Scary Walmart Experience

[Newton]

I called in at one of my local Walmarts to pick up some ammunition and joined the line of customers waiting for service at the unstaffed Sporting Goods section (is there EVER anyone there).

Eventually, after a half dozen customer assistance calls, a guy turns up and starts trying to deal with the customers, I say trying because, without wishing to sound cruel, the assistant was one of the mentally impaired employees that Walmart so commendably employ, and he was struggling a little with the requests.

When it came to my turn, I told him that I wanted some ammunition, expecting him to call for someone else, if only because he wasn't wearing the Sporting Goods shirt. With that he produced the ammo cupboard keys and asked "which one ?", I told him as clearly as I could, 40 caliber Smith and Wesson, 100 round boxes. With that he pulled out a box of .44 Magnum and asked if those were the ones I wanted. After some failed explanations and pointing attempts I came around the counter and pulled out the boxes myself.

I was concerned enough to report the incident to the store management, who promised that the situation would be reviewed.

I couldn't really see an actual incident arising out of ammo mix ups like this (maybe +P going into a non plus P) my Beretta certainly wasn't going to swallow a .44 Rem Mag and blow up, but that doesn't make it right, far from it.

Newton

 

[Okiecruffler]

Just another example of why I pay an extra dollar per box and buy from the gun store down the street. Finding help in a Walmart is like trying to get The Wife to stop buying shoes. It leaves me exhausted and I don't win anyway.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Try buying ammo at the 24 hour Super Wal-Mart at 2am. There are quite a few employees around (buffing floors, organizing shelves, etc.) but it takes awhile to find the one manager in the building that has the key to the ammo.

I still prefer my late night shopping trips though. I can't stand the daytime traffic. It's so much more peaceful at 2 in the morning when you're about the only one out there.

 

[HBK]

I kind of like to spend the extra dollar to support my local gun store, but when I need a LOT of ammo....it's either Walmart or Sportsman's Guide.

 

[Sunray]

One must remember that Walmart employees are nearly all part timers, underpaid and untrained. The guy at least had enough sense to ask you if the box he pulled out was what you wanted. And Walmart Canada was the first big company to kick in a pile of money to get the Juno Beach Center in Normandy built. They ain't all bad. Our stupid government did nothing.

 

[Ala Dan]

In Most Instances-

Wally World is a JOKE; when it comes down to sporting good sales people being helpful!

They hire folks that don't know the sun rises in the east;
much less what kind'a ammunition fits what caliber gun.


Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[sm]

I haven't been to a Wally World in a long time, and then it was to take mom.

"Scary"-is making it to and fro the parking lot on a Saturday...and mom and I were staying out of the traffic lanes.

I prefer to support the local mom and pop when can. I also have gone to Sports Authority, to avoid traffic and the gun guys seem to know what is what. Just easier to have my gunsmith order ammo and components--I don't have to see the zoo people that way.

 

[Tango Sierra]

I make most of my Wal-Mart runs in the wee morning hours to avoid the crowds but for ammo I go during the day because the guy in the sporting goods department knows his stuff.

I've seen people here write that they go to their gun store and pay an extra dollar a box for their ammo and I would do the same to support the gun store but the differences for target ammo around here are more like $6 per hundred for 9mm and $10 per hundred for .45acp.

 

[V-fib]

When I go to Wally World I don't expect the SG employees to know about the ammo. I just want someone to open the case and I'll point to the ammo I want. They pull it out, I check to make sure its full, and I'm on my way. Its not really a big deal.

 

[10-Ring]

I guess I'm pretty lucky. THe one buy my house seems to have a guy working in sporting goods that knows what he's doing...he even keeps the ammo well stocked!

 

[David4516]

I used to work at the sporting goods desk. Not at Wal-Mart, but at a similar place (but smaller). I can tell you that Managment doesn't give a rats @$$ if the SG employees know their stuff. All they care about is if you show up on time and how much you are willing to suck up. I worked with 2 others at the SG desk, and I was the only one who knew anything about firearms. One of them kept saying "17 MM" when customers asked if we had any .17 HMR in stock (we never did). Anyway, to make a long story short I ended up quiting.

Don't get angry with the people at the wal mart SG desk. They are just trying to do their job and help you as best they can. Be angry with Managment for not giving empolyess proper training...

On a side note, you do get some dumb customers in sporting goods too. I have been asked more than once "what is the best .22 ammo for deer hunting?". One guy who asked me that had the crazy idea that his Ruger 10/22 that he had just bought was the perfect deer gun. I had to inform him that it was illegal for a couple reasons. #1, you can only hunt deer with a centerfire, #2 you can't have a magazine that holds more that 5 rounds (only applies to semi-autos). He seemed very upset, and I don't think that he took my word for it either. I bet he went to the next nearest sporting goods place and asked the same question...

Had another guy ask me "is it was okay to shoot someone with a .22, or will it hurt to much?". I guess he figured .22s were like airsoft guns or something. I may have been a bit too harsh with him, but I told him very firmly that under no circumstances should he shoot someone with a .22 unless he intended to kill them.

 

[glocksman]

The Super Wal-Mart here in town won't sell ammo after 10PM.
I found this out when I went in there after work at 1AM (I work 2nd shift) and tried to buy a couple of boxes of generic .45 ACP.

The store manager told me it was company policy.
But if other Wal-Marts are selling ammo, it's not a company policy, it's his policy.

Needless to say, I don't patronize Wal-Mart any more unless I absolutely have to.

 

[duckfoot]

Been asked several time what all the ammo was for. Shot back with "shooting" every time but no more than that. I use to buy all my ammo at wally world till I found out that I had a company that does bulk reloading on the other side of raleigh.

Roll my own now

 

[Sisco]

Told this story before but here it is again.
Waiting on line at sporting goods a WalMart, lady in front of me tells the kid at the counter her husband wanted her to get some ammo.
She takes a piece of paper from her purse and says He wants a box of "point three eight zero auto" It's obvious she has no idea what she's looking for.
The kid looks through the ammo and tells her they don't have any of that but they do have these and sets a box of .38 special on the counter.
Lady is hesitant, saying her husband was specific about the point three eight zero stuff.
Kid looks right at her and sounding very confident tells her that it's the same thing! the "point three eight zero" is the size of the bullet and, right here on the box it says .38
"They call them "38 special" because they're more powerful."
Usually I'm one to mind my own business but I had to step in on this one. Told them the specials would't work and gave the lady the address of a mom & pop gun store.

 

[braindead0]

I must be lucky, last time I made a bulk purchase of 100rd boxes.. the guy was pretty sharp.. I got lucky and found the retired shooter ;-)

 

[BlkHawk73]

When the WalMart up here first opened they were over advertising every dept. Figuring they'd have it all, my brother went in to buy some ammo. He asked the clerk in sporting goods if they carried .357 maximum. The clerk scanned the case, didn't see any and responed. "Nope but some of this other stuff might fit" not having a clue as to interchangeability. The manager was notified. They weren't in that dept next time.

 

[popeye]

Kinda off gun topic but here's my WM story. I bought a some utility software at a Walmart by my house. 2 days later I was in the store and the same utility was replaced by newer version. I asked if I could bring mine back and trade for newer version. "Not if shrinkwrap was removed" was the answer. I went Walmart website and sent email (only god knows where it goes, probably into trash, I thought) Next night, Manager of said store calls my home and asks "what would make you happy?" Next day day I went in and traded my package for newer version. If you want change in a Walmart, email them, complaining at store level won't get you squat.

I was in a local gun shop and they and they were in the process of selling a S&W 39 to an elderly fellow who never owned a gun and did not know how to read. They read him questions off fed form and they filled in blanks. (this is legal, as long as non-store employee signs form as witness.) They sold him a box of 9mm, put gun and ammo in brown paper bag. No insructions. Off he goes. I'm thinking, this seems not so smart.

 

[Serpico]

I'd much rather have some underpayed, undertrained teen hand me the wrong box, at 10.96 per hundred I will gladly educate him as to which white box I need...I would feel undertrained and undereducated if I made myself spend a lot more at a gunshop by a trained ammo professional just to make sure he gets it on the first try....if Wlamart employess all graduated MIT, I'm sure the prices would not be so terrific....

 

[mec]

Just carrying on a 30 year old K mart tradition. the guy usually works in the automotive dept. The best story I have surrounds a blown up oldmodel Super Blackhawk. The top strap was humped and the top half of the cylinder was gone in the usual manner.

the auto department guy sold a reloading set-up and provided the guy with 2400 loads and a can of Unique. He got through two or three shots before it turned into a frag bomb.

the store managers were as bad as the automotive department kid. I tried to buy a five pack of 16 gauge buck from the pump up manager of the Waco store.... " We doooonnnttt got'em" He was just to lazy to turn around and look on the shelf. I pointed them out hiddend as they were behind his huge gluteus maximus.

 

[Baba Louie]

Sometimes fools, sometimes jewels...

At the local Wal-Mart, there's this little grey haired lady who oftentimes works the sporting goods counter... I ask her for a couple of the 9mm x 100 boxes and a box of .380,

She asks, "What kind of 380 you shoot?"

CZ-83.

"I hear they're pretty good. Not a Colt or a Sig, but pretty good."

I think so.

"What's the 9mm going in?"

Glock or Beretta, maybe the CZ-75.

"You don't want any .45?"

Not today, thanks.

"You trust your life with a 9mm?"

I chuckle, and ask, "You shoot?"

She smiles and says, "Used too. .45 and .357, still keep the .45 around the house."

I pay and as I'm leaving her counter, she says, "Shoot safe".

Life is good.

Adios

 

[Jeff White]

We have all kinds of threads here about the clueless people working behind the counter at gunshops and gunshows. I'm a little surprised that anyone expects to find more competance at Wal-Mart.

Jeff

 

[Blueduck]

The Super Wal-Mart here in town won't sell ammo after 10PM. The store manager told me it was company policy. But if other Wal-Marts are selling ammo, it's not a company policy, it's his policy.

Might not be too quick to blame the manager on that. Our store claims the same policey and I've seen the signs in at least three other Wal-Marts in the area stating the same thing. Sounds like TheOtherOne's store is the one out of policy.

 

[Byron]

There are two Walmarts in Murfreesboro, TN. One you just go in and get what you want. The other has a salesman that ID's everyone(I am 55) and says it is Federal Law. A deputy was standing there and agreed saying he would have to arrest the salesman if he did not ID me. The same deputy said he would have to arrst me if I had a conceled weapon with a permit as Walmart sells beer. I pointed out the beer is closed containers so I can carry. Sad isn't it. Byron

 

[Keith]

Places like Wal-Mart should just be considered "self-serve". If you want it cheap, go to Wal-Mart. If you need assistance or advice, go to the small shop and pay the extra buck.


Keith

 

[sanchezero]

I've seen the signs in at least three other Wal-Marts in the area stating the same thing. Sounds like TheOtherOne's store is the one out of policy.

I typically buy all of their 9mm ammo at a time and it's usually after midnight. I stop and pick up a manager on my way to sporting goods, 'cause I know no one's gonna be there .

As for giving my shop the extra dollar...

Walmart 100 rnds = 10.96

Local shop = 50 rnds 12.95


I support my local shop when it makes sense, but I do my best not to bend over anyone's counter.