Wal-Mart to Stop Gun Sales at 1,000 Stores Hooray!

[donsu]

http://salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8GVV8Q80.html


Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to stop selling guns in about a third of its U.S. stores in what it calls a marketing decision based on lack of demand in some places, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

-snip-
----------------

[LostinVA]

1. So, will they start selling Sheryl Crow CDs now?

[derby378]

2. I forgot...

Did that Sheryl Crow song target handguns or just Wal-Mart guns in general?

After seeing Bowling for Columbine, I'm more favorable to the idea of consolidating gun sales. The more gun stores you have, the greater the chance someone will try to pull off a straw purchase to arm felons, minors, etc. What we really need are vigilant gun dealers who know when someone's trying to pull a scam like that.

[Solo_in_MD]

4. The laws have the reverse impact though

The guy at the gun counter at Wal-Mart is clueless. He just follows the book. The smaller local gun shops, even the so called kitchen table/garage shop dealers can smell a straw purchase much more easily.

[LostinVA]

6. Song lyrics mention someone who bought their gun at Wal Mart

So, it's neither... it's just a lyrics about a gun... she could have easier have used KMart... as she said in an interview I saw once on TV. Her point was the ease with which someone could walk into a discount store, show an ID, fill out a piece of paper, and walk out ten minutes later with a firearm.

[Solo_in_MD]

3. Represive gun laws in some areas really drove this

Retail floor space is expensive and with the repressive gun laws in some areas, its better used for other products.

[Retired AF Dem]

5. So why the hooray?

If nobody is buying guns in those 1000 Walmarts why is it a story if they stop selling guns?

[RebelOne]

11. Right, why the hooray?

There are plenty of gun stores in my area that are happy to sell guns to anyone who is qualified.

[donsu]

13. I'm anti gun so not selling guns at Walmart is a hooray

nt

[Jack_DeLeon]

7. It make sense...

because Walmart didnt sell the kinds of guns that most people want to buy.

Walmart sold mostly guns for hunting, most gun owners do not hunt.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

8. It's more a market decision.

Nothing else.

[Ksec]

9. Thats good .

I doubt if any of those guns were plastic and cheap like everything else they sell.

[benEzra]

10. Wal-Mart shot themselves in the foot in the early '90's

when they decided to drop everything but hunting guns, and cater to the small and shrinking hunting-gun niche market, when only 20% of gun owners hunt anyway.

Then, there's the problem that your typical experience of buying a gun at Wal-Mart goes like this (from a thread on the High Road about this story):

Your average suburban Wal-Mart gun shopping experience goes something like this, say you go in at noon on your lunch break:

12:00 Wait ten minutes while the assistant manager with the keys to the gun case is paged.

12:10 Check the gun out while the asst.mgr. taps his foot because he's got three other pages to other depts. and he can't leave until you give him the gun back.

12:15 Decide you want the gun. He "goes in back", to pull one from stock. While in reality he takes off to handle those three other pages.

12:30 Asst Mgr is still nowhere to be found.

12:40 Snag a clerk from automotive or hardware to find the &*^% asst. Mgr.

12:50 Asst. Mgr. comes up, flustered, claiming he's "still looking in back". In reality he's trying to handle the last page, a disgruntled woman in the children's shoe asile on the other end of the store.

1:00 Asst. Mgr's shift is over. Lucky for you, the next assistant manager coming on shift goes in back and grabs your gun from the back, without trying to do anything else first. Unfortunately it's the wrong model.

1:10 Asst. Mgr. II comes back with the right gun. Gives you the 4473 to fill out. You get shoved aside while you try to fill out the 4473 and AMII checks out fishing, shotgun shell, and camping gear customers who have pounced on the register, seeing a blue vest behind it. You finished the 4473, but he is tied up trying to sell a fishing license.

1:20 AMII finaly cuts off the line at the sporting goods register, and takes your form to call NICS. He is stuck on hold. He puts NICS hold on Wal-Mart hold. He then gets called away on a "quick" page. While he's gone, NICS answers, and hearing Wal-Mart's hold music, hangs up.

1:35 AMII calls NICS again, get's through. Waits ten minutes on the line, and gets approval. Tries to finish the 4473, but screws it up. Despite the fact this is about your 50th gun purchase, and you know the 4473 like the back of your hand, he can't take your suggestions, he pages the senior manager for help.

1:45 Senior manager shows up. AMII screwed up. You all need to fill out the 4473 over.

2:00 New 4473 is filled out and completed properly. Can't find the NICS approval number. It's on the 4473 they threw in the trash.

2:10 Rings you up.

2:15 Walks you out to the car like you're some kind of shoplifter.

2:30 You get written up by your boss for taking a 2 1/2 hour lunch break.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have your new Wal-Mart Gun!

5:30 You get home, and finaly get to look over your new gun. It's scratched. You were so frustrated and rushed, you forgot to inspect the one you were taking home. Unfortunately, all gun sales are final.

Wal-Mart made $15 in profit on the gun over thier wholesale cost, the two Assistant Managers make $8.50/hr, not counting the Sr. Mgr's salary, so it just cost Wal-Mart about $18.00 in wages to throuroughly **** you off, and make $15 bucks...

I'm not even getting into the stores that are trouble with the ATF or state governments for improper transactions

[-..__...]

12. I for one applaud the decision by our Wal-Mart overlords.

Supposedly, the only good thing (if I could even call it that), about Wal-Mart sporting goods was bargain prices on certain calibers of ammo. Actually trying to buy it and exit the store without having to submit to a body cavity search, escort or shakedown was another thing.

Hopefully this decision will be a breath of fresh air for the smaller gun retailers and Mom and Pop operations.

[LaPera]

14. Handguns I hope your speaking of? Nothing wrong with having a shotgun

to use against the fascist, when the economy is complete broken down and fucked! When the republican fascist declare Martial Law & they come after the liberals, progressive who speak out...the protesters, the disenchanted, disfranchised, unemployed and the poor...

Nothing wrong with owning your own shotgun...