Walmart getting out of the gun business

[ChamberedRound]

FYI, the WM in Pottstown, PA still carries firearms.

There's a lot of things I'd buy from Wal-Mart, but a firearm isn't one of them. From my limited experience, the mom-and-pop shops have better stock, better quality merchandise, and reasonable prices when factoring in the quality of the purchase.

The only reason I'd like to see Wal-Mart continue to sell firearms is so that they continue to sell ammo as well, as Wal-Mart's prices on practice/target ammo tend to be competitive. I'm sure there are those out there who will say, "well, if they don't sell guns, then why do they need to sell ammo?", and I don't want to see the removal of firearms from the shelves be a stepping stone to removing the ammo as well.

[billamj]

It seems to be something of a hit or miss type of thing. Pottstown is still stocking/selling yet Exeter which is about eight or so miles away no longer has any in stock. I was at the new Boyertown store a few weeks ago and they were still stocking. Not sure exactly what is going on but like CR said I'd prefer if they were to keep selling them if for no other reason than they'd continue to stock cheap practice ammo.

[craigc]

The one in Parkesburg here still stocks rifles,shotguns and ammo although I buy and support local gun shops

[TrybalRage]

Like others, I'd rather support my local gun shops anyway.

[IceFire]

The Wally-World in Johnstown just stopped selling firearms as of Feb. 5th. That's OK, I can get them less expensively at my local gun shop anyway When I asked why, they said it was because it was too much hassle. At least they still carry ammo...at least for now.

[JIMMYC308]

I believe they will go the way of Kmart and stop selling guns and ammo. No skin off my teeth I would'nt buy there anyway

[SGTUSArmy]

I never said we did not need to support mom and pop. I have bought 1 gun in the past 5 years. It was not from Wal-Mart. It was from Pop, only because they were closer, and they had what I wanted. They also provided the info I wanted, with an indoor range and rental guns available. Right now, due to limitations on where I can shoot, how much I'll be in town etc... I am only in the market for pistols. In the future I may be interested in replacing a .22 LR I had stolen from my apartment a few years ago (1998).

Besides, when I go to Bass Pro to buy primers or powder, it takes me 30 minutes to get waited on. When I go to On Target, there is usually less than a 1 minute wait for someone to ask what I needed, be it range time or look at a pistol. It's too bad they don't seel reloading supplies, and the only other place besides BPS that sells the supplies I want are usually out of stock.

[RandomTask]

Originally Posted by JIMMYC308

I believe they will go the way of Kmart and stop selling guns and ammo. No skin off my teeth I would'nt buy there anyway

The Kmart in Mill Hall still sells rifles, shotguns and ammo. However, the selection is pretty lame.
As far as WalMart goes, it appears that they are only ceasing gun sales in urban areas, and tree-hugging areas (like State College), i.e., left wing-controlled towns.
Although both WalMarts in State College are ending gun sales, a guy in the sporting goods dept at the Mill Hall store said they have no plans that he knows of, and in fact, they just sent him to some gun traning seminar. I also heard that Huntingdon will still have guns. WalMart has some nice prices on guns for sure.

For ammo, I find that my local shops are just as competative as WalMart. Walmart has a 100 rnd "value pack" of Win 9mm 115gr FMJ for $14.84.
I can get UMC for $8 a box of 50 at several shops in my area.
Even better, Lion Country Supply in Port Matilda has Foicchi 9mm 115gr FMJ for $7.45 per box of 50. That's better ammo (hotter & cleaner) at the same price as WalMart.

[TRB]

Originally Posted by RandomTask

The Kmart in Mill Hall still sells rifles, shotguns and ammo. However, the selection is pretty lame.
As far as WalMart goes, it appears that they are only ceasing gun sales in urban areas, and tree-hugging areas (like State College), i.e., left wing-controlled towns.
Although both WalMarts in State College are ending gun sales, a guy in the sporting goods dept at the Mill Hall store said they have no plans that he knows of, and in fact, they just sent him to some gun traning seminar. I also heard that Huntingdon will still have guns. WalMart has some nice prices on guns for sure.

For ammo, I find that my local shops are just as competative as WalMart. Walmart has a 100 rnd "value pack" of Win 9mm 115gr FMJ for $14.84.
I can get UMC for $8 a box of 50 at several shops in my area.
Even better, Lion Country Supply in Port Matilda has Foicchi 9mm 115gr FMJ for $7.45 per box of 50. That's better ammo (hotter & cleaner) at the same price as WalMart.

As much as I would like to buy into the thought that Wal*Mart is sensitive to the attitudes and politics in "tree hugging areas...left-wing controlled towns" as well as areas populated by die hard hunters and shooting enthusiasts I just cannot. Here is the reason: Wal*Mart only cares about making a profit. Ascribing any other motives behind any decision they make will almost always be wrong.

Wal*Mart has a sophisticated computer generated order/inventory system. Those among you who have attempted to buy a case of ammo from them have run into this. The computer automatically orders ammo (car wax, basketballs, chewing gum, and everything else) based on the history of the sales of each individual item. So if you're attempting to buy ten boxes of W-W box 9mm from a store that sells five boxes a week you will not be able to buy that much because they will not have that much in stock. This system saves them millions, maybe billions of dollars per year that is lost from carrying slow moving or dead inventory. The data generated by this system is what leads them to make decisions such as whether or not to stock certain goods in certain areas. If people aren't buying firearms (car wax, basketballs, chewing gum, whatever) they will elect to get out of the business of selling these items. Wal*Mart will reallocate the floor space to displays of products that will sell in that particular market.

It is not coincidental that they may not sell firearms in an area dominated by a heavy anti sentiment. The decision to carry or not carry inventory is market driven. It is not because they are seeking greater public approval.

BTW, none of the local shops can match Wal*Mart's price on ammo or entry level guns around here. On the low end it is not unusual for them to be selling their wares at or below the little guy's cost. When shopping for better stuff the locals can usually undercut them.

[Frenchy]

I don’t know that I would say Wal-Mart was ever in the gun business… Can any one show that guns was the primary reason they where opened? Being in business of selling guns would mean this is your primary income or at least a large part of it. I believe they where in the business of making convenient to their clientele the purchase of guns and ammo. But to say they where in the “Business” of selling guns is quite large.

Basically, selling guns for Wal-Mart is counter productive; this is a company that decides if it buys or not based on fractions of a cent to make a profit. The fast sale of any item is productive to them, but keeping an inventory that does not sell fast is not. Knowing that the process they have for selling one gun can take more then a few seconds at the cash register for any other sale, would take away any profit they would see in the sale of guns. Not to mention their insurance policy is probably much higher.

Like many other stores, Wal-Mart had probably decided that specialty stores need to handle specialty items. Sears made that same decision a while back with computers and office furniture. Other then to make convenient to the customer who might go buy other things while browsing the guns there and possibly buying bullets, there was very little profitable reason for Wal-Mart to have guns in the first place.

As others have stated before, even buying bullets at Wal-Mart can be an experience of its own. I mean, here you are with your Valium, your Viagra and a box of tampons buying a 12 Gauge and bullets…. Asking if the clerk knows where they keep the shovels… Even I would think twice about the sale