Wal-mart getting out of the ammo/gun business?

[jcabin]

I was out shopping at Walmart on Friday (Nov.20) with the wife. She was off buying wifey things , so I headed to the gun dept. I was looking for some .380 to run through my new LCP. I have a few boxes of WWB left but they all have those flat-nosed bullets. All they had was WWB, I asked the clerk if they were ball or wadcutters. He open the box and sure enough more of those dumb flat-nosed bullets.

He stated that he was lucky to have any, take it or leave it. I passed. After a brief discussion of the impact of the Obama presidency on ammo supplies, he dropped a little nugget in my lap. He claimed that he was talking to the Rep from Federal and wanted to know what was up with the stock had been ordered but has not arrived. The rep claims that Walmart has put most ammunition restocking on hold. They don't want to have excess inventory when their FFL expires next year. He (the clerk/manager) claims that they are not going to renew the FFL and exit the firearms sales business at that time. Not sure if he meant his store (Dickson City) or all of Walmart

Don't know if it is true. I am just passing along what I was told. It seemed to make sense.

Anyone care to discuss this, and the impact it will have on gun owners/shooting enthusiasts?

From what I've heard/seen, quite a few walmarts have stopped selling firearms over the last few years, and some have even stopped selling ammunition all together.

I can't imagine walmarts, atleast in the NEPA region make alot, or any money at all selling rifles and shotguns. We have a ton of shops in NEPA, so who the hell would go to walmart to buy? I'm sure some people, but not nearly enough to make running the section profitable.

Now on the other hand, everyone I know checks walmart for ammo.
They obviously can't keep it on the shelves, so they must be making money off it. Why would they stop selling ammunition? I doubt the license costs much and could be easily covered with profit from selling ammo in short order.

[Nic]

My local Wal-mart (Greensburg) doesn't sell firearms any longer. Only one Wal-mart in the area (Mount Pleasant) sells guns. The Mt Pleasant selection featured about 8 long guns.

The way I see it, I'm used to Wal-mart's bare ammo shelves anyway, so it's not going to be a big deal to me if they stop selling it. I've been getting good deals online.

[thefirstndsecond]

Wal Mart is a joke.

[tdyoung58]

Only one of three around here still sells guns and their only the Blackpowder type.

But as said, there is a lot of gun shops in this area. I can think of 12 within 30 minutes and that's not even trying hard to list them

[dc dalton]

Actually I think it would be a good thing in some ways. A lot of the smaller shops would get new business they might not have otherwise seen.


OH and to add to the rumor mill? I heard a rumor that the ATF is looking to shut down at least 10% of the FFLs within O's first term ... nothing substantial yet, just a rumor but it came from a fairly decent source.

[mojo]

I think it's a good/bad thing.

Good: As DC said, a lot of other mom/pop local shops will pick up the business. Which in my mind is a good thing.

Bad: They have the best prices on 9mm and I would must likely have to pay more for ammo.

Ammo is the only reason that I ever go to Wal-mart any more.

It really wouldn't surprise me if it happens. Wal-mart isn't the most pro-gun company out there. They are making plenty of money on other stuff, where the lose in revenue really won't effect them. They can easily do it to prove a point or to reduce hassle.

.......

Now DC. A 10% reduction in FFLs would completely suck!

[rflynn]

I think you are going to see a 10% reduction in FFL's even if the ATF does nothing. This economy if killing off small business.

[PA Traveler]

FWIW the only WalMart I have had any success at is Exton (near Downingtown)... but they have been very well stock with ammo when I've gone, and restocked regularly.

Others (like the local one if KoP or the one in Trooper) I've never seen a single box of 9MM .38, or .45ACP and the shelves are generally empty.

I dunno what their policy is these days.

[Paradigm]

Wal-Mart is the closest place for me to buy ammo. They are also the cheapest by far within 30 miles (the next Wal-Mart). The "local" stores are at least 50% more per box for the exact same product. The closest "local" store is ten minutes away, then 30, then 40....

No thanks.

[God's Country]

Whatever. I don't go to WM very often anymore anyway. The main reason I use to go to WM was toiletries, and items that most markets rape the consumer for, plus ammo. Well I discovered a few years ago that dollar stores are very competitive with WM for nearly all the items I went to WM for anyway, and WM hasn't had ammo for a year. WM once had decent quality at decent prices. The last 10 years or so they have garbage for escalating prices. Some chain store eventually will do to WM what WM did to K-mart.
I don’t believe I’ll miss them.