Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The pain of buying a gun at Walmart

I purchased one Ruger 10-22 from Walley World just for the action and the whole transaction took maybe 30 mins . Remember it is Christmas and things run slower.

I remember when you had to give your name, address, phone number and autograph for .22 ammo at Kmart.

I've bought one rifle (that I can recall) from Walmart back around the mid-90's. At the time they were running a closeout sale on some special run gray laminated/stainless finish Ruger 10/22's made exclusively for Walmart in both standard and full length stocks. When they got down to $125.00 I bought one of the full stocked models. Maybe I just got lucky and caught them on a good day but the whole transaction took no longer and went down about as smooth as any I've ever done.

Walmart used to run some pretty darn good closeout sales every once in a while on long guns and hunting equipment. Around that same time I bought a brand new Redfield Widefield 3X9 scope for $75 on a closeout sale. It originally had been every day priced at around $125 IIRC.

I've never had any problems purchasing a firearm from Walmart.

Several years ago, talking to a Walmart clerk, he told me he could special order a rifle I wanted - that nobody in town carried. A Marlin 1894C, 357 MAG/38 SPL. The price was surprisingly low and they even put it on lay-by for me at no extra charge. (Later, they discontinued special orders - but I still appreciate what I got.)

As far as escorting customers out of the 'store' with a purchased firearm ... Many stores that do not sell firearms exclusively, but are department stores full of moms and kids, exercise this policy which I think is reasonable and prudent - I do not take this service as a personal affront.

I think that he may have been referring to his driver's license for use as ID to fill out the background check paperwork.

Its been a long time since I bought a gun from walmart but the last time I did it didn't take any longer than my normal gun shop did. I'm sure things have probably changed since then.

If the buyer had any typing skills at all I could get through a sell and paperwork in about 25 minutes including the NICS call. Unfortunately, it would take another 25 minutes to get a manager to the gun room and unlock it, then another 20 minutes to get a manager to review the paper work and finish the sale.

I understand the reason a manger needs to review the paperwork but if managers were not doing associates work because we were always short handed I could do a sale in 45 minutes or less.

Walmart has a gun sales gold mine but are too stupid to know it. I guess that's good for the other shops around.

kwg

Well at least you can walk out with it. Remember, that clerk could have been working ladies wear yesterday and electronics the day before. It takes 10 days to buy a rifle where I live.

Does sound painful.......

I have had quite opposite buying experiences at WM

I bought one at WalMart about ten years ago, in Silver City, NM, where probably 98% of the population own and use firearms. The drill was approximately the same, except that I had to fill out the paper 4473, and had to answer all the questions orally once I was through. Then the manager was paged and we did all of it again. As in your case, they handed me the rifle once we were all outside the store.

I swore, "Never again", and so far I haven't been tempted to violate that oath!

these things never cease to amaze me living in arizona, which is awash in firearms. I can't comment on walmart, but i can on being escorted out of the store.
Long time ago we had a supermarket grocery store chain call smithy's. They also had a sporting goods section, where they sold firearms. Some guy walks in and buys a shotgun, on the way out unescorted he picks up a box of shells off the shelf, and goes postal. It wasn't too long after that, they stopped selling firearms.
Cabella's will walk you out locally, even tho you are packing a loaded firearm yourself.
again, corporate liability reasons.
i don't typically buy this stuff at walmart, but i can tell you i bought a brick of .22shorts a couple of months ago at walmart, and it was a nothing.
I do know i here complaints periodically from people knowing my association with some rather big firearms sellers here. And the complaints are usually about how anal they are on the paperwork.
But then the complainers don't face 15 or 20 a.t.f. agents and a week going through every scrap of paper knowing the a.t.f. would just LOVE to write them up.

Green Top IS an excellent store. I preferred the original store (about 1/2 mile away) as it had an old time, crowded feel, but the new one is more modern. Green Top has a large selection of new and used firearms, fishing gear, reloading supplies and equipment and, hunting/outdoors clothing. Lying just off I-95 (north of Richmond in Glen Allen, VA), it is well worth the stop.

The new store was taken ofter from one of the larger big box sports merchants (Dicks perhaps?)

Shows how much you really do know about the United States, yet continually mouthing off about things here, doesn't it?

Our local Wallymart in Riverton WY has a sporting goods manager that speaks gunsnammo, she is pretty sharp and runs a tight ship, very helpful. Older feller that works there is a little slower but helpful also. I have never had any problem there at all and will buy from them if they have what I want. FWIW, we have a large LGS here in Yuma, if you buy a gun they walk you up front to pay for it and walk you to the door. Doesn't bother me at all.

aint bought a gun from wally world since 97 when I bought a marlin 336 for $214. smooth transaction, still have the rifle

Too bad, before Wal-Mart lost their New Jersey State Firearms Retail License they used to get the nearest salesman and ring it up, no NICS no nothing. Unfortunately Wal-Mart is no longer allowed to sell guns in New Jersey!

I have bought several rifles and shotguns from Walmart. Always show my cwp, fill out the forms while the wife is shopping. They ring up everything at once and out the door we go. Never had a problem there. Getting ammo is another story. All I need is a box of .22 and .380 to put under the tree for the kid and wife! Its getting frustrating finding ammo. but I will keep looking!

Post Sandy Hook frenzy here in Ct. now requires one to have a long gun eligibility certificate to purchase a rifle or shotgun. Ammunition eligibility certificate to buy a box of .22's.
If you have a handgun permit, you don't need either. No more (legal) FTF sales too.
Color me gone in less than 6.

I have found doing most anything anywhere near Reston, VA is a PITA.



Travis

I have a home there and am known as the biggest PITA in the area.