local Walmart: no guns or ammo

[bamaranger]

Today, 2Jun20, at about 8:00 AM CST, in Muscle Shoals Al, I was surprised and disappointed to discover that our local Wally World had pulled ALL its ammo and firearms. Upon inquiry at the counter, I was told the action was "due to what's going on in the nation."

I inquired at the Service Desk for a manager and ask for an actual postal address for corporate HQ. Seemed to me the old axiom, "if it's not written down, it didn't happen," seemed appropriate, and I am of the era when serious complaints were written and mailed. A young man appeared with a manager name tag. He provided the address then inquired as to the nature of my concern, and I advised him accordingly, and stated that my sporting goods money would certainly now be spent elsewhere.

He replied that due to riots, Wal Mart didn't want people blowing things up, and had pulled Tannerite and firearms/ammo. He further stated that other stores, including Academy, were doing likewise and our local Academy was following suit. I asked him to repeat that to clarify same, as I found it difficult to believe.

In my vehicle minutes later, I placed a call to the local Academy store in Florence and spoke to another manager and related my account. The woman I spoke with stated their gun counter was wide open, and that a conference call that same morning had no discussion on controls regards the sale of guns and ammo at Academy. I did not inquire about Tannerite.

[jpx2rk]

I noticed the gun & ammo shelves/racks at my local WM were empty as well. Still had the ear muffs, targets, etc., on the shelves tho for you to buy. LOL

[D Bear]

My Walmart pulled all their guns out of the cases while I was standing there I asked the worker if they were clearancing them and he said “no we just can’t sell them right now”.

[buck460XVR]

Seems to be a prudent move in certain locales subject to riots and looting stemming from the escalation of peaceful protests. IMHO, I would support such a move as a preventative measure to reduce the chances of all 'ell breaking loose. No different than jewelry stores taking their good stuff outta the display cases and putting them in the safe.

[Mike38]

Interesting. On one hand I can understand Walmart's point. Keep the guns out of the hands of people with ill intent. On the other hand, they are also keeping guns out of the hands of perfectly law abiding citizens that through no fault of their own live in these newly founded war zones and are currently scared and want to protect their loved ones.

[Aguila Blanca]

Virtue signaling. Maybe only convincing themselves, but virtue signaling nonetheless.

Did they remove all the hammers and baseball bats from the racks?

[74A95]

Sounds like a wise move given the circumstances. Things will, at some point, calm down and they can go back to business as usual.

[littlebikerider]

I quit even looking there after their last virtual signaling changes. I spend very little time and money in walmart.

Last time I was there you could buy a .357 Henry rifle, but not .357 or .38 ammo. And you could buy pretty powerful "hunting rifles", but not 9mm ammo. The inmates are running the asylum.

[Tom Servo]

The WalMart near my house did the same thing. A friend asked them why, and the response was something about "the current situation."

This isn't an area that's likely to see looting, and the move is widespread enough to suggest an overall corporate policy. My guess is that it's the same thing Dick's and Cheaper than Dirt do during panics: hold guns back when a rush happens, then release them at a premium when the shortage occurs.

[Hal]

This isn't an area that's likely to see looting

As of - pretty much right now - there isn't such a place.
Walmart - is making the right call here & this time around, there's no political posturing about it.

[jmr40]

I don't anticipate this as a long term policy. In case of possible looting they have a vault in the back where everything is more secure.

[Skans]

This is good for entrepreneurial gun shop owners. Recall that Gunbroker.com was born out of Ebay's no-gun policy.

[AgedWarrior]

Shop somewhere else. Walmart is way too big and pushing other businesses out and selling Chinese junk. Shop another local merchant...competition is good.

[44 AMP]

This made the MSN internet news today, reporting that Walmart is removing the guns and ammo from SOME stores DISPLAY, due to concerns about looting.

Walmart spokesman said the items are still being sold, but have been moved from their normal display to a secure storage room.

As of yesterday, the Walmart I shop at had not done that, yet. When I go shopping next week, I'll look and see what, if anything, they have done.

This isn't an area that's likely to see looting

As of - pretty much right now - there isn't such a place.

It's possibly you might be right, where the Walmarts are, but I think smaller cities in the rural west are at much, much less risk.

And my personal home area is about the least likely place for riots and looting, as its 25 miles from a Walmart (rioters don't like to walk that far), in the middle of orchard country (damn little to loot but fruit, in season) and about all of the property owners have guns, and aren't terribly shy about using them...

[Ignition Override]

44 AMP: LOOT 'Da FROOT. I like what you might have wanted to say.

Nearby Walmart in Bartlett TN (near Memphis) was empty Today in that section.

Don't get me wrong-I accum. very good ammo reserves, but like to replenish the used quantities (.22LR, 9mm, 7.62x39) every 2-5 months or so.

* Academy no longer requires a ridiculous quota system in their stores.

** Plain English: walk in with no wait.

[bamaranger]

No employees in my conversations indicated that guns/ammo were still for sale, simply not displayed. I was aggravated enough that I failed to inquire about that aspect. If some corporate type stated on national TV that they are still selling guns, there is some disconnect in the message, as the variety of posts indicate here.

There is a difference. The rash of new gun owners/buyers clearly indicates that the people are concerned for their safety and desire to arm themselves. If Wally World has chosen not to sell guns at this time, they are ignoring this fact and considering others.

It may be easy for some to sit back and declare Walmart's decision not to sell (if that is indeed the case) as a sound one if one is already armed and relatively secure.

[Ignition Override]

bamaranger: I consider WallyWorld's decision as the crudest version of appeasement of the Anti-Gunners and the Mainstream Media, most of which (we know) is actually a PR branch of the X Party.

But I hope that I'm mistaken or misguided. My nearby choice store is Academy, but having stored good quantities of all ammo types, it's still good to regularly purchase moderate amounts to substitute for what is used.

When Wally dropped sales of AR-15s, it was such a strange 'coincidence' after a major school tragedy.

[44 AMP]

When Wally dropped sales of AR-15s, it was such a strange 'coincidence' after a major school tragedy

When they stopped selling ARs and later stopped continued sale of AR/ak ammo and pistol ammo they made no bones about it, it was because of the mass shootings. That was the way they chose to show how much they cared.

NOW the message is, we're pulling the guns and ammo, because we're worried looters will get them....

or so it seems.

Yes, there appears to be a disconnect between what I read on the INTERNET (MSNBC) and what Walmart employees are being told.

It might be accidental, but I rather doubt it, now...

Remember guns and ammo are really only a tiny part of Walmart's business, and if their bean counters say so, they're fine with throwing them (and us as customers) under the bus.

Don't think Sam Walton would have, but he's been gone a long time, now..

[buddyd157]

local walmarts in my state/area, have NO guns, and only shotgun ammo, no other ammo.


at one walmart, i can get my cleaning patches, oil, and other maintenance items.

at yet another one, NOTHING...

so it happened here long, long before the pandemic and riots.

don'y be surprised if it's a new walmart directive, NO weapons, or ammo forever.

[Mike38]

Stopped at my local Walmart today to pick up a prescription and walked back to sporting goods. All the ammo shelves were empty. Prior all they stocked was .22LR, shotgun shells, and maybe a few boxes of .30/06 .270 etc. so I guess it's no major loss. I haven't bought ammo at Walmart for 7 or 8 years, so no harm to me. I'm 100 miles from Chicago, 50+ miles from any major city, so I don't think an ammo sales ban is going to help anything at all here.

[Hal]

t I think smaller cities in the rural west are at much, much less risk.

John - that's exactly where "they" want to target.

In case you've missed it (understandable if you don't follow what's going on now on social media).

The newest slogan has become "We tried peaceful protests & that didn't work".

"They" are going to target locations where they can spread the maximum amount of unrest and fear.
if that sounds like a terrorist tactic - then - yeah - it has all the earmarks of it.

[zoo]

Hal, that is chicken little propaganda to stir up the country folk.

[Hal]

Hal, that is chicken little propaganda to stir up the country folk.

Yes & no.
It is propaganda - I agree 100%.

However - propaganda is an enormously effective tool.

I'm seeing it in action on social media. People are getting scared.

[XRH]

Good. Stay out of the firearms buisness Wal-Mart.

[berettaprofessor]

Shockingly, no firearms in a fairly rural Kansas Walmart either. Not very likely to see a mass wave of shoplifters in these parts...so I assume every Walmart everywhere just pulled them off the shelves. Watch for clearances!