A Walmart adding guns

[potmetal]

I know we've had a few posts here before about Walmarts that have dropped gun sales in their stores. Well, I moved recently and started going to a local Walmart to pick up a few things for the house. As always, I stop by the sporting goods area to see what they have and, for the first few weeks I saw a good ammo selection, but no guns.
I went there yesterday to get some stuff, went by sporting goods, and they have installed gun racks, empty for now, with signs saying, "Guns coming soon".
There is hope out there after all.

 

[RX-178]

It's really got nothing to do with pro or anti-gun, potmetal.

It really just comes down to the ridiculous FFL system that we have in this country now. Every INDIVIDUAL Wal-Mart store that sells guns has to have an FFL, and that represents a lot of hassle, paperwork, red tape, etc.

The individual stores have to decide whether they can make enough of a profit on gun sales to bother with an FFL. Some Wal-Marts stop making money on selling guns, they don't renew their FFL when it expires and stop selling guns. Others think they can compete with local gun shops, so they apply for an FFL, and put in a gun section when the license comes through.

 

[RugerBob]

Walmarts are all differnt. The ones here only sell black powder rifles. They do sell ammo tho. The local one you have get some one to unlock and retrieve the ammo , show ID and pay for it in that department. If I go an hour north the ammo is all out on display and put in the cart and pay when you leave.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Both local WalMarts carry guns here. Of course, we are largely one or two generations from the farm, with relatives who either live in the country or still own family land in the country, with large stretches of public land open for hunting.

This also means that a lot of the dedicated gun shops concentrate on police or self defense weapons, military surplus, collectibles and/or Class III items, since it is hard to compete with WalMart on price for standard firerams.


---------------------------
In some areas, the WalMarts do go out of the gun business solely on economic reasons. When an FFL goes out of the business, the anti-gun crowd considers that some kind of victory (even implying the FFL that quit was "guility" of something).

 

[ryanrichmond]

My Walmart only sells muzzle loaders...no other rifles and no handguns.

 

[BCCL]

My local WM took them out several years ago, but recently told me they are getting them back, probably in April.

Just long guns though, standard hunting stuff, although there is a WM about 45 minutes away, that never had it's guns removed, and recently got in several Mini-14's.

 

[DeepSouth]

I had a conversation with the guy that "runs" the sporting goods dept a few weeks age. We were talking about how big the SG dept used to be, and how much it has shrunk over the years. He told me that the management told him his dept was making to much money and it wasn't fair to the other departments. That's why the SG dept was getting scaled back. He said they had hunting clubs buying every truck load of hunting stands that came in, same with corn, minerals, and such things as that.

Don't know if he knew what he was talking about or not but the sporting goods dept is probably less than a quarter the size it was 10/15 years ago. Which is also when they quit selling guns, around ten years ago. They have even reduced the fishing side of things. There is another Wal-Mart in the next town that still sells guns but they never have much, maybe 7 or 8 guns.

 

[Toforo]

Yes - the WalMarts that stopped selling guns a few years ago and the NEW stores that don't or never have - will begin selling RIFLES and SHOTGUNS (in the hunting/sporting class - don't look for AR models, lol) probably around the 1st of March.

Although the only handguns they sell will CONTINUE TO be BB/Pellet, they WILL, however, be selling handgun tactical gear like BlackHawk holsters, etc.

They will continue to sell ammo (and supposedly, a better supply stream)

 

[FruitCake]

That's very good to hear. I live in Hartford County area and a couple stores only have ammo behind the counter. Most of the time they are sold out of ammo which hopefully they are paying attention and start adding guns.

 

[dogtown tom]

RX-178:....It really just comes down to the ridiculous FFL system that we have in this country now.

"...now"??????
Uh, this system has has been in effect since 1968. The small fee that WalMart pays for it's license has little to do with their decision to sell guns in one store and not in others.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Wal mart is not pro gun just Pro DOLLAR!!!

 

[Apuuli]

I had a conversation with the guy that "runs" the sporting goods dept a few weeks age. We were talking about how big the SG dept used to be, and how much it has shrunk over the years. He told me that the management told him his dept was making to much money and it wasn't fair to the other departments. That's why the SG dept was getting scaled back.

Yes, that's clearly the successful business model that enabled Walmart to be so profitable: making sure the self esteem of each department is unthreatened.

 

[kayak-man]

Some Wal-Marts stop making money on selling guns, they don't renew their FFL when it expires and stop selling guns

Anybody know what happens if the FFL expires and they still have guns in stock?

 

[dogtown tom]

kayak-man

Quote:
Some Wal-Marts stop making money on selling guns, they don't renew their FFL when it expires and stop selling guns

Anybody know what happens if the FFL expires and they still have guns in stock?

They could only be transferred to another licensee, not transferrable to customers. I would imagine WalMart would either heavily discount prices to sell the guns proir to the expiration or merely transfer those guns to another store.

 

[LawScholar]

My Wal-Mart sells mostly the staple hunting rifles and shotguns (Rem 700, Rem 870, etc.) No handguns. I was unaware that any did handguns.

 

[Zumet]

I buy my socks and underwear at wally world. I buy my firearms at a dealer.It costs less in the long run 'cause I don't have to pay extra for a repair or trade-in.most dealers 'round here don't like to fix a gun they didn't sell. One guy I knew had a sign saying if you buy your scope here it's installed free, if you bought it somewhere's else have them install it.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

My Walmart clearances gun inventory about once a year. I learned this a few years ago by accident. I was walking by the gun case and saw red clearance stickers on the glass. I'm a bargain hunter and knew what they were, but asked why they were on the gun display. That's when I learned about the gun clearance. I picked up a Remington 700 ADL .30-06 for 150 bucks. They guy in front of me got the same gun in 7mm mag for 175 bucks.

 

[WC145]

The semi-new super Wal-Mart in Ellsworth, Maine is bringing guns back as well.

 

[FROGO207]

Yep they will be back in Ellsworth by the end of march I was told today. The Corp. office might see the trend of more guns sold as a profit booster. Or they might know something that we lowly consumers are failing to see. Like Obama Mania is selling firearms for them.

 

[as37692]

potmetal I will take a shot in the dark and say you went to the Walmart here in Houston, MO as I know was there yesterday myself and had seen the putting the gun cases in. It's nice sight to see as that Walmart had stopped selling firearms about 8-years ago. Mind you I will still shop at my dealer first, before buy at Walmart.

 

[22-rimfire]

Great to hear about adding guns. Mostly there is one or two Walmarts within a city that sells guns, the rest sell ammunition and accessories.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I was in one in central Ohio, where I was told they too were adding guns.....

Cant remember which one exactly....as the Usual Wal-Mart we frequent already does....and seems to sell quite a few. I personally think that the K-mart decline started when they got out of guns.....

 

[GRIZ22]

He told me that the management told him his dept was making to much money and it wasn't fair to the other departments.

I seriously doubt they scaled back the SG dept because they were making too much money.

 

[DeepSouth]

I seriously doubt they scaled back the SG dept because they were making too much money.

I kind of have my doubts to, but that's what the guy said they told him. Was he telling the truth??........I have no way of knowing. It wouldn't surprise me whole lot either way.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

Was visiting the MIL, in NE Ohio and the Wal-Mart in Madison will be getting guns back in a month. Talked to the associate selling ammo, he worked there previously, let him go when the stopped selling the guns, and now hired him back............

So one more Wally World getting the guns back.