense gun.

 

[oneounceload]

you have a lot more research to do. one thing for sure is most walmarts negotiate for little or NO taxes....look into it

Does wally world negotiate for low to no property taxes? Absolutely, as does EVERY big box stand alone store. But they collect millions in sales taxes, payroll taxes, utilities and those taxes, etc.