I thought this might be a good reminder for those considering buying a gun, you may want to start the paperwork, NOW! :biggrin:
Kind of a long article, but in truth, it's an entertaining read. Enjoy!
I tried to buy a gun at Walmart twice, and roadblocks left me empty-handed both times
Walmart is facing calls to stop selling guns in the wake of deadly shootings at its stores.
I went to a Walmart store in Virginia with the intention of buying a gun as part of an investigation into the placement, selection, marketing, security, and sales of firearms in Walmart's stores.
My journey to bring a gun home from Walmart was more complicated than I expected, and I was left with the impression that the company takes gun security and sales seriously.
The availability of guns at Walmart has become a hotly debated issue in the wake of two deadly shootings at its stores that killed 24 people.
More than 128,000 people have signed a petition urging Walmart to stop selling guns and take a stronger stance against firearms since the shootings at stores in El Paso, Texas, and Southaven, Mississippi. But the company has said it has no plans to stop selling them.
I went to Walmart with the intention of buying a gun last week as part of an investigation into the placement, selection, marketing, and security of firearms in Walmart's stores, and to learn more about the retailer's processes governing gun sales.
My journey to bring a gun home from Walmart turned out to be far more complicated than I expected.
I hit a roadblock before I even left the house.
Walmart has said that about half of its 4,700 US stores sell guns.
I searched Walmart.com and Google on August 13 to find out which of the 10 Walmart stores near me sold guns, and I failed to come up with any definitive answers.
The only guns advertised on Walmart's website are air guns. After about 30 minutes, I gave up on searching the internet and turned to the phone.
I figured that employees at any one of Walmart's stores near me would know which locations sold guns.
I was wrong.
Over an hour and a half, I placed more than a dozen calls to multiple stores, waited on hold for a combined 40 minutes, and got through to a human only three times. Three Walmart employees told me they didn't know which stores sold guns in the area.
One person referred me to Walmart's main customer-service line. I called that number and spoke with someone who said he also couldn't help me.
"When it comes to item availability, they don't want us to discuss that because of various reasons," he said.
He declined to elaborate on this and said he knew of at least one location near me that didn't sell guns.
I crossed that store off my list.
The customer-service representative advised me to call each store individually to find out whether it sold guns. When I told him that I had spent more than an hour doing just that and that several stores weren't answering the phone, he said I could file a report with him concerning problems with specific locations. This was not helpful.
After hours of Googling and calling, I finally had a breakthrough and found a Walmart store that sold guns.
Someone answered the phone at a Walmart Supercenter in Chesterfield, Virginia.
She transferred me to the sporting-goods department, where a woman on the line confirmed that I could buy a gun there.
The store was 30 minutes away. I got in my car and plugged the address for the Chesterfield Walmart into my phone.
(Later, when I contacted Walmart's media-relations team about my difficulty locating a store that sold firearms, a spokesman pointed me to the website for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, which maintains a list of all gun retailers by state.)
A selection of about 20 rifles and shotguns was displayed in a locked glass case behind the sporting-goods counter. The guns ranged in price from $159 to $474.
The counter in front of the guns displayed pocket knives, binoculars, and digital night-vision monoculars inside a locked case.
The selection of guns was limited compared with nearby gun stores, which offered dozens of different kinds of firearms, including handguns.
Walmart stopped selling handguns in the 1990s and removed military-style semiautomatic rifles, such as the AR-15, from stores in 2015.
In prepared remarks last week, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon outlined some other Walmart gun-sales policies that go beyond federal requirements.
For example, Walmart last year raised the minimum age to purchase a gun or ammunition to 21. Walmart also sells a firearm only after receiving a "green light" on a background check, while federal law requires only the absence of a "red light" after three business days, he said.
"We videotape the point of sale for firearms, only allow certain associates to sell firearms, and secure firearms in a locking case with individual locks, among other measures," McMillon said.
I told an employee behind the counter that I wanted to buy a gun. They called for a manager.
Signs posted around the counter announced that all firearm and ammunition sales were final and that items could not be returned or exchanged for a refund or repair.
One sign warned that this area of the store was being recorded. Another reminded shoppers of the laws around gun sales.
There were no signs promoting or advertising the guns.
Walmart faced backlash on social media this month over a photo of a gun display in one of its stores with a sign hanging overhead that said "Own the school year like a hero."
Walmart said that photo, which was from 2017 but had resurfaced online, was a prank staged by a non-employee.
While I waited, I browsed the supply of air guns near the firearm-sales counter.
Air guns, pellet guns, and BB guns use air to propel projectiles such as pellets.
I also browsed the shelves of ammunition. Walmart said recently that it accounted for about 2% of all gun sales and 20% of ammunition sales in the US.
"We estimate that we represent about 2% of the market for firearms today, which we believe places us outside at least the top three sellers in the industry," McMillon said in prepared remarks last week.
After a few minutes, a Walmart manager arrived at the gun-sales counter. She said I could not buy a gun that day because no authorized firearm sellers were scheduled to work.
It gets better, keep reading, and it has nice pictures too. :biggrin:
https://www.businessinsider.com/walmart-gun-buying-review-virginia-store-2019-8#while-i-waited-i-browsed-the-supply-of-air-guns-near-the-firearm-sales-counter-6
The average person that works at Wal-Mart doesn't know the difference between gun shells and pasta shells.
Seriously, they are that stupid.
(and they want $15 an hour)
Quote from: Sick Of Silence on August 23, 2019, 11:10:15 PM
The average person that works at Wal-Mart doesn't know the difference between gun shells and pasta shells.
Seriously, they are that stupid.
(and they want $15 an hour)
That's what you got out of the article?
Quote from: Solar on August 24, 2019, 05:13:57 AM
That's what you got out of the article?
Just putting some insight on the mentality of the personnel. At least one probably didn't want to help because of their biased beliefs towards firearms. But, just poor customer service all around. It should not have taken so long to find out basic information. Either the store sells it or not. Either they sell you one or not.
What I got from the article is that they are not going to stop selling firearms, but they are incapable of actually selling them (which proves my point).
Quote from: Sick Of Silence on August 24, 2019, 07:03:26 AM
Just putting some insight on the mentality of the personnel. At least one probably didn't want to help because of their biased beliefs towards firearms. But, just poor customer service all around. It should not have taken so long to find out basic information. Either the store sells it or not. Either they sell you one or not.
What I got from the article is that they are not going to stop selling firearms, but they are incapable of actually selling them (which proves my point).
Yeah, in truth it's a sad commentary on people who work for corporations. They tie the employees hands over fear of lawsuits, as in this case, where there is a website provided by the govt as a clearing house for licensed gun dealers, and a Walmart employee refusing to go against policy.
Sadly that leaves automaton type employees working the floor. In years past business hired friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people to work the floors, now they want ignorant sheep that won't stray from the company's mandate of filling space.
Quote from: Solar on August 24, 2019, 09:46:36 AM
Yeah, in truth it's a sad commentary on people who work for corporations. They tie the employees hands over fear of lawsuits, as in this case, where there is a website provided by the govt as a clearing house for licensed gun dealers, and a Walmart employee refusing to go against policy.
Sadly that leaves automaton type employees working the floor. In years past business hired friendly, knowledgeable and helpful people to work the floors, now they want ignorant sheep that won't stray from the company's mandate of filling space.
The demise of Sears began when they changed their floor sales people to salary from commission based. The best folks began to leave. Now we know the rest of the story.
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 24, 2019, 10:15:49 AM
The demise of Sears began when they changed their floor sales people to salary from commission based. The best folks began to leave. Now we know the rest of the story.
Sooo true, I remember when that happened, my girlfriends dad was a floor salesman at the time, the cut in pay was devastating so he took an early retirement and a beating.
Monkey Wards suffered the same fate sometime later at the hands of the Union, I know, I was working for them at the time. We all know the answer to fixing this, and when Trump is done fixing all this shit, we might just see a return to "Normalcy"?
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 24, 2019, 10:15:49 AM
The demise of Sears began when they changed their floor sales people to salary from commission based. The best folks began to leave. Now we know the rest of the story.
You sure it wasn't when Kmart bought them out? How can a store worse than Sears help Sears?
Quote from: Sick Of Silence on August 24, 2019, 11:06:25 AM
You sure it wasn't when Kmart bought them out? How can a store worse than Sears help Sears?
No, it happened in 1971, Kmart was years later.
Quote from: Sick Of Silence on August 24, 2019, 11:06:25 AM
You sure it wasn't when Kmart bought them out? How can a store worse than Sears help Sears?
This occurred back in the late 70's and early 80's long before K-Mart and Sears got together. The dagger in the heart was when Wall Street told Sears they had to take Allstate public as a separate entity as Allstate by itself was worth more than the combined corporation. Also, let's not forget that little hardware store from Bentonville, AK took the retail business to another level.
Quote from: supsalemgr on August 24, 2019, 12:08:53 PM
This occurred back in the late 70's and early 80's long before K-Mart and Sears got together. The dagger in the heart was when Wall Street told Sears they had to take Allstate public as a separate entity as Allstate by itself was worth more than the combined corporation. Also, let's not forget that little hardware store from Bentonville, AK took the retail business to another level.
That's right, it was later in the 70s. Her father was told to take an early retirement because restructuring was underway and he could expect to be forced into a cut hourly wage instead of the salary plus commission he was getting as well as a renegotiated severance retirement package which was already in the process of being gutted.
It started in 71, but took time to complete the castration.
First off : I'm a first time poster. Glad I found this forum and have seen many great discussions just by browsing around for the past couple of hours.
Something I took away from this article is how something as common as an address mismatch on your ID can stop a gun sale cold. I'm aware of this as my sister tried to buy a rifle from Walmart as a gift for my father last year for Christmas and was denied the sale pretty early on in the background check process because, having just moved, her new address wasn't what was on her ID. But yet all we hear from the left (when they're not crying for outright confiscation) is that we need "background checks". Understanding that they're conflating "background checks" with "universal background checks", I'll take them literally. We already do have background checks. The fact that something as small as your address being different from what's on your ID can stop you from buying a gun says that it's not always as easy to just stroll into a store and walk out with a gun as the left makes it seem.
We have background checks. "Stronger background checks" (what does that mean, anyway?) on gun sales won't do a thing. I remember a good point that Colion Noir made about background checks. Anti-gunners have this idea that because (in most cases) a background check is instantaneous it doesn't go far enough. That's called technology. Everything is instantaneous now because of it, but it's a problem when ordinary people go to buy a gun? Doesn't make any sense. But then again, it's the left we're talking about.
Quote from: Brian F on October 12, 2019, 12:57:22 PM
First off : I'm a first time poster. Glad I found this forum and have seen many great discussions just by browsing around for the past couple of hours.
Something I took away from this article is how something as common as an address mismatch on your ID can stop a gun sale cold. I'm aware of this as my sister tried to buy a rifle from Walmart as a gift for my father last year for Christmas and was denied the sale pretty early on in the background check process because, having just moved, her new address wasn't what was on her ID. But yet all we hear from the left (when they're not crying for outright confiscation) is that we need "background checks". Understanding that they're conflating "background checks" with "universal background checks", I'll take them literally. We already do have background checks. The fact that something as small as your address being different from what's on your ID can stop you from buying a gun says that it's not always as easy to just stroll into a store and walk out with a gun as the left makes it seem.
We have background checks. "Stronger background checks" (what does that mean, anyway?) on gun sales won't do a thing. I remember a good point that Colion Noir made about background checks. Anti-gunners have this idea that because (in most cases) a background check is instantaneous it doesn't go far enough. That's called technology. Everything is instantaneous now because of it, but it's a problem when ordinary people go to buy a gun? Doesn't make any sense. But then again, it's the left we're talking about.
:biggrin:
Welcome Brian, good to have you on board.
Yeah, it's a head scratcher, considering most gun violence is committed with either a stolen weapon or someone, 'that by law' shouldn't be allowed to have a gun.
The left could care less about the truth over what they deem an "Emotional Issue".
Quote from: Brian F on October 12, 2019, 12:57:22 PM
First off : I'm a first time poster. Glad I found this forum and have seen many great discussions just by browsing around for the past couple of hours.
Something I took away from this article is how something as common as an address mismatch on your ID can stop a gun sale cold. I'm aware of this as my sister tried to buy a rifle from Walmart as a gift for my father last year for Christmas and was denied the sale pretty early on in the background check process because, having just moved, her new address wasn't what was on her ID. But yet all we hear from the left (when they're not crying for outright confiscation) is that we need "background checks". Understanding that they're conflating "background checks" with "universal background checks", I'll take them literally. We already do have background checks. The fact that something as small as your address being different from what's on your ID can stop you from buying a gun says that it's not always as easy to just stroll into a store and walk out with a gun as the left makes it seem.
We have background checks. "Stronger background checks" (what does that mean, anyway?) on gun sales won't do a thing. I remember a good point that Colion Noir made about background checks. Anti-gunners have this idea that because (in most cases) a background check is instantaneous it doesn't go far enough. That's called technology. Everything is instantaneous now because of it, but it's a problem when ordinary people go to buy a gun? Doesn't make any sense. But then again, it's the left we're talking about.
Welcome to the forum. Thanks for giving us another example of why we cannot let the "camel get his nose under the tent". It just opens uo a step toward confiscation.
I've never seen a gun at Walmart I'd want.
I think they had a Weatherby .270 one time, but not sure.
No guns at Walmart have ever made me say "Yeah! I gotta has that".
Quote from: Solar on August 24, 2019, 10:47:53 AM
Sooo true, I remember when that happened, my girlfriends dad was a floor salesman at the time, the cut in pay was devastating so he took an early retirement and a beating.
Monkey Wards suffered the same fate sometime later at the hands of the Union, I know, I was working for them at the time. We all know the answer to fixing this, and when Trump is done fixing all this shit, we might just see a return to "Normalcy"?
]
Monkey Wards is long gone..wow.
It real was "Montgomery". I wonder if there's much about that on the internet.
They basically copied Sears. It was a real thing, though.
Quote from: MRogersNhood on December 09, 2019, 02:04:24 AM
]
Monkey Wards is long gone..wow.
It real was "Montgomery". I wonder if there's much about that on the internet.
They basically copied Sears. It was a real thing, though.
Nope, Wards came a decade before Sears, and Sears copied Wards idea of mail order.
Quote from: Solar on December 09, 2019, 06:00:54 AM
Nope, Wards came a decade before Sears, and Sears copied Wards idea of mail order.
Sears was not even around when my mother was getting Montgomery Ward catalogs in my younger days. :lol:
Quote from: walkstall on December 09, 2019, 07:36:22 AM
Sears was not even around when my mother was getting Montgomery Ward catalogs in my younger days. :lol:
I remember shopping "on line: with wards, Sears. And ll bean, long before the internet. :thumbsup:
Quote from: Solar on December 09, 2019, 06:00:54 AM
Nope, Wards came a decade before Sears, and Sears copied Wards idea of mail order.
Learn something new every day!
Why would anyone buy a gun in Walmart?
Quote from: Republitarian on January 07, 2020, 09:35:51 AM
Why would anyone buy a gun in Walmart?
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
No kidding right? They have next to no selection not to mention, a min wage guy with little to no experience.
Oh I don't know about that. I bought a Marlin 45-70 which is pretty nice.
35yrs ago, I walked down the stairs of a Montgomery Wards, and bought Wifey and I a pair of Ruger 10-22s, which we still have, Sporter versions, paid $109 for each of them, nice guns, good looking.
a Dozen years ago, Wally World was carrying a limited edition Ruger 10-22, Stainless, Sporter version, with a 2" longer barrel. I bought one for each of my kids, over a couple of months. Prices ranged from $209 to $219. Beautiful looking guns that shoot well, and are easy to clean. The first purchase was a HASSLE, because they had to hunt down a manager who was approved to sell guns - the guy at the counter wasn't qualified (and didn't have a clue about guns, even in general terms.)
All I buy at Wally World is 20 & 12 gauge trap loads - because it's still cheaper than reloading. It's not the kinda place I'd go to buy any kind of gun, but... If they got something I'm looking for, why not!?
A few years ago, I was in a Dicks... looking for some unrelated camping items - they had on close out, some nice CCA size Kimber 380s, meh... couldn't pass up a great deal on them. Wifey always complained the other guns were "too hard to rack" - not these! She loves them. Same issue with Dicks as Wally World, the guy manning the counter... no clue. Probably good idea to quit selling guns if you can't get qualified help.
What or where's a good place to buy a gun (at a good price). I have no idea. Even the gun shows, some guys see their guns as gold plated, others say it's a family heirloom - but don't know a darn thing about it, or recognize the broken/missing parts till you point it out. Not to mention the crazy claims by most of the guys selling ARs, who have probably never shot beyond 100yrds, and certainly not in a HP competition (wifey and I have, and we still don't own an AR-anything). IMO, talk is cheap, name-dropping salesmen are cheaper. Good LUCK, or do your homework ahead of time, and know what you want and why.
Quote from: Hoofer on March 21, 2020, 01:41:28 PM
35yrs ago, I walked down the stairs of a Montgomery Wards, and bought Wifey and I a pair of Ruger 10-22s, which we still have, Sporter versions, paid $109 for each of them, nice guns, good looking.
a Dozen years ago, Wally World was carrying a limited edition Ruger 10-22, Stainless, Sporter version, with a 2" longer barrel. I bought one for each of my kids, over a couple of months. Prices ranged from $209 to $219. Beautiful looking guns that shoot well, and are easy to clean. The first purchase was a HASSLE, because they had to hunt down a manager who was approved to sell guns - the guy at the counter wasn't qualified (and didn't have a clue about guns, even in general terms.)
All I buy at Wally World is 20 & 12 gauge trap loads - because it's still cheaper than reloading. It's not the kinda place I'd go to buy any kind of gun, but... If they got something I'm looking for, why not!?
A few years ago, I was in a Dicks... looking for some unrelated camping items - they had on close out, some nice CCA size Kimber 380s, meh... couldn't pass up a great deal on them. Wifey always complained the other guns were "too hard to rack" - not these! She loves them. Same issue with Dicks as Wally World, the guy manning the counter... no clue. Probably good idea to quit selling guns if you can't get qualified help.
What or where's a good place to buy a gun (at a good price). I have no idea. Even the gun shows, some guys see their guns as gold plated, others say it's a family heirloom - but don't know a darn thing about it, or recognize the broken/missing parts till you point it out. Not to mention the crazy claims by most of the guys selling ARs, who have probably never shot beyond 100yrds, and certainly not in a HP competition (wifey and I have, and we still don't own an AR-anything). IMO, talk is cheap, name-dropping salesmen are cheaper. Good LUCK, or do your homework ahead of time, and know what you want and why.
I have bought several times online. Service has always been great. Last one I bought I ordered at 5pm and got a call at noon the next day it was ready for pickup at the ffl. Never a problem, show the ffl my carry permit, fill out the paperwork and I'm off, usually around 10 minutes. If you compare prices on the internet you will find that it is sometimes cheaper and sometimes not than the stores.
Still have my 10-22 too. :thumbup: Ruger makes good guns.