Handgun Ignoramuses at Wal-Mart

[Sunray]

"...90% of the employees of these places are not shooters..." They can't afford to shoot on minimum wage. Like Sisco says, they're mostly part timers that are under paid and untrained. They don't sell firearms at all up here. Some ammo, but air guns only. Not that I blame them. The laws up here are daft and it's far too much trouble to sell them here.

 

[Freedspeak]

Guess we have a good one here, the gal who is in charge of the sporting good department here asks for pictures for the bulliten board (hunting and fishing)!

 

[Zundfolge]

Given Wal-Mart's attitude toward guns I don't buy their ammunition, or guns either. It may (or may not) cost me a bit more, but I'd rather spend my money at stores that support us.

Their attitude toward guns?

They sell guns and ammo when many of their competitors are caving in to antis and Michael Moore and removing guns and ammo from their inventory... whats wrong with their attitude ???


The only reason I don't buy ammo there is because I don't have a 9mm and they never seem to carry .40S&W in 165gr (I only find 180gr).

 

[StLGlocker]

The reason for the "is this for a handgun?" prompt at the register is, I've been told, because they're not supposed to sell handgun ammunition to anyone under 21. I've been carded a couple of times after answering yes. One time they were busy and I ended up ringing up the ammo in the camera department...talk about hilarity. "I've never sold bullets before!" "Why is it asking 'for handgun?', what do I do?" "Wow, heavy"

At my local WM's, the sporting goods counter is usually staffed by someone who has a clue. I say I want Win white box 9mm 100 rd value pack, they put it on the counter. Well, except the last time I went in, they were out of it, because someone had come in the previous day and bought 25 boxes of the stuff.

I played around with a rental MP-5 today which, incidentally, is the same caliber as my Glock 26. I think the next time they ask I'll say "submachine gun".

Another thing: There are two Wal-Marts in my area. At one of them, they insist on sealing the ammo in its own bag seperate from any other stuff I've bought, and then personally accompanying me to the front of the store and out the front doors. What, exactly, is this practice supposed to guard against? "Store policy" the guy answers. Oookaaay... The old guy who runs the counter at the other location just bags it and hands it to me.

I think the next time I want to buy 1000 rds I'll go to the one where they carry it out for me.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

"The store requires us to ask you what this ammo is to be used for".

Um....for shooting out of a Glock 26?

 

[rebbryan]

i tried to get a job a year ago at wally workin in sporting goods but no positions were open. now they got some nerdy lookin guy (no offense to any THR's who're nerdy lookin ) and when i asked him for some .270 ammo he said they didn't have any. i pointed behind him at a long row stacked three high. he was lookin in the handgun ammo area

 

[TonyB]

I go to the Walmart by my house.There was a guy that I finally had trained pretty good.He knew where the 38's and 9mm's were.He never asked if it was for a handgun(after the 1st few times)And only some other guy followed me thru the store.(I led him a tour of the store before leaving
Anyway the guy I had trained quit,He works at the gas station by my house now.He says"too bad we don't sell ammo here,you wouldn't have to go to Walmart anymore."
He also called me Mr.9mm once.

 

[12.7x99mm]

I dont have issue one with my Wally World when buying ammo. I go in a buy boxes of 500 rounds of 22 all the time. All other ammo I get at the Arms Collectors shows.

I do have issues with the quality of people they hire though

 

[jacketch]

They are required to ask, I, however, am not required to answer.

 

[45R]

I only get when they throw the boxes of loose stuff on the counter. A round popping off from the shock of the box being slammed on the table would not be common but the girl got a good lecture anyways. She has never thrown ammo on the counter again! (this was loose 9mm WWB)

I am usually entertained by the ignorace of the employees working behind the counter. This proves to show you, what Walmart sells cheap...they take it out of the training!!!!

 

[Mauserlady]

Yes, however, they prefer you carry concealed. No open carry in WallyLand. (I believe I read that statement on walmart.com)

Probably another instance of "where you are"and manager discretion since BIL open carries in the Kingman Wallyworld all the time and hasn't had boo said to him.

"I'm going to shoot it. Duh."

I've only been asked once and my response was close to yours Mike. My answer: "Shooting" short and to the point.

Like another poster said, it must be location... The two people that generally work the counter at our local Wallyworld seem to have it together and never flinch when we buy quantities...

 

[wingman]

Walmart like the rest of our country suffers from the dumbing down of
common sense, education, work
standards, etc.

My wife ask a wal mart clerk to remove
an item from top shelf the other day,
a women clerk told they were so under
staffed dident have time. In our area
it has been going down hill for the past 10 years. In truth good service is not
required in this modern times the consumer will buy it no matter what
and of course business owners are very
aware of it.

 

[TearsOfRage]

I've never had any problem buying gun stuff at the Walmarts around here, and I make it a point to do so whenever its convenient.

When the pistol/rifle question comes up they just hit one or the other without asking (as I'm obviously over 21). Sometimes they ask to see my license but that's just to make sure I'm not a massachusetts resident (that store is right near the border).

I wouldn't expect them to know anything about guns, but I don't expect the guy behind the electronics counter to know about computers either. When I buy shoes there I don't expect a clerk to measure my feet either, do you? That's the whole concept of discount stores, duh.

 

[Kharn]

"Rifle or handgun?"
"Shotgun."

Kharn

 

[general]

$10.96 is hard to beat for 100 rnd WWB.
Time to restock.
rifle or handgun? They don't ask. But I see it on the register.
If they ever do ask i'll just say.."yes".

 

[CleverNickname]

"Rifle or handgun?"

A gun? Guns are dangerous, I just bang on the end with a rock.

 

[LiquidTension]

If they ask me, I tell them it is for a subgun because I know they don't have an option for that on their register Day before yesterday the lady asked me what that was so I told her "sub machine gun." She got all confused and just picked one, I guess. Guy standing at the counter asked if he could put some rounds through my subgun

 

[benewton]

TearsOfRage has it right, I think.

Not everybody knows everything, and if you've never done the minimum wage thing, hard times haven't yet hit you, but they will.

Gun stores I expect to be aware of the weapons that they sell, and at least some of the more interesting factors. "Cheap Charlies" are a caveate emptor.

 

[Partisan Ranger]

I went out this morning to my local Wal-Mart in Winchester Va., out here in the boonies in the Shenandoah Valley, about 80 miles west of D.C. The lady behind the counter knew her ??? from a hole in the ground and gave me 3 boxes of Winchester 9mm with no questions about what I was going to use it for.

The Valley is pretty gun-friendly so I figured buying out here would be a simpler process.

Prices are pretty good - about $10.50 for a box of 100. If they ever ask me what I'm gonna use it for, I think my reply will be, "Shoot it in my K-9." I really loathe PC senseless BS that serves only to hassle law-abiding people. What, do they think somebody is going to say, "Oh, I'm planning to stop by 2-3 local elementary schools and massacre 100 2nd graders. Have a good day!" Shees.

 

[Double Maduro]

gudel

I thought you couldn't own more than 300 rounds in the PRK.


Handgun or Rifle?

"YES"

What are you going to do with all that ammo?

Make lots of noise and put holes in things.


I don't shop at wallyworld, I prefer to keep my local business people, who care enough to learn something about their business, in business.

 

[gudel]

I thought you couldn't own more than 300 rounds in the PRK.

i just got back from walmart, just now.
told the guy in counter, i want 10 boxes of the .40.
no questions asked. the other day, i told the same guy, i want 5 boxes of 100rd winchester and 8 boxes for blazer. no questions asked.

so, it must be regional thing then. so how many rounds did i buy the other day? let see... 500rds 9mm and 400rds 45acp, and today was 500rds .40S&W. i should be getting another 450rds .40S&W from CTD. that totals to 1850 rounds

 

[Double Maduro]

could be regional, the guy who told me lives in the south bay area.

 

[danny]

They ask "rifle or pistol?" on 22LR because the law requires 18 years of age for rifle ammo and 21 for pistol and 22LR is the only one recognized as useful for both. At least that's how it works here in Illinois.

 

[caseydog]

When asked I reply respectfully ,whether or not they know a gun from a fishing rod. If they're polite to me , I'm polite to them. I've made a few friends among the "blue vest" crowd , to the point where they will dig and search endlessly for something I want, even invoking the help of a manager at times , and the leader in sporting goods always holds me back a few cases of Rem 12ga field loads when they put them on blowout.

Working with the public can be a thankless job , and a smarta$$ superior attitude customer can ruin your day, whether it's guns or software , digital cameras or DVD players. How do you think the recipients of all this razor sharp wit feel about gun owners / shooters ?

Fact is these folks get up and go to work every day , for that alone they deserve a modicum of respect, unlike many others in our society today. The "Highroad" isn't a gun forum , it's a state of mind , take it with you everywhere you go , including Wal-Mart.

I have a belief that every "keyboard commando" should have to do 2 years in the Army to learn discipline / respect and 2 years waiting on the public to see how many people have no discipline / respect before they move on to their "career".

And no I'm not (presently) in the Army or a " consumer oriented " job, I do welding /machining / mechanics for a heavy equipment shop, I could probably make fools of 85% of the counter people in industrial supply / welding supply, but how would that benefit either of us in any way ?? For myself , I love to walk into these places and feel like "Norm " on Cheers, friends are an undervalued asset , even the newB Wal-Mart greeter. Case

 

[goon]

The other sequence might be ...... the question, then I might say ..... ''Does it matter'' .......... ''well not to me Sir, but I am told to ask''!! Strange! Is it for statistics, or what?

It is the law. You have to be 21 to buy ammo for a handgun, 18 for a rifle. I find that odd, since there are 9mm, 40, .45ACP, .357, and 44Mag rifles. That means that you could still be buying it for a handgun, but they would never know the difference.
The .22LR thing does seem to get them. Luckily, I went to HS with the girl that works the sporting goods counter at the local wal-mart. She knows me by name, and she gets mad at me when I buy my ammo somewhere else.