Don’t Rely on Walmart to Sell Guns Anymore

Walmart, one of America’s largest retailers, had been considered one of the largest gun stores in the United States. But after the retailer decided to once again pull guns and ammo from their shelves, gun owners are learning not to trust the brand.

In their 4,700 stores, about half of them sell firearms and ammunition. In early November, Walmart made the decision to pull all their firearms and ammo off of their shelves over fears that Election Day would coincide with mass riots and social unrest. The brand did the same following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

The goal, according to a spokesperson for Walmart, was to “move firearms and ammunition from the sales floor to a secure location in the back of the store in an abundance of caution.”

So, is this going to be a recurring theme for the rest of time? Is there even a point to going to Walmart for guns or ammo anymore?

Changing Their Minds

The decision to hide guns and ammo in the back of the store didn’t last long. Although technically Walmart didn’t stop selling guns and ammo because people could request to purchase them, they received a ton of flack from the public. One of the problems is that sometimes it’s hard to find a customer service member to help you out when you are in a Walmart store. You just end up roaming around to auto parts and begging them to send someone over to help you. 

Then again, Walmart doesn’t exactly sell practical firearms anymore. Most of the weapons sold are geared for hunting. A Walmart in Alaska became the last to sell a handgun back in 2019.

Election Day Was Pretty Quiet

At least Walmart didn’t have much to worry about on Election Day. Luckily for the country, there wasn’t much civil unrest around each of the polling locations. There wasn’t any rioting going on in Walmart stores around America that day either. 

People just came out in droves to make their political choices known without having to deal with intimidation or the threat of violence. That’s the good news. It’s a shame that Walmart has some confusion over the sale of their guns and ammo in the days leading up to the election. 

As an affordable company that many hunters and sportsmen look towards in purchasing their guns and gear, Walmart sells about 20 percent of the ammunition sold in the US each year. They are a reliable place to get these types of products for many people. It shouldn’t be that difficult to get these items.

Here’s an easy solution for concerned gun owners: if you rely on Walmart for anything firearm-related, don’t. There are plenty of alternatives for routine ammo purchases and actual firearms — online is a great place to start.