Buddy of mine just called me from a wall Mart store and they have Ruger 10-22 for $220. Does wall Mart sell inferior rifles? I can't see any manufacturer making a substanard anything just for one retailer?

No, Wal-Mart sells the same rifles, they just buy them in much larger quantities and can often afford to sell them for less than what a small dealer would pay for them at wholesale.

$220 is a little high for a basic 10/22 Carbine.

Really, where should he look for a better deal?

[quote=Remington6MM I can't see any manufacturer making a substanard anything just for one retailer?[/quote]

I think the rifles Walmart sells are as good as any.

Some manufacturers will cheapen a product if they're squeezed hard enough by a BIG retailer.

Bi-Mart on sale $189 IIRC pretty often

I think the rifles Walmart sells are as good as any.

Some manufacturers will cheapen a product if they're squeezed hard enough by a BIG retailer. [/quote]

Explain how this is done!!! A Rem 700 ADL sold by Wally World is the same Rem 700 ADL sold by any other retailer. The lower price at Wally World comes from buying in quantity...

Walmart does strike deals with manufactures to make special Walmart exclusive model runs of products that can only be purchased new from Walmart, including the Ruger 10-22. One example was several years back Ruger made a non-cataloged special run of the 10-22 in stainless/silver finish with laminated grey/black wood stocks in both standard and international (Mannlicher) versions just for Walmart only.

Explain how this is done!!! A Rem 700 ADL sold by Wally World is the same Rem 700 ADL sold by any other retailer. The lower price at Wally World comes from buying in quantity...
[/quote]


Where did he say Remington? Ruger? Gun?

Certain distributors, and dealers if they are large enough, and Walmart is, can have the manufacturer to make special runs for them. The quality will be the same, the difference will be in the caliber, or cosmetically. As far as the Walmart 1022's go, I bought 2 last year when Walmart had their big sale going on. One was a synthetic stocked one, the other a stainless takedown model. They both shoot and function every bit as well as any other 10-22 I've ever fired.

$220 is a bit high. Scheels used to have them for $189 almost weekly when I lived out west.

The myth that Wal Mart rifles are different is just that, it's a myth. This was a lie perpetuated by mom and pop shops throughout the 90's. The internet has mostly killed the fallacy but it still floats out there a bit.

Mom and Pop been bitchin' about the big stores and later the internet forever. Used to have a point in places like hardware stores when the counter guy knew what he was selling. Now you'll probably be waited on by a kid who failed the drug test for a job at Starbucks and knows less than my old Lab. Got pretty tired of hearing, "I can have that for you in about a week" , which really means two weeks and forty-eleven phone calls checking on it.

I can have "it" overnight for about the same price, including the uncharge for express shipping.

Had a Walmart special, SS in a nice checkered birch stock with a rubber buttpad. Nice little gun for $230. Sold it, of course.

Firearms manufacturers used to make so-called "House Brand" products for large retailers, most of which were basically the same as those that were cataloged and sold under the manufacturer's own name, but were usually less expensive due to differences in the finish, the type of wood used, and the sights.

I own or have owned house brand rifles and shotgun that were made by High Standard, Marlin, Mossberg, Savage, and Winchester for Coast-To-Coast Hardware, Gamble-Aldens, J.C. Penney, Montgomery Wards, Sears, W.T. Grant, and Western Auto.

I currently have a J.C. Penney house brand Marlin 336, their Model 3040, a Sears house brand Winchester 190, their Model 3-T, and a Wards house brand Mossberg 500, their Model M550CR.

Firearms manufacturers make non-cataloged configurations of their cataloged firearms for large retailers and wholesalers. Some manufacturers, Marlin and Savage come to mind, had what amounted to internal house brands. Marlin had the Glenfield brand and Savage had the Stevens, Springfield, and Westpoint brands. Remington and Ruger make multiple runs of non-cataloged configuration firearms every year. Ruger makes limited runs of non-cataloged firearms for Lipsey's that, because they are non-cataloged configurations and made in small number, become instantly collectible. Lipsey's stainless Number 1s and 77 RSIs are probably the most well known.

Wal-Mart regularly does odd things with their firearms. Recently, they sold off their inventory of Weatherby Vanguard rifles for as little as $250, about a 50% mark down. Back in 2007, they marked down and sold off their inventory of Remington 700 ADLs for as little as $275. They have done the same with some Rugers and Savages and probably other brands too. Like most retailers, Wal-Mart doesn't like to carry over large inventories of seasonal products, so they have regular purges, "fire sales", to move their remaining inventory. Around Omaha, they are currently selling their inventory of black powder rifles and associated products at reduced prices and do so every year, starting around mid-January.

I was wondering if anybody else remembered the Walmart special 10/22. I still have one. I picked up mine used. I like the long, stainless barrel--I think it's 22" but I might be wrong. The stock is pretty cool.

The might be the K10/22-22, featuring a birch deluxe sporter style stock, silver receiver, and 22" stainless sporter contour barrel? Wal-Mart has reordered that configuration multiple times. I bought one in 2008 at the W-M in Council Bluffs, IA, and used the receiver as the donor for a build. I bought a used one in 12/18 that I restocked with an American style stock with the length and comb height modules. I like the balance of the longer barrel and the higher comb make it come quicker to the eye when shooting a scope than the typical low comb carbine stocks. At my age and with my eyesight, open sights are as useless as any useless thing that I can think of. If you wanted to install a longer barrel on a 10/22. S and P outfitters has the 20" and 22" stainless sporter contour barrels, along with several others, for sale on their site, www.sapoutfitters.com .

Where did he say Remington? Ruger? Gun?

[/quote]

Exactly!

Electronics, especially televisions, lawnmowers, as well as many other types of products. High volume big box retailers strike deals with manufacturers to make special model runs to their specs at lower cost just for them. Besides benefiting from volume discount pricing, retailer's special models may have fewer features and/or lower cost components than open market models, and also have the retailer's own proprietary model numbers therefore can't be price matched.

This is the Walmart Exclusive special run of the Ruger 10-22 I was referencing in my above post:

My K10/22-22 reply was intended for Waders.

I have 4 of the WM special stainless laminated mannlichers, the 10/22KRBIBBZ style, that I bought between November 1997 and Jan/Feb 1998. I paid full price for the first one, but only around $130 for each of the other 3. I sent the first one to Ahlman's in Morristown, MN, to be checkered and gave it to my Wife at Christmas 1997.

I just picked up a blued Sporter version from Whittakers last week. They had a special price of $249 but after I entered the special code it was $212 with free shipping and no tax.
I mounted a red dot I had laying around on it & plan to install a Volquartsen target hammer. Should be a fun plinker.

Deflave, I don’t believe that is completely true. About 25 years ago I bought a Marlin model 336 with a “W” stamped after the “336” from Wal-Mart.. It was chambered in 30-30 Win. I have never seen a 336W anywhere since. It had a much cheaper “no-frills” butt stock and fore-arm wood on it, however the steel (action/barrel) appeared to be the same as any other Marlin 336 of that time.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I have never seen a Model 336W anywhere else before, so I am assuming that the “W” stood for Wal-Mart.

was in my local Wal Mart today and they had on there rack a Savage stainless Axis in 6.5 Creed for $189.00 with a 4x12 scope

was in my local Wal Mart today and they had on there rack a Savage stainless Axis in 6.5 Creed for $189.00 with a 4x12 scope, they had a same rifle in 308 for $289.00, figure that one out

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlin_Model_336



But then the 336W is also cataloged at the Marlin website too: https://www.marlinfirearms.com/lever-action/model-336

And apparently it's sold by other retailers besides Walmart:

https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/...5remamrln3030lxxrif/15remamrln3030lxxrif

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/marlin-336w-lever-action-rifle

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marlin-336w-30-30-win-lever-action-centerfire-rifle

https://www.sportsmansoutdoorsupers...er-action-rifle-with-3-9x32mm-riflescope

My Father and I bought these two models back when Walmart had them in stock. I had the half stocked model, and eventually traded it away for something else. My father kept his rifle, and many years later it came to me for safeguarding after he passed away. His was the Mannlicher stocked rifle you posted. It was finally passed on to his Grandson this past Christmas......

You know it is cost reduced...

I bought a franchi affinity from dicks for $200 less and it didnt come with stock shims or extra choke tubes.

Go to walmart and look at a buck 110 LT and it has a large Buck logo on it compared to the ones at cabelas. That may be Bucks way to make the walmart version cheaper and identifiable

I bought federal 308 150 grain ammo from walmart and the model number of the shells has walmart in the coding. I didnt compare them to non walmart version to see if they shoot to the same point of impact. It could be slightly less powder or blems.

So look at the 10/22 close... it could have black silicone plugs in the scope base mount holes instead of screws, maybe no scope base in the box, plastic sights or more basic sights than standard, or maybe carbon steel springs instead of SS springs inside the action.

Having said that... I regret not buying one of those long barrel SS versions they sold.

Wow, all this about cheap Wally World sh*t. Worked at a place repairing their automated pallet wrapper and conveyer system. They repacked Nestle products. Seems it broke during a heavy time. Walmart and Sams club had ordered 800 pallets of product. Bet they got a much better price at 800 pallets than 5 pallets. That’s the way it works high volume low price.

I bought one of the WW 10/22's with the 22" barrel in '06, I think. It has the silver trigger group. I eventually took the 22" barrel off and put a SS 18" stock barrel on it.
With a VQ target hammer, trigger stop, urethane buffer and Bushnell red dot it is my go-to woodchuck and squirrel gun. Love the way the stock fits me.

True volume helps, but it also helps Walmart on price leverage to get cheaper products.

Their buyers say we want this product at this price and you need to deliver. they are not gun nuts that would cry if a plastic sight came instead of a steel one. They are graded on price and profit to Sam.

I know Toro sells de-featured lawn mowers to the box stores for that very reason.

Easy to buy from and fast shipping. Ship to your FFL. You can use a credit card or if use a debit card you get the "cash price".
https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/70280

Lol, I know spent 2 mos helping them automate one of their plants. You can do a lot of stuff faster and cheaper. Slight changes easily done.
Got one of them cheapy WW SS specials shoots just as good as my 1989 10/22 and just as trouble free.

Back in 1991 one of my late uncles bought a Marlin 30AS at either a Wal-Mart or other big chain store. He wasn't even in the market for a 30-30 lever gun. Said he saw the price; couldn't resist, and bought it on the spot. Might be a birch(?) stock stained to appear walnut with no checkering, no sling studs or front sight hood or any other sort of embellishment. Basically a budget model 336 but it shoots as good as any 336 I've ever seen and ever since inheriting it in 2002 its become a favorite. IME all the Marlin Glenfield models are also nice and some guys love to find them on the used market because they can be had for less than a 336 but they're just as useful. So about the only thing inferior on some of those budget guns is usually in the cosmetics.

I've always drawn a conclusion that manufacturers will offer rifles that they would otherwise reject for Q/C reasons, to retailers like Wally World for a low price....

The average customer who has their hunting and fishing needs purchased at Wally World, usually isn't as picky as are the type of folks who frequent sites like this...

Hunting rifles sell for cheap and have poor Q/C, are bought by people who shoot two or three rounds a year and " zeroing in" to them is accomplished by hitting the target with 2 out of 3 shots at 100 yds off the bench.

Their customers for 22 Rifles are people who would buy a 10/22 and some boxes of cheap bulk 22 LR that are "on sale".... their expectations are fulfilled by the gun going bang, and not jamming..

These are the two types of their customers that show up at our range...

They want a hunting rifle that they can buy ammo for that is always on sale.... comes with a disposable 3 x 9 No Name Brand Scope on top. They hit a target 2 out of 3 times with three shots at 100 yds, they claim its lethal out pass 500 yds... 22 semi autos, only job is to digest cheap 22 cartridges on sale, send them down range and not jam up easily....

As for the question of why an Axis in 6.5 Creedmoor for $189 and the same rifle in 308 for $289?
The cheaper rifle is based on how long its been in inventory, not the caliber. if it doesn't turn over in a certain time period, they drop the price to get rid of it... its just a line item to the people making those decisions.

I've gotten some good deals, particularly on Model 700s, at Wally World.. dirt cheap price, because they had been in inventory for 2 years... got shoved into the back corner of the ware house.. they pull it out, scan the box and inventory date... and offer it.. and you get a box with 6 inches of dust on it... Same for Bi Mart here in the NW and I am sure for most major retailers elsewhere...

Not long ago, I picked up an Axis in 243, that was a Cabelas "exclusive", is how the box and stock were marked.... except I bought it at Bi Mart... part of a batch that evidently Cabelas ditched here in the NW to BiMart for cheap....its got a great trigger on it, had a cheap stainless scope on top and its a real tack driver right out to 300 yds, with varmint handloads, which is all I've shot in it so far ( say 400 or so rounds).. got it for $269.

anything you buy from a retailer like Walmart, price is based on cheap purchase price to them...
and to those that set market prices, its strictly a line item.....and that doesn't matter if its a tire, a firearm or a roll of Toilet paper....if they have had it too long, the price drops....

Our local Walmart was out of Weaver Scope rings in Medium Height for 4 months.... some one has hung 22 Rimfire rings on that peg on the shelf... two of them.....the store was out of them for 4 months, because every time they did their inventory with those little guns they use... it said the slot still had stock...when I finally pointed out to that dept manager, that the slot had inventory of the wrong item there, he moved them back to where they belonged.... they ended up getting like 20 to 25 new sets of rings in like 3 days.

Our deer hunting season is earlier before the rut, occurring in October instead of November like it does in Arkansas.. our local store always gets hunting stuff, AFTER our deer season.. and then you can buy it cheap in December after Arkansas's hunting season is over, instead of them having to send it 'back' somewhere....once again, line items to an accountant who has no idea what the item is....their hunting stuff is based on what ever hunting season is in Arkansas where they are based out of....