Here in southern Michigan they do not sell any guns in walmart or K mart. The last time I bought a gun at one of them type stores, I was 12 or so (gave my mom money for it). Alot of the products Walmart sells are only made in foreign countries. I once tryed to buy a phone cord. I had a choice between the one at the dollor store or the RCA one at CVS for $5. both made in China, I went with the dollor store one. They need to make a only made in america store because alot of these stores that could stock items from america still do not, such as american made cast iron skillets that I had to buy from a sporting goods store because no other store stocked them. The point is there is usually no other choice other than to buy foreign made items because alot of it is not made here (electronics in particular). Would I buy a gun from a gun shop at a little bit higher price rather from walmart if I had the choice? yes I would as it supports the local economy in a much more direct way.
Wal-Mart to start selling handguns in 2012
- Thread starter Toms_2003_Stang
- Start date
540EdgeFlyer
New member
THIS.
I like my local shop, they've got good guys working there. The owner is a good guy. As I said above, I will buy from them if they are in the ballpark. The last gun I bought from them, this was the case. I paid about $60 or so more than I could have over the internet, and then I also would have had to pay his transfer fees. It was close enough.
More recently, I wanted an AR. My local shop was not even close to being in the ballpark. They were $400 more, on top of which I would have had to pay another chunk of taxes. I could not justify that and had one shipped in. I saved almost $500.
It all depends on the situation. If local shops can't present reasonable prices, they don't deserve to have my business.
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
I haven't seen a 30.06 sign in TX or seen a report from the TX websites that track such.
Around here, it's about 50-50 on gun sales and ammo. The worst problem is not having someone behind the counter.
About buying from them, it is the free market. I prefer local restaurants to chains also. But the best gun prices for standard items come from big but local gun dealers at the gun show.
Then it's Academy. The local nasty gun store complains about such. The nice LGS is pricey for new guns but I've bought two that were close as they have great service. They also have much better used gun prices.
About foreign products - we could have invented Glocks and we could have built cars that were as good as Honda, Toyota, etc. But we didn't - and now have to catch up.
Note SW has the revolver market as a dominant niche with Ruger.
Around here, it's about 50-50 on gun sales and ammo. The worst problem is not having someone behind the counter.
About buying from them, it is the free market. I prefer local restaurants to chains also. But the best gun prices for standard items come from big but local gun dealers at the gun show.
Then it's Academy. The local nasty gun store complains about such. The nice LGS is pricey for new guns but I've bought two that were close as they have great service. They also have much better used gun prices.
About foreign products - we could have invented Glocks and we could have built cars that were as good as Honda, Toyota, etc. But we didn't - and now have to catch up.
Note SW has the revolver market as a dominant niche with Ruger.
johnwilliamson062
Moderator
Maybe 5 years ago walmart came up with a strategy to remove all low volume/low profit items from their store. To get shelf space things had to move fast and bring in profit.
At first their strategy seemed to work, then over time people who wanted that one item they stopped carrying started shopping other places and picking up things that wal-mart carried in the other store.
About 18 months ago walmart decided they needed to put all those low volume low profit items back so people could think of them as the one stop shopping complex again.
Part of this move was to increase the number of walmarts with guns.(given the low margins, ATFE hassle, and relatively inefficient shelving of firearms they were an early target of the old policy). Walmart is a behemoth and they move slow. No idea when it will happen or to what extent, but more walmarts should be getting guns.
If mom and pop can't be competitive they should retire.
At first their strategy seemed to work, then over time people who wanted that one item they stopped carrying started shopping other places and picking up things that wal-mart carried in the other store.
About 18 months ago walmart decided they needed to put all those low volume low profit items back so people could think of them as the one stop shopping complex again.
Part of this move was to increase the number of walmarts with guns.(given the low margins, ATFE hassle, and relatively inefficient shelving of firearms they were an early target of the old policy). Walmart is a behemoth and they move slow. No idea when it will happen or to what extent, but more walmarts should be getting guns.
If mom and pop can't be competitive they should retire.
Another, Walmart is run by satan thread. I wish the mods would close any thread that mentions Walmart.
If this were about 100 years ago then it would be a, Sears is run by satan thread. They also had some sleazey business practices similar to Walmart back then.
Complain to Walmart if you don't like their business practices. If someone wants to shop there or not that's their business.
Two pages and nothing but pros and cons of Walmart's business practices.
If this were about 100 years ago then it would be a, Sears is run by satan thread. They also had some sleazey business practices similar to Walmart back then.
Complain to Walmart if you don't like their business practices. If someone wants to shop there or not that's their business.
Two pages and nothing but pros and cons of Walmart's business practices.
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i absolutely refuse to buy a firearm from walmart. one of the ways they get their guns cheaper is buy picking up the lower grade firearms that manufacturers don't sell to distributors and gun shops. just like everything else walmart sells the story is told in the sku's and the product codes.
they often have lower grade wood or laminate stocks, imperfections in the finish scratches/blemishes
if you scan most of the bar codes from walmart with a internet barcode scanner they will come back with no matches because they are walmart only items.
thats why they can under sell everyone.
they do the same thing with tvs and electronics. they have slightly different sku's and upc's that are walmart only items.
they often have lower grade wood or laminate stocks, imperfections in the finish scratches/blemishes
if you scan most of the bar codes from walmart with a internet barcode scanner they will come back with no matches because they are walmart only items.
thats why they can under sell everyone.
they do the same thing with tvs and electronics. they have slightly different sku's and upc's that are walmart only items.
talk to the actual store managers about this, go into the store about oh say 10 am and they will most always be tehre. they can actually givethe truth on that rumor if you ask.
walmart has no intention of dealing hanguns anytime soon. most stores dont want to be selling shotguns, rifle, or ammo as it is. heck if you carefully watch shelf inventory when hunting seasons change, youll notice that many popular deer calibers just dissapear. one day theyll have boxes of 30-30, etc, and the day after the season opener, its all replaced by boxes of skeet loads.
walmart has no intention of dealing hanguns anytime soon. most stores dont want to be selling shotguns, rifle, or ammo as it is. heck if you carefully watch shelf inventory when hunting seasons change, youll notice that many popular deer calibers just dissapear. one day theyll have boxes of 30-30, etc, and the day after the season opener, its all replaced by boxes of skeet loads.
Deaf Smith
New member
Long time ago Wal-Mart DID stock hanguns.
Well now days they stock ARs and riot shotguns. So, who knows, maybe in 2012 they will once again stock handguns.
Deaf
Well now days they stock ARs and riot shotguns. So, who knows, maybe in 2012 they will once again stock handguns.
Deaf
SauerGrapes
New member
I never saw a gun for sale in a WalMart untill last year when I stopped in one down in Middletown Del. They had nothing that impressed me. I wouldn't buy one from them anyway.
Leaving all other reservations aside, there's something very important we need to consider before buying guns from Wal-Mart.
They gleefully jumped into the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership with Mayors Against Illegal Guns back in 2008. Take a close look at what they're doing.
All firearms sales are video taped. They also have to participate in "a computerized system that participating retailers will implement over time to log crime gun traces relating to the retailer. Once the program is in place, if a customer who has a prior trace at that retailer attempts to purchase a firearm, the sale will be electronically flagged."
Sharing tracing information like that skirts the law to some extent, and it could end up blackballing otherwise law-abiding customers. Just because a trace is issued doesn't mean a gun was used in a crime. Trace reports are sometimes run when manufacturers and distributors find errors in their books.
The question presents itself: who runs this database, and who has access to it? Who are the security experts at Mayors against Illegal Guns who will prevent your information from being disseminated, sold or compromised?
Then there's this bit:
So, there's that little wrinkle.
They gleefully jumped into the Responsible Firearms Retailer Partnership with Mayors Against Illegal Guns back in 2008. Take a close look at what they're doing.
All firearms sales are video taped. They also have to participate in "a computerized system that participating retailers will implement over time to log crime gun traces relating to the retailer. Once the program is in place, if a customer who has a prior trace at that retailer attempts to purchase a firearm, the sale will be electronically flagged."
Sharing tracing information like that skirts the law to some extent, and it could end up blackballing otherwise law-abiding customers. Just because a trace is issued doesn't mean a gun was used in a crime. Trace reports are sometimes run when manufacturers and distributors find errors in their books.
The question presents itself: who runs this database, and who has access to it? Who are the security experts at Mayors against Illegal Guns who will prevent your information from being disseminated, sold or compromised?
Then there's this bit:
If you get delayed, you have to wait until the FBI calls back with the go-ahead. Sometimes, that takes weeks.
So, there's that little wrinkle.
One Walmart here eliminated their guns in early 2010 and cut back ammo drastically. In 2011, they brought the guns back and expanded their ammo.
Another one, has always had guns and ammo, but have even more variations in ammo now (except .357).
They have a book under the counter, where they will order about any long rifle you want. Surprised that one had a Colt AR-15 in the rack and some Henry rifles.
Another one, has always had guns and ammo, but have even more variations in ammo now (except .357).
They have a book under the counter, where they will order about any long rifle you want. Surprised that one had a Colt AR-15 in the rack and some Henry rifles.
hangglider
Moderator
Funny you mention it--while shopping for food today at my local WallyWorld I gazed long and hard at a 308 remington 870 with stainless barrel and scope. I think they tend to move the in-store stock with specials--so it might pay to prowl their counters frequently and see if something nice becomes a bargain. Just out of curiosity--what were they asking for the colt AR?
Justice06RR
New member
I don't buy guns at my local Walmarts, but its my go-to place for cheap ammo. Why spend $10 at the range for a box of ammo when WM sells them for $6. I already spend a good amount of money at the range for their firearms, range use, and accesorries.
Having said that, I can't say I won't buy firearms at Walmart if they sold more reputable brands like S&W or Springfield at good prices. I just don't see that happening just yet..
Having said that, I can't say I won't buy firearms at Walmart if they sold more reputable brands like S&W or Springfield at good prices. I just don't see that happening just yet..