Wal-Mart bringing firearms back?

[Guest NYCrulesU]

My Walmart has always sold shotguns and rifles. I thought every Walmart (in the South) did...??

[wjh2657]

Our WALMART in Lafayette has always sold long guns and all ammo, including plenty of handgun ammo. I think it really depended on your geographical area more thn any WALMART strategy or policy.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Our WALMART in Lafayette has always sold long guns and all ammo, including plenty of handgun ammo. I think it really depended on your geographical area more thn any WALMART strategy or policy.

It has more to do with the store managers. I have spoken to several workers as well as managers as of late regarding their lack of certain kinds of ammo. I was told each store orders what they want as an individual store. So it may be the managers who have stopped ordering or stocking guns and ammunition.

Dolomite

[Guest brandon_pitt]

My Rutherford county and surrounding Walmarts are amping up their ammo selection, which is nice to see since their prices are usually the cheapest around, but what's the deal with .223? I can never find any....

[wjh2657]

It has more to do with the store managers. I have spoken to several workers as well as managers as of late regarding their lack of certain kinds of ammo. I was told each store orders what they want as an individual store. So it may be the managers who have stopped ordering or stocking guns and ammunition.

Dolomite

I think we are on the same train, just different cars. Managers make or break their careers based on sales. If you live in an area where guns and ammo are not a priority item, sales are in the basement. Obviously guns and ammo are not worth stocking. If you live, like I do , in an area where every 10 year old (including my grandkids) and above has at least a .22 and a shotgun, guns and ammo are a key item. Thusly, you carry a big stock. This county (Macon) is also HCP "rich" so pistol ammo sells fast. If you don't get there right after the truck arrives, you lose! Managers have to be "earners" so their stock depends on their customers and that seems to be according to area.

[gearyr]

Well, I was at the Gallatin Wal Mart last night. No guns in sight. None. Don't know if the Gallatin Wal Mart is going to bring back guns. To bad. I remember when they had pretty good selection of shotguns and rifles. gearyr

[The mailman]

It doesn't matter if Walmart has guns or not. You will not be able to get anyone to wait on you.

[Guest friesepferd]

It doesn't matter if Walmart has guns or not. You will not be able to get anyone to wait on you.

hahaha. so true.

[bajabuc]

hahaha. so true.

I had that problem at Gander Mountain...and had money in my hand!

[Guest Laufer]

Over a year ago I wanted to buy a fishing license at the Wally World on Hwy 64 in Cordova/Bartlett (Memphis).

After waiting 15 minutes for any staff to notice us, I picked up the p.a. handset and made an announcement that customers needed help in the hunting department.

It worked.

If you are at Dick's Sporting -no staff after five minutes- and can reach the red box of Win. .22 ammo, grab it and pay up front.

[Oh Shoot]

...If you are at Dick's Sporting -no staff after five minutes- and can reach the red box of Win. .22 ammo, grab it and pay up front.

Dick's in Memphis still sells ammo/gun stuff? Was it only in Knoxville they quit?

- OS

[jonlisha]

Walmart needs to drop the whole "hunting weapons only" act, correct me if I'm wrong but people who hunt generally buy a hunting shotgun/rifle once every 5 to 10 years, they find something they like and stick to it. If they would get into the handgun market and maybe a few military or surplus rifles they would be in the money. But at the same time I don't wanna kill the small gun shops cause they are generally staffed by the most helpful people.

[Guest tarheel78]

I'm wondering what affect this move by WM will have on small, private gun dealers? Any out there care to comment yea or nay?

[Oh Shoot]

I'm wondering what affect this move by WM will have on small, private gun dealers? Any out there care to comment yea or nay?

Nothing has (or likely will) change in Knoxville. All the stores except the two out west already sell guns, as do the ones in the surrounding counties. And like Garufa, I kinda doubt the West Knoxville demographics will induce those two to add guns to their inventory.

Maybe they'll add additional lines of rifles than they carry now in the ones that already sell, but kinda doubt that too.

- OS

[Magiccarpetrides]

Dick's in Memphis still sells ammo/gun stuff? Was it only in Knoxville they quit?

- OS

Say what??? Dicks in knoxville dropped guns and ammo?

[Garufa]

Yep. Guns & Ammo are gone on Peters Rd.

Where have you been?

Word around the campfire is there is a new sporting goods chain opening up on the west side. Academy maybe?

[Oh Shoot]

Say what??? Dicks in knoxville dropped guns and ammo?

You alone probably could have kept them afloat if you ever bought there.

- OS

[willis68]

Does anyone know if any of the Walmart's sell Marlin long guns? and if so can the be special ordered

[ttocswob]

Wally Jamestown offered to order, and had a fairly large catalog of selections. DK about Marlin; I was looking for a Rossi R912 carbile in .357 magnum. Apparently made of unobtainium, nobody has 'em!

[Oh Shoot]

Does anyone know if any of the Walmart's sell Marlin long guns? and if so can the be special ordered

Last time I looked around much, the ones around here generally have several Marlins. Almost always one or more stores will have Marlin 30/30 lever, often the .44 lever also. Sometimes other hunting rifles or a .22 semi or two.

Here's what was explained to me by guy at Clinton Highway store here about ordering, about 3 years ago, because I wanted a Marlin .357. This guy was one who everybody said knew his stuff, unlike most of them. He said they will order any gun they have in catalog of arms available to them (this changes from time to time due to contracts or whatever). You pay up front, but if they don't get it in some specified time (seems like 60 days, maybe only 30, I disremember) then they'll refund whole amount if you don't want to wait any more. But the order isn't cancelled, they'll still probably get the gun sent to the store eventually.

Well,since he knew that he was unlikely to get the high demand Marlin .357 in, said it might even take a year if at all, I didn't order it. Well, about a year later, I browse same store and boom, there one was! Now, he wasn't there, but another person who sold it to me said didn't really know why they had it, opined that probably somebody had ordered it long ago and cancelled, and it finally appeared -- all he knew was that it had showed up the day before, in shipment all by itself. So anyway, that's how I got mine, for $485, after having pretty much given up finding one short of paying more than MSRP on Gunbroker or somewhere.

Now, this was two years ago or so, so dunno if that's still accurate, but seems the guy was right on, and was indeed willing at the time to take my order for the Marlin .357 (or any other gun in his orderable list).

Oh, btw, have heard that some clerks will tell you they don't do that, either because they just don't know, or don't want to fool with it. You have to find a store that has a guy who has worked in that section for a good while and knows his stuff, or get a manager.

- OS

Edited May 30, 2011 by OhShoot

[willis68]

Last time I looked around much, the ones around here generally have several Marlins. Almost always one or more stores will have Marlin 30/30 lever, often the .44 lever also. Sometimes other hunting rifles or a .22 semi or two.

Here's what was explained to me by guy at Clinton Highway store here about ordering, about 3 years ago, because I wanted a Marlin .357. This guy was one who everybody said knew his stuff, unlike most of them. He said they will order any gun they have in catalog of arms available to them (this changes from time to time due to contracts or whatever). You pay up front, but if they don't get it in some specified time (seems like 60 days, maybe only 30, I disremember) then they'll refund whole amount if you don't want to wait any more. But the order isn't cancelled, they'll still probably get the gun sent to the store eventually.

Well,since he knew that he was unlikely to get the high demand Marlin .357 in, said it might even take a year if at all, I didn't order it. Well, about a year later, I browse same store and boom, there one was! Now, he wasn't there, but another person who sold it to me said didn't really know why they had it, opined that probably somebody had ordered it long ago and cancelled, and it finally appeared -- all he knew was that it had showed up the day before, in shipment all by itself. So anyway, that's how I got mine, for $485, after having pretty much given up finding one short of paying more than MSRP on Gunbroker or somewhere.

Now, this was two years ago or so, so dunno if that's still accurate, but seems the guy was right on, and was indeed willing at the time to take my order for the Marlin .357 (or any other gun in his orderable list).

Oh, btw, have heard that some clerks will tell you they don't do that, either because they just don't know, or don't want to fool with it. You have to find a store that has a guy who has worked in that section for a good while and knows his stuff, or get a manager.

- OS

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it

[Erik88]

You alone probably could have kept them afloat if you ever bought there.

- OS

LMAO you smartass.

[Magiccarpetrides]

You alone probably could have kept them afloat if you ever bought there.

- OS

Har har har.....actually I did buy quite a few items there every Christmas....rifles, a couple shotguns, and a safe....now ammo...I only fell for that buy one get one 1/2 off trick once....sucks they quit....their shotgun prices were almost unbeatable. Gander is a damn ripoff and Bass Pro is almost comical in their pricing...maybe we will finally get an academy or sportsmans warehouse...the sportsmans in chattanooga has awesome deals most of the time.

[Oh Shoot]

....maybe we will finally get an academy or sportsmans warehouse...the sportsmans in chattanooga has awesome deals most of the time.

Unlikely re the Sportsman's Warehouse. They haven't opened/reopened any stores they closed during their Chapter 11 -- only 4 stores in whole Eastern US now.

- OS

[Il Duce]

sportsmans warehouse is my favorite big box store.