Wal-Mart firearms

[Battlespace]

I have bought several boxes of Winchester White Box .45 from Wally World. The first time I bought some the Sporting Goods Department Manager asked me if I had used it before as sometimes there is a problem with chambering HP ammunition. I assured him I had and thanked him for asking. Good service all the time there.

 

[Titus]

I'm not sure how I'm more likely to get a second at WalMart, when either WalMart or the gun store get whatever the distributor pulls off the shelf when the order comes in. It's not like I've never bought a gun in a gun store and then later had the same guy talking to me about what a piece of junk it is because he didn't recognize me... I look over a gun before I buy it either place, and one nice thing about WalMart is if it's not a special order, they have more in the back so you can pick the one you want.

As for paying less, the reason I'm paying less is because WalMart doesn't quote maximum MSRP, like every local gun shop. It may be peculiar to this area, because in any of the four other states I've lived in, I could generally assume that whatever I read about MSRP that the real price would be less. Any time I'm looking for a new gun, I get a quote from every gun store in the area, and not once have I been quoted less than top dollar.

 

[Mannlicher]

I have a Ruger 10/22 International, laminated stock, in Stainless Steel. It was a 'special run' for Wally World, and it is a dream. With a Simmons 4 X scope, it is good for 40 to 45 yard head shots on squirrels.
I also bought a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle back in '93, and a Marlin 1894S that has served as my main whitetail rifle for years.
I find the quality of their firearms to be equal to anyone else's offerings.

 

[Checkman]

Somewhere between forty and fifty years ago it was Sears and JC Penny and other corporate stores that were killing off the mom and pop stores. Now it's Wally world that's destroying the fabric of America. I'm sorry, but America is all about free enterprise and capitalism. Adam Smith when he wrote Wealth of Nations was writing about a more efficient econmical system, but it's a hard system and there's no room for sentiment.

If a business can offer the same product as their competitor for a lower price and still make a profit then so be it. The consumer will listen to their wallet. I dare say that if Mr. Smith could be brought into the present he's probably wonder what the heck all the excitment is all about. And by the way I know what it's like to be unemployed so please don't try that on me.

If there are so many Walmart haters out there then who in the heck is shopping at Walmart? Our system is more efficient, but it's also very hard on people. Actually I can see a time when yet another evil corporate chain will be beating Walmart and everyone will be up in arms about that.

Forgive the strident tone, but my mother is a Walmart basher. I've been hearing this argument for the past couple of years and it's old. Ironically she will shop at Target and Shopko and Barnes and Noble. Now are these Box stores better? Here in the Boise area Barnes and Noble was directly responsible for shutting down a long time local book store. Everybody was sad, but they still went to B&N. Why? Because they had a better selection and their prices were lower.

Watch You've Got Mail. It covers this very issue. Face it Capitalism is hard. But it's also given us our way of life.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Most of what WalMart sells is cheap crap made in third world sweatshops that none of you would work in. It is inferior merchandise that contains a huge profit for WalMart, and serves to satisfy (at least temporarily) the consumer lust that seems to be the driving force of this "economy". I won't support it.

 

[Jamie B]

Well said, Checkman.

Jamie

 

[jobu07]

I've bought a few guns from wal-mart over the years. Of course, I only did so because I was an employee at the time and I got a nice discount on them. I picked up a stanless synthetic 10/22 a few years back. Not much to say about it, it's a 10/22. Price was right, it was brand new, and it's been more or less flawless. I bought an 11/87 some years back. Premier model, it came with a beauitful walnut stock. Very pretty wood on it. Of course, that same wood has many dings, dents, and scratchs in it now. But hey, that's what happens to a deer gun. It gets used. Then I picked up a mini-14 from them i believe last year. Stainless standard. Very nice rifle, I had to special order it. It's ran with the precision of a fine swiss watch so far. There again, it's got a few dings and dents in her. But, honestly, I dont' care what kind of wood is on the gun when I buy it or what shape the metal is in. So long as it's gonna do what I need it to, and i'm willing to pay the price that is listed on it, or the seller is willing to accept what I'm offering, it's a good deal to me.

 

[BluesBear]

Most of what WalMart sells is cheap crap made in third world sweatshops that none of you would work in.

MOST of what Wal-Mart sells is BRAND NAME merchandise.

Don't blame Wal-Mart if Black & Decker or Toshiba or Nikon or Hotpoint or Sunbeam or anyone else has their stuff made overseas.

For all of y'all who bash "third world" products, turn over the keyboard you're sitting in front of. I doubt that anyone here has one made in America. I'll even wager that no one has one made in Japan. EVERY keyboard I have seen over the past 5 years has been made in China or worse.

Check the tag inside your baseball cap. There's a good chance it was made in Malaysia or some other place. The last S&W hat I had was made in Shri Lanka.

Check the labels and boxes in ANY store. You'll wonder if ANYTHING is made in America anymore.

Welcome to the 21st century. We live in a GLOBAL economy and y'all better learn to live with it because it ain't gonna change.

 

[glocksman]

For all of y'all who bash "third world" products, turn over the keyboard you're sitting in front of. I doubt that anyone here has one made in America.

You lose. Pay up.

Of course my IBM model M keyboard was made 20 years ago, but it still says 'Made in USA'.

 

[themic]

took a bit longer for my larmin 925 to get in (i ordered it), but a big hurricane named ivan came through that week and had caused the delay.

some delays with paperwork and stuff, mor because i ordered the gun rather than buy one off the shelf (it wasn't in stock), but otherwise everyone was friendly helpful and it was pretty easy. saved at least $50 if not more.

stock and parts all appear to be same stuff/quality as gun store versions. gun shoots great. box it came in was rather sparing, just brown cardboard with some folded cardboard inside to keep it from shifting. maybe they cut some costs there? don't know. don't care.

edit to add: a "larmin" is like a "marlin" but for those who can't type.

 

[BluesBear]

Some of them Larmin rifles shoot the same bullets as a With & Smesson revolver.



All wiyht? Rho sritched mg kegtops awound!


I have a froend who is a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac.
He lays awake at night wondering if there is a Dog.

 

[DougCxx]

-I have not bought any Wal-Mart guns myself, have gotten ammo before. I have heard of lots of people who go for the "special edition" Ruger 10/22's and while owning one of every variation of 10/22 is not my particular interest, I can't say I blame them. Do other companies do "Wal-Mart Specials"? I had only heard of this with 10/22's.
------
Wal-Marts are apparently the only place you can buy Dyna-Point 22LR ammo now,,,, -but none of the Wal-Marts in the entire St Louis area ever seem to get it in. Ever. They all have the 22WMR and none have the 22LR, or even a place on the shelf for 22LR, and none of the employees I have asked so far had any clue as to why, or who within the company they might ask about the matter. The responses I got were all variations of "it's not in the book so we can't order it, I don't know who to ask and we don't know what's coming until a box of it gets here".
------
Also--mysteriously, even though there is no rifle hunting allowed at all in Illinois (shotgun slugs only allowed on deer), all the Wal-Marts on the Illinois side usually have one rack of shotguns, and.... ...one rack of rifles, some of which are centerfires, up to 30-cals. ??? I can't help but wonder--who buys these things? Wal-Mart bashing aside, selections and prices are WAY better across the river, a half-hour away in Missouri.
~

 

[Smokey Joe]

What Wally carries

Went to Wallyworld today and bo't a small calculator to keep in my car to figure gas mileage. They didn't have one I really liked, but they had one that would do. It was cheap. It was made in China. But it CAN add, subtract, multiply, & divide, and work by solar or battery, and mostly that's what I wanted.

(Office Max didn't have any that were simple enough. There used to be 2 office supply stores in my small city, before the Big Boxes killed 'em both. Either one of those defunct stores would have busted a gut getting EXACTLY what I wanted in a $4 calculator, but those times are dead and gone.)

In Wally's, I wandered over to Sporting Goods--They didn't have any guns I was interested in. Wally also doesn't stock most gun magazines--too violent I guess. (But he does stock magazines on pro wrestling, pro football, pro basketball, and on the kill-'em video games, as well as some hunting magazines. Go figure.)

The checkout girl asked: "Is that all?" when I checked out with just the calculator to pay for.

I replied, "Yes, it is. You don't carry most of what I want."

The checkout girl just shrugged, checked my purchase out, handed me my change, and wished me an insincere wonderful day.

 

[Tharg]

busted a gut getting you the four dollar calculator you wanted???

huh?

They might have busted out a catalog and ordered it for ya... specially if they had nothing else to do... but a gut???

She asked you if that was all cause that is the mantra they chant

She said have a wonderful day because merchandisers from times LONG gone figured out that telling the customer to f-off wasn't good for business. What more than an impersonal reply can you hope for with an employee of a store that you prolly didn't say 3 words to either. Want personality from an employee... try TALKING to them, other than saying that NO... that was on sale somewhere else...

bleh

i wonder how many people you are sincerely sincere to that you have no idea or dont' care who they are....

btw... i wonder what reaction *i'd* have as a checkout person to someone who said "Yes, it is. You don't carry most of what i want." I mean in wally world - there is JUST ABOUT everything... and i'd be getting paid what.. 5.15/hr to work there... so like... what you WANT man?

All the "mom and pop" shops went internet - and or make thier money by word of mouth/loyalty people...

Gun magazines?(periodicles <sp?>) I guess that i can buy american handgunner and shotgunner doesn't count, or guns for law-enforcment mags, or gunworld, or shotgun news, or or... i'm sure there are at least 1 or 2 i'm missing that i BUY at wally world. (they are next to the makeup - so when she's looking at clairall - i'm lookin at mags....)(rofl)

Gun mags/clips/whatever are too specific i would think for wally world... to many makes/brands etc... hard enough to find actual gun magazines that fit guns at pawn shops/gun stores i've found... each his own - its prolly not profitable enough to stock it for em - but i'm not them - so couldn't hazard why they don't. Heck - they move FANS out in the winter (since its not hot enough for the need for fans right?) Only found this out after i needed one... rofl. Floor space is money space... wal-mart i guess understands this.

Prolly reading my remarks on this thread and think i'm some kind of wal-mart lover.. and in a way i am... they have very nearly anything on want on a routine basis... i don't find it necessary to run to 20 stores to find what i want, and the few things i want that *I* think aren't better or on par at wally world i go elsewhere for. (think fresh meats, handguns since wally world only stocks long guns, higher end electronics/speakers/TV's/computer parts, car parts, etc) Amazing how economics works... i only have X amount of cash - and wally world will give me the sale price of ANYWHERE ELSE that has a sale....

If people want to pay for smiles and (well acted) sincere welcomes/etc... then they will go elsewhere... but how one can blame a company that started from nothing and grew to the american success story... beats me.

J/Tharg!

 

[BluesBear]

Smokey Joe, that is odd. My local WM sells all of the glossy Gun Mags including Gun List and Shotgun news. They do seem to be a week or two slower getting them in that some other places though.
What irks me is that they don't sell Trains, Model Railroder or Model Railroad Craftsman.


DougCxx, the sporting goods manager of your local WM knows how to order them and who to contact. The store manager also knows who to contact at corporate level to get them in your store.

If the either manager tells you they don't know who to ask they are lying to your face! Ifr that happens ask them for the name of the district or regional manager. They are required by company policy to give you that information and refusal to do so is, in Wal-Mart's very own terminology, "just cause for dismissal".

Wal-Mart has what they refer to as an open door policy. Any employee or customer can go as high as they want to in the food chain to get the answer they need. And they HAVE to give you names and contact info.

Contact the home office in Bensonville and tell them that you are getting the runaround at your local store and believe me something will happen. Bensonviille does not like to get telephone complaints. E'mails sometimes get shuffled around but a phone call will get results.

 

[hksw]

Do other companies do "Wal-Mart Specials"? I had only heard of this with 10/22's.

Ruger on occassion do special runs for Davidson's, the gun distributor.

 

[jobu07]

To elaborate on BluesBear's post... I worked for wal-mart for 5 years and it was... interesting to say the least. The company is designed to make the minority of the customers who complain about stuff happy, because they know 99% of the folks who shop there dont' care, or if they do, they'll just eat it and shop there again. So they have the leeway needed to "treat" that last 1% in order to keep thier business. I've also told many a customer to go ahead and call 1-800-WAL-MART if they had any problems with the way a manager treated them. Believe me, if you do that, the managers at your local wally's world will get very friendly to you and bend over backwards to please you in any way possible. $ talks to them, and you know the rest of that saying.

And to keep my post somewhat on topic, if you're using your wal-mart firearm like you should be using it, the gun cosmetic appearance of it won't matter much. It's all mechanical If I can save $100 over another place just because it's not walnut, hey, i'm gonna just have to live with syn or non-walnut.

 

[WhiteKnight]

Wally also doesn't stock most gun magazines--too violent I guess.

Ha! The one here in Garner has Shotgun News, Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement, Guns & Ammo, Shooting Times, American Handgunner, plus another half dozen flavors of hunting magazines.

Ah, the South...

 

[BluesBear]

All Wal'MArt stores have their inventory and sales tracked by computer.
The mor3e a store sells of any sku number the more they get sent to them.

If your WM doesn't sell gun magazines it's either because they
A: had several complaints regarding them being there (possible)
or
B: They didn't sell when they first had them (most likely)

Ask the Store Manager, tell him or her (usually a him - hmmmmm) exactly what magazines you'd be willing to buy and see what happens. They should show up within 60 days. If they don't then call the number jobu07 mentioned.

My WM carries more gun magazines than I can afford.

 

[Tharg]

Ya'll stop posting reasonable responses to an obviously emotionally charged subject. Mainly - the big bad wally world runing mom and pop's out of business...

dang... that somehow sounds familiar....

heh

J/Tharg!

 

[Smokey Joe]

Mom & Pop, R. I P.

Re: Mom & Pop businesses: Yeah, Tharg, first they would have had a bigger selection than is efficient for Wally, and if they hadn't had precisely what I wanted they wouldn't just have ordered from a catalog, they'd have called their supplier right then and had it for me tomorrow.
This isn't theory, it was done for me on occasion. Also, I was teaching at the time, and when one of the stores learned that, I had an automatic discount there. Service was just more personal; these stores all had the same suppliers, so service was their way of competing with each other. I'm not whining about progress; that is wasted effort. And I like Wally's prices as well as the next person. My point was simply that giant corporations handling what people used to do for each other on a more personal level, is not an unmixed blessing.

Re: the missing gun mags: I will take that up w/local Wally mgt. Politely. Thank you Bluesbear and Jobu07.

Sure do hope, however, that someone, Wally or some other such, doesn't figure out a way to replace local gunsmiths with giant corporations. That would be a place I'd draw the line!