Walmart Firearms Restocked

[ChevellRCR]

About three to four months ago Wal-Mart pulled their guns out and said they would no longer sell them in our area. I had previously heard this was happening at other Wal-Mart stores across the country and figured it was coming. What's strange is this Wal-Mart is in a rural area which has a fairly large hunting and sporting community. Anyway.... after this time period I happened to be walking through the sporting goods section yesterday checking the prices of various ammo and the clerk told me they were getting the rifles back 6am Monday morning. I was then told that the reason behind this was so many people had complained about not having the guns available any longer. I don’t know if this means it will work at your Wal-Mart also but did here in Newberry SC. Just thought this was interesting and wanted to share.

 

[Titan6]

Guess they failed to drive enough local gun shop owners out of business.

This will really mess with the small shop owner. Figure he probably ordered more of the cheaper long guns when Walmart pulled their stock and he is selling them for 20% over what Walmart is selling them for. They will sit there forever unless people find value in having a small shop owner in business instead of a corporate entity that can change policy and a $100,000 inventory at the drop of a hat.

 

[retrieverman]

I live in rural eastern Texas and asked my WalMart sporting goods manager when they would pull the guns out of our store, and he said, to the best of his knowledge, that our store would not be loosing it's guns. He said that our store is in the top 20% in gun sales, and that it was only the bottom 20% that was loosing their guns.

**I have no way of verifying this info other than the word of mouth from the sporting goods manager at our WalMart store, so it may be untrue.**

 

[kellyj00]

hate to say it, but if walmart (or anyone else) has a cheaper price, I"m going there.

It's not that I'm against the small business owner, I'm just more out for myself.

In my area, there's a lot of saturation by the Walmart's and Sam's clubs that's really changed the face of our local grocery stores. They have differentiated themselves by offering higher-quality produce for the same price, and weekly sales (on their generic brands that walmart won't price match because not the same brand) that really beat walmart's normal price bringing in more business.

A few have held on, a few have gone under. If walmart sells a mossberg for $150 I definitely won't pay $200 to buy it from a local dealer.

 

[MD_Willington]

Ain't too many places in my area to buy a firearm, Walmart sells them so they still stock firearms. I also asked if they could start stocking Blazer Brass...

 

[PILMAN]

I heard the same thing in Alaska that they tried taking the guns out of stock and there were so many complaints that they restocked. I heard you could even buy handguns at the walmart in Alaska.

Our selection here is fairly limited, they have shotguns and I think lever action rifles but no semi autos. In Destin though (15 minutes from me) they removed all the guns

 

[Jim K]

Hi, Kellyj00,

Sarah Brady says thanks.

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the small gun shops out of business. Then the big stores will surrender to the gun control gang and stop selling guns. With no retail outlets, gun manufacturers will go out of business. Hang on to that Mossberg, it may be the last gun you will ever be able to buy. But think of the money you saved.

Jim

 

[Wedge]

It all depends on what sort of volume/profit the store does on firearms to determine if they will sell them or not. If demand is high in a certain store then they probably still carry firearms, if not then they don't. My guess is that demand was higher than they thought and decided to put them back in. They are a business and everything comes down to a black and white decision: what will maximize our profits.

As far as Wal-mart putting the local guys out of business...the local guys need to learn how to live in a big box world. Customer service and superior product are what will keep you going, not trying to make a buck on the lower end models carried by walmart (ex. Marlin 60, Mossberg 500). Plus they (wal-mart) offer a chance for people without much money to get into shooting.

I will say that my father works for Wal-mart so I am slightly biased as his livelyhood depends on them doing well. I will also say that I choose to purchase firearms locally because 1) walmart doesn't carry them and 2) the locals in my area have proven to be cost competitve with the big box stores and offer superior service.

 

[ceetee]

Amen. Most of the shops local to me have the attitude that they have the right to gouge me on prices and treat me like an ignorant serf. If I could get service to make the experience worth it, I'd happily pay more than Wal-Mart prices. I look at it like this: at my local gunshop, I get poor service, poor selection, and sky-high prices. At my local box-store, I get poor service, poor selection, and tolerable prices. What's the advantage to buying from the Mom-and-Pop again?

 

[Titan6]

I have never bought a gun from Walmart. I have bought plenty of ammo there. I use Walmart prices as a bargaining point.

 

[Prince Yamato]

Who buys guns at Walmart? Ammo, sure, but all their guns are uber-bubba. If they started selling AKs for cheap, maybe, but as of now, I only buy 100rd. 9mm Winchester Whitebox.

 

[hksw]

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the small gun shops out of business. Then the big stores will surrender to the gun control gang and stop selling guns.

At which time a local entrepreneur will set up a gun shop to take up the demand.

 

[skinnyguy]

The walmart in city where I live is undergoing a complete remodeling. The sporting goods counter is already finished, and they put in a rifle display case, so losing the guns wasn't in the plan here. It stinks that they moved them behind the counter, though. It's a lot more difficult to look them over from about 10 feet away instead of about 1 foot where they had them displayed in a clear case before remodeling.

It does make me wonder if by moving them away from the potential customer, we won't ask to see a particular rifle, sales will drop, and THEN they can drop them due to lack of sales.

 

[kingpin008]

If my local wal-mart sold guns, and had something I wanted cheaper than the local shop, I'd buy from them. If the local shops go out of business? I'm sorry but welcome to the marketplace. If you want to stay in business, you need to find a way to price your items right or reduce your inventory accordingly. All these people blaming big box stores for killing the little guy are kinda silly to me...it's not like wal-mart invented the system, they just do it better! I mean come on.

And don't forget the ability of the little guy to gouge the crap out of you either...like others have said - it's tough to be loyal to a little mom & pop gun shop when they continually try to charge you full MSRP for their wares, even after you're an established customer. Most shops I've found won't even haggle with me on price. It's "take it or leave it".

 

[Titan6]

Me: I see you have that shotgun over there for $189.
GSO: Yep.
Me: I saw they have them new at Walmart for $159
GSO: Yep, how about I throw in a box of shells and a side saddle?
Me: Deal.

Now if I have a problem with the gun or need any advice (for what it is worth) I know where to go.

Besides Walmart does not sell handguns, ARs, Milsurp or anything all that nice.

 

[Mumwaldee]

It stinks that they moved them behind the counter, though. It's a lot more difficult to look them over from about 10 feet away instead of about 1 foot where they had them displayed in a clear case before remodeling.

Just do like I do and ignore the counter. I walk right on back and make myself at home. Fastest way to get help at the counter too.

 

[Erinyes]

When everyone was talking about Wal-Marts pulling their guns, all of our local Wally-Worlds here in the Chattanooga area expanded their gun selections. Heck, at least two of them (Ft. Oglethorpe and Brainerd Rd.) have started carrying Mini-14s.

 

[welldoya]

My local WalMarts carry Mini-14s but Academy has better prices. I have noticed the prices on them have gone up lately though.

 

[esmith]

"So you save a couple of dollars and drive the small gun shops out of business. Then the big stores will surrender to the gun control gang and stop selling guns. With no retail outlets, gun manufacturers will go out of business. Hang on to that Mossberg, it may be the last gun you will ever be able to buy. But think of the money you saved."

So you're saying that if all the local gun shops go under and walmart soon follows that no one else can ever buy a gun at a store again? You're saying that no one else in this country can ever set up a new retail store? Besides i don't think that the gun grabbing left will ever have a total ban on guns, at least in my lifetime. Believe me, what you said will never happen in the U.S. If i want a gun and i can get it $20 cheaper at Wal mart, guess where im going.

 

[scurtis_34471]

Walmart is a great place to buy guns like the Ruger 10/22, Marlin 60, Remington 870 Express and other lower-end basics, because they are so much cheaper than everyone else. Keep in mind that those are not high margin guns for small dealers either, so you're really not hurting the local gun shops when you buy them at Walmart.

If its a long-gun and its a lot cheaper at Walmart, I buy it there.
If its a handgun or more expensive rifle and the local dealer is within $50 of my best online deal plus shipping, insurance and FFL, I buy from the local dealer. Otherwise, I buy online and transfer through a local dealer. I buy 90% of my target ammo at Walmart, but most of my carry ammo at local dealers. I buy bulk ammo online if and when it saves me money, but handgun target ammo is almost always cheaper at Walmart.

 

[junyo]

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the Pony Express out of business. Then the telegraph operator will surrender to the Postal Service and stop sending messages. With no telegraph outlets, people will stop communicating.

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the telegraph operators out of business. Then the phone companies will surrender to the censorship gang and stop connecting calls. With no service providers, people will stop communicating.

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the small phone companies out of business. Then the ISPs will surrender to the data control gang and stop selling bandwidth. With no data outlets, catalog based companies will go out of business.

So you save a couple of dollars and drive the buggy whip makers out of business. Then the car companies will surrender to the speed limit gang and stop selling cars. With no vehicular outlets, people will stop traveling.

It always amazes me how unless I've suffered the markup from:
1. Overpriced domestic suppliers
2. Overpaid union workers
3. Undermotivated, unknowledgable sales clerks
4. Letting the government take one more cut via sales tax
...then I'm directly responsible for the fall of Western civilization. Has any business ever just admitted that their business model sucked and that's why they went under?

Most of the shops local to me have the attitude that they have the right to gouge me on prices and treat me like an ignorant serf. If I could get service to make the experience worth it, I'd happily pay more than Wal-Mart prices.

+1.5
Place down the street from my job, I've repeatedly tried to give them business, they're very convenient to me. But between the average guy working the counter being dumber than a bag of hammers, yet vocally opinionated, and charging a nice little premium I'm just never gonna buy anything from them. I'll buy from Cabelas or Dick's or Walmart if they're cheap (in Delaware, I skip the sales tax even), off the Interent, and then if I need expert advice drive 30 miles to the good gun shop. He's got some of my money and will get more, but not the local bozos.

 

[cbsbyte]

Walmart listen to their customers!!! I am shocked. More likely it made business sense to continue selling firearms in stores where it there was a market. I know they stopped selling firearms in this area, and probably stop selling ammo soon too. Which is good news for the local retailers, who I support with my money. People who shop at Walmart deserve everything that will happen in their local economy when Walmart pushes out all the local retailers.

 

[bogie]

Mods, can we puhleeze have a Giant Wal-Mart Megathread?

 

[BigRobT]

I haven't ventured back to the sporting goods section of my local WalMart in a month. Last I was there, their rifle cabinets were empty. They're usually out of stock on my favorite ammo, too. The last gun I bought from WalMart was a savage 30.06 that was a gift for my Father in law. Their selection on guns kind of sucked and they can't special order much of anything. I was looking pretty closely at the Mossberg ATR100 (?) It comes with either a synthetic stock or a laminate wood (dura-wood) stock. I already have a 30.06 with a synthetic stock and to be honest, it sucks because it's too light and absorbs none of the recoil. WalMart couldn't even order the one with the dura-wood stock. Most of the gun shops I frequent are pretty decent on customer service and are willing to negotiate a little on price. I tend to frequent those places over WalMart. All in all, I do a lot of shopping at WalMart, but, there are just some things that one has to go elsewhere to buy.

 

[Deanimator]

Guess they failed to drive enough local gun shop owners out of business.

Around here they don't need to. The local gunshop owners drive themselves out of business.

Between insane price gouging ($700+ for a Taurus PT101), violations of Federal firearms laws and the terms of their licenses, rudeness and dishonesty toward their customers, there probably aren't half the dealers here that there were when I moved here in '86.

You can blame a lot of things on Walmart. Treating your customers like crap isn't one of them.