Has Walmarts changed hands? Check out the guns! :-0

[hotchkissmtrifle]

I never go to Walmart but the family was giving me a headache so it was the only place open. The gunracks had disapeared a year ago, the handgun case has had pocket knifes for a decade or more here also. Anyway, I was mindlessly walking the isles and up ahead were two rotary gun racks in the fishing dept! I fully expected to see .22 bolt actions and maybe some shotguns but no, HOLLY COW! They held Bushmaster AR's! One M4 and some long rifles with goofy looking handgaurds, all had short mags but they were honest to goodness ARs! Last year they wouldn't even carry .223 ammo. WOW. Hotch

[L999here]

Maybe they finally woke up....like 45% of American's who are arming/ammoing up. It take something like riots in England and Greece to make people understand that its coming here too....quickly. Believe there is a corporate image to uphold...but each Wal-Mart is run independently and usually has an FFL anyway....whether they actually sell firearms or not. Maybe that's why you are seeing guns again....?

[Phalanx22]

There is an old rivalry between Wal Mart and Big 5 sporting goods , sort of like with Home Depot and Lowes . Wal Mart also doesn't care for Cabela's or Bass Pro and your right ,Wal Mart in some areas is run independently .
What you saw was most likely what the Manager of that store wanted you to see ,so you would complete all of your shopping experience in his or hers store. Its the old capitalist motivation at work called the bottom line at all cost . And you can bet somewhere in the area you are in there is some outlet or franchise even if its in a nearby city ,causing that store to rethink its older policy's , especially right before Christmas.
We have a cousin who is a Wal Mart asst Manager in Odessa Texas , and he says that sporting goods in general can make up one quarter of the stores revenue . The stores realize that males do not like to come to a Wal Mart for any reason ,i dont . In fact males would camp out , pay rent ,and live in a Cabela's like the one in Ft Worth Texas if you would let them .
Im like a little kid in a toy store at Cabela's or Bass Pro , even if i dont buy anything its far better than any Wal Mart .
It isn't only firearms and sporting goods that Wal Mart loses sales to Cabela's for when it comes to men , and even women . Its clothing , tools , Boots for sure , a lot of food items , furniture , fantastic home decor including bedding you cant find anywhere else , Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets ,and now even home electronics at a competitive price .
Hardware ? I just go to Lowes for that , so its free enterprise that always rules out in the end .

[linc_64]

Walmart here had some hunting rifles on sale for black Friday. I saw it in the flyer.

[akdony]

Was in my local WM on Wednsday and the sporting goods guys were talking up how fast their 3 ARs sold. Also noticed that they were selling .223 500rnd in ammo can

[MSG]

Wal Mart doesn't have an agenda. They care about one thing, and one thing only: Making Money.

Dollar General and Target are hurting them. If firearms will get you in the door (Dollar General and Target don't carry them), they'll stock them.
I took my 20% ride on WMT the last several months, did you? MSG

[hotchkissmtrifle]

They must have new management then because a year or two ago they had were limiting customers on how much ammo they could buy on any one visit. Really irritated me. I think old Sam would be happy since he liked guns. I may buy more stuff there now. Hotch

[42rocker]

Walmart it's all about the money Honey..... P.C. look at some of the T-shirts that they sell.

Of course who do you want your money to go to, a big box store with real experts or a gun shop that might know something? Last expert that I talked to at a walmart sporting goods area came over from the tire area to help us out when he finally got a break. He really knew a lot about the ammo.... right.... But we needed the ammo 7.62x39 and we pointed it out to him in the locked case, as my son was out of ammo. Ok, he still had a clip of 20 but he wanted to go shooting with me. Me, I brought my 1919 and a few rounds of .308 with me. And a few hundred rounds of 22 for plinking fun.

Later 42rocker

[FAL freek]

Few years back when the innernet was rife with rumors that wallyworld was going to stop selling guns I went to a couple local stores and asked them. I got a chuckle from those I asked and they said there were several inquiries about the same topic. They also said there were no plans for them to stop selling guns and they never stopped, and at least locally they never did. The reason they're probably started selling EBRs is because wallyworlds bottom line has been shrinking over they past few years and they want to expand it. Revamping the stores and opening the aisles didn't have the desired impact so they have to try something else. Wonder if they'll return to the days of selling handguns next?

[Joey2tone]

Wal-mart is supply and demand at the lowest price. I hate them personally but if I can get a supply from them at a bottom price, then I applaud them. Especially when they reverse on firearms and related components...