Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

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JimT
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Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by JimT »

By RICHARD MANN

A lot of folks are outraged at Walmart discontinuing the sale of ARs and now certain kinds of ammunition. I guess they feel like this monster corporation has betrayed them, and that we should boycott or punish them for not supporting the Second Amendment. Well, um, we should have never started buying our gun stuff there in the first place. We abandoned real gun stores for convenience, and to save a couple dollars. Gun stores went out of business, and here we are.

I could care less. In fact, it would not bother me if Walmart stopped selling guns and gun and hunting related accessories all together. They’ve never been a real gun/hunting store anyway. Though I’m sure there are exceptions, those behind the counter are, in most cases, not qualified to sale or even handle a gun, and I doubt any of them know the difference between a caliber and a cartridge. And based on my experience; their enthusiasm for customer care almost equals my interest in cat videos.

When I was growing up there was a local bait & tackle/gun shop about two miles from my house. On weekends—during my paper route—I’d stop there on my bike. The guy behind the counter would let me look at and fondle the guns that interested me, and he even knew a thing or two about firearms…and young boys. I could usually talk him out of some part I needed, that was just lying in the clutter on his workbench. (If you grew up near my hometown—and are older than 50—you will remember Ray’s Bait Shop. I’d rather go back there for one hour than spend a day in Cabela’s.)

We’ve seen the death of the local gun shop. With that, we’ve lost places where real and practical knowledge could be dispensed. Walmart has contributed to this near extinction; they retail firearms so cheap the local guy cannot compete. (Few realize how small profit margins are on guns.) What they fail to deliver is service—service before, during, and most importantly, after the sale. And those conducting the sale do not have the experience to get that feeling when someone is trying to buy a gun with possible bad intentions in mind. (You do realize an FFL dealer can deny a sale to anyone they think might be a danger, don’t you? Local gun shop owners take this seriously.)

And then there’s the knowledge they do not have to share. Local gun shops are operated by folks who are experienced with, and passionate about, what they do and the things they sale. That passion carries over to the customer. The absence of that passion is like a cancer to the gun and hunting industry. It’s why Walmart could care less about your firearms or hunting interests—they have none of their own. It’s also the reason some gun manufactures are struggling; they hired management types from other industries who lack our passion.

Be mad at Walmart if you like, I could care less what they sale. When I buy gun stuff I’m going to buy it from a guy who smells like Hoppe’s #9, a guy who was installing a trigger on a rifle that morning, a guy who closed his shop early yesterday to go to the range, a guy who frequently has a shop full of like-minded folks complaining about anti-gunners, a guy who knows what a pre-64 model 70 is, who Jeff Cooper was, and who actually gives a pelosi if I hit what I shoot at, or ever come back in his shop again.

With this help from Walmart the local gun shop can once again be real. With all the new gun owners in our ranks, they’ve never been needed more than right now!

You think Walmart is a gun store? Well, bless your heart. You’ve never been in a real gun store, have you?

Richard Mann
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by piller »

Thank you for posting that. It does put it into perspective.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by AJMD429 »

I do like the gun-shop in terms of knowledge, willingness to order parts, and the overall ambiance and so on.

However, I've been VERY disappointed to see how few of the local gun shops have ever been interested at all in defending gun rights. Even when I did all the work, and printed up informational pamphlets about upcoming votes or legislator contact information, 90% of the gun stores I took such things to refused to even display them - "too controversial" to support gun rights... :roll:

The guys running several 'sporting' type gun shops have told me that they "don't really support all these semiautomatic rifles anyway".

Sometimes our 'friends' are our worst enemies.... :|
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by piller »

M.A.P. arms near me is owned by a gentleman who is pro-gun. I give him my business as often as I can. He has some things up on his walls about voting and he sells Black Rifle Coffee. There are still some of the good ones around.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by JimT »

piller wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 6:46 pm M.A.P. arms near me is owned by a gentleman who is pro-gun. I give him my business as often as I can. He has some things up on his walls about voting and he sells Black Rifle Coffee. There are still some of the good ones around.
Yep. There are a lot of good ones around.
Not like there used to be, but many are still here.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Jay Bird »

I was educated about Walmart years ago........pretty much common knowledge how they move into a small town, like upstate Pa. with the promise of jobs and cheap prices....within a year all of the mom and pop stores are done.

What do you think Cabelas is doing....Bass Pro?

About the same with Home Depot......I shop at our local ACE unless I'm desperate. As far as gunshops are concerned we still have plenty around here.

Our "governemt" wants it this way to increase revenue.......the little stores hide their income more easily than the big stores and ya know....there's plenty of bums with their hands out waiting to spend other people's sweat.----6
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by ollogger »

So true Jim!!
I miss George Madis & his great gun store in EauClaire Wisconsin


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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Booger Bill »

I once seen a flip side of that article 50 years ago. I was in what just might have been the largest gun store in southern california. I THINK they are out of business but am not positive so I wont say the name. A 1%er TYPE biker was in there buying guns. For whatever reason he loudly told me his problems and I am sure the meek small salesman heard. In between looking at various guns the very nervous salesman was complying. This guy looked like a skun bear.
He was telling me how his ol` lady ran off with someone and he had plans for these babies!! I seen him buy a nickel colt python and a pump riot shotgun.
I could scarcely believe it as the clerk wrote him up. I think I might have thought at the time, being younger and dumber myself that maybe the clerk had some business law he thought he had to follow as long as he was okay far as records go. But this was 1970 and I cant recall if there were ten day waits that far back but I dont believe that was law until later years. I ran into a similar situation when I did gun shows in california back in the 1970`s, 1980`s. A gangbanger type wanted to pay full pop for a gun without even trying to bargain. I had bad "vibes" against him, probably lied a little about it`s condition and "talked" him out of buying it.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Rusty »

For those that don't know Richard Mann has a Youtube channel that everyone should subscribe to, then like and watch all his videos. He's from my dad's home town. Was a LEO there and worked with my wife's cousin. I've never met him but hope to shortly. I was watching some of his videos and something sounded very familiar about that accent and then I figured it out. He's a down to earth guy that we'd all like if he were here.
He's also right on spot about Walmart. I have a terrible disdain for those people. When I had my FFL they were selling Winchester '94 for $5 less than my dealer price was. Their retailing practices are meant to dupe the uneducated.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by piller »

Does anyone remember when Schrade was made in America? Back around 2006 or somewhere around then, WalMart made a giant sized order from Schrade for knives in a package to sell at Christmastime. When Schrade delivered, WalMart refused to pay. Less than 6 months later Schrade was bankrupt and Taylor brands bought the name and rights to the designs. WalMart never did pay. They have done this on several occasions. The first year in which they had crazy good deals on flat screen TVs on black friday was one of those times. The Japanese manufacturer of those TVs was never paid and went bankrupt. The Japanese Government tried to sue on the behalf of the workers who never got paid. The Justice Department blocked that lawsuit. It happened while Bill Clinton was in office, and everyone knows about Hillary's love affair with that daughter of Sam Walton. She is the one who put Hillary on the board of directors at WalMart for about a ten year run.
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Bill in Oregon
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Bill in Oregon »

Here's an interesting addendum to Jim's fine post -- why Hornady dropped Walmart years ago.

https://www.recoilweb.com/why-hornady-s ... c8xk0zdSRg
1894c

Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by 1894c »

JIM T -- good editorial...good-bye Wal-Mart... :)
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by TraderVic »

ollogger wrote: Mon Sep 09, 2019 8:27 pm So true Jim!!
I miss George Madis & his great gun store in EauClaire Wisconsin


ollogger
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I live in the Eau Claire neighborhood. The store closed about two years ago as his son didn't do a very good job at it.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Idiot »

Walmart has never been on my side, nor has it ever been a gun store. It has, however, sold ammo and other sporting goods that I use and like - at a price well below local gun shops - well below. In some areas Walmart sells reloading components, the common stuff, at prices well below any other place. As a result, I shop a lot at Walmart. I shop at gun stores too. And in my area, the gun stores thrive, some in part, because of Walmart. They were smart enough to realize that the couldn't compete with Walmart's run of the mill 22 and shotgun ammo, or their inexpensive firearms - so they didn't. And they built stores near Walmart to get Walmart's traffic, and sold things Walmart didn't sell - which is a lot. Things change, and in our type of economy you either are smart enough to adapt, or you go out of business. I too sometimes dream of a world I once lived in - a world that no longer exists and will ever return. Walmart, Home Depot, Office Max, McDonalds are all part of that reality.

Another reality is that few gun stores have people in them that know much about what they sell anymore that Walmart does. Half the mom and pop gun stores have Ninjas behind the counters with tattoos up there neck mumbling "Glock" to anyone who will listen - heck, I wouldn't sell a gun to them. And the days of gun stores with the smell of Hoppes in the air is gone, replaced by the smell of plastic and packing tape. Most of the gun store folks won't give me the time of day, or want to, when I ask if they have a box of 30-30s. So we can pretend that Walmart put all these "little guys" out of business, and Walmart had a hand in it, but most of them did it to themselves. And the ones that are still up and running are doing so and doing well.

In the end, I am disappointed I can't buy a box of 9MM at Walmart for half the price of my local gun store and that I will need to buy more from Midway or somewhere else online, during "free shipping" specials. In the meantime I will still buy my shotgun shells at Walmart, my bullets at Midway, and everything that I need right now at the local gun store. Am I selfish because I want to save a "couple bucks?" Perhaps, but my grandkids don't think so when I spend that saved money on their Oreo Blizzard.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by gamekeeper »

We don't have Wal-Mart stores in the UK and if we did they wouldn't be selling firearms and ammo. The smaller gun shops however are often staffed by completely ignorant guys who think they know it all. I hear all sorts of rubbish advice given to novice shooters.... :(
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by vancelw »

I don't know what Walmarts y'all shop at, but I've never seen them sell ammo as cheaply as I can order it. And no where near the variety. Clearance sale is the only time Walmart gets my gun money. (Like the 1187 I gave $249 for last week, or the Chief Crazy Horse that set me back $275 many a year ago)

As far a local gun stores go...we FINALLY have a decent one. Opened by a Walmart employee as his retirement plan. Friendly and knowledgeable. None of the previous ones met both of those criteria
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Chuck 100 yd »

Jim hit er right on the head. I drive for 35 miles to get to a small independent FFL because of reasons given.
This small shop sells more guns in a week than the local Walmart super store does in a year, also for reasons given by Jim.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by Ysabel Kid »

My local Wally World doesn't sell guns, but does sell ammunition - or did. The guy usually behind the counter is a true "gunny", and knows his stuff.

Pro's on Walmart for me was that with their buying power, they had ammunition when it was a rare as a hen's tooth. Also, they didn't inflate the prices much. I saw some stores quadruple the prices of .22 Long Rifle when it was hard to get. Plus, when the wife went off to the grocery section, you know where I went.

Con's indeed - the impact on local gun shops.

I'm hoping, like others, this ends up rejuvenating the local shops.

I'm actually fine with Walmart making a financial decision to not sell something. They answer to shareholders, and understand the risk/liability versus the reward. Walmart, for all their faults, knows their market areas and the value of their floor space exceptionally well.

What I will NOT EVER tolerate is a company advocating for the reduction, in the slightest, of my rights. When Dick's CEO crossed that line he got my last dollar, and I let them know that. Same will now happen to Walmart.

The only price these fools understand is the lost revenue. We need to make it hurt where it counts if any company attacks our rights. As they now say... "get woke... go broke".
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by marlinman93 »

I have nothing against Walmart, or any other big chain stores. But I don't shop at Walmart for anything really. Not because of some issues mentioned here, but because Walmart doesn't specialize in ANYTHING! I prefer to go to the sporting goods stores for guns and fishing tackle. To the auto parts store for auto pats. So I just don't go to Walmart because they're not specialists in anything I need or want.
Walmart can stop selling guns, or just about anything, and I'll probably not even know it unless I see it on the news.
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by FWiedner »

I don't shop, or rather, I don't buy much at Walmart anymore. I won't address my wife's habit.

I do go in to browse the ammo... "Just in case".

Inventories between Walmart branches are pretty standard as to brand and selection, and any purchases that I MUST make at Walmart usually occur when I am out of town and parted from my couple of LGSs.

When I am "out in the field" and the ammo box runs dry, I will usually go to Walmart because they are easy to find in every community where they do business.

:|
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Re: Editorial - Walmart Never Was a Gun Store

Post by 6pt-sika »

I bought some dove decoys from Walmart a few weeks ago . Actually I bought two in a store then a week later ordered four more from them thru the net . I understand the whole thing about don’t support those that don’t do what you prefer . I also understand in my present situation family wise my time is less than limited . So if I can get what I want at Wally World quickly when I’m passing by from some other errand so be it .
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