doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Wal-Mart 'Closing Gun Dept's'..

Have any'Weber Warrior's Heard this Rumor? It came from a New Hampshire Gun Owner. cc

We heard they are closing some unprofitable ones, not all.

Being one of the largest retailers, I would find it difficult for Wal Mart to close all of their gun departments, espeically in stores that are in rural areas. They were facing a lawsuit in California when supposedly someone who was not legally allowed to have a gun bought one and the transfer was allowed. I'm not aware of the finer details or the outcome of the lawsuit.

They closed the gun department in nearby Hadley, Massachusetts some time ago....but even when it was "open", there was hardly ever anyone working behind the counter....

Heard the same as Jonesy some time ago.

I did hear yesterday, yet again, that ammo makers were planning phased price increases thru this year, ultimately reaching the "significant increase" before the hunting season. Time to stock up at WallyWorld?

Two comments:

1. I live in a suburb of St. Louis, and several of their local stores have stopped selling guns, but still have ammo, hunting clothes, cleaning supplies, etc.

2. I was talking with asmall gun store manager earlier this week, and he says the wholesale prices of shotshells are jumping 20 to 30%. Being a friend, he suggested I quickly "stock up" on cheap promo shotshells from all the discount stores. Best prices i could find locally were $38/flat. Shot is now $26/bag, up from $17 a year ago.

WalMart gun depts in CA have been effectively closed for several years because of the previously mentioned BATF-related issue. If I recall correctly, the problem was not a violation of Federal regs, but rather a violation of California regs, which are rather draconian. The state AG's office under Lockyear has just been nuts about guns over the last eight years or so, and I don't expect it will change much under new AG Brown. Even though no WalMart guns in CA, virtually all still sell ammo and other gear, some stores with better selection than others. Two years ago, several WalMart managers told me that they would start selling guns again as soon as some issues were settled. We are still waiting.

Rp,
Not all the WallyWorlds sell ammo around me. Seems to be less than half.

I just received my new Midway catalog and ammo has already jumped up at least 50%. Box of 30-30's is now over $20.

I was in a small shop last week and he still had old prices so I bought some stuff. Got a box of Rem .300 H&H that had been there some years for $18. Now I have an excuse to buy a rifle that will chamber them.

Chuck, you and I are both in the L.A. area, but I'm in Pasadena. My hunting buddy complains constantly about the ammo availability around Torrance, both WalMart and Turner's. I usually hit the Walmarts in Monrovia, Duarte, Chino and out the I-10 on the way to desert hunting spots. They always seem to have ammo, especially Federal heavy field and Win AA, and the Fed and Win "value packs" of 100 rounds per carton. The variety is pretty slim in anything other than 12 and 20. I can't recall being in a WalMart with NO ammo, and I always check.