Walmart is fanatically driven by profit. I doubt they’d give up on guns if they could make more money there than whatever they’re going to use the floorspace for.

So do you refuse to shop at ANY store that doesn’t sell firearms (I’m sorry, your deli does not sell firearms, so I will not shop there)?

Two, and most importantly, it’s a liability. ATF wants those 4473s perfect to the letter. Would you trust a walmart clerk to get it right, every time? Would you like ATF storming your neighborhood walmart and seizing the entire sporting goods section because a couple of 4473s aren’t signed properly?

I remember reading and hearing reports that gun sales spiked in Louisiana after Katrina due to the influx of many displaced people from New Orleans into surrounding areas. In that New Orleans had an inordinately high crime rate, I’m sure people were buying the means of personal self-defense which is the first and most important reason to keep and bear weapons. Hunting is a secondary use for guns after the RIGHT of armed self-defense.

I also agree with your assessment re: the political threat–or that from the “legalized version” of criminals; again like what happened in post-Katrina New Orleans where the government engaged in armed robbery of peaceable, law-abiding citizens in New Orleans by confiscating their guns–by men with guns, of course.

“The two enemies of the people are criminals and government, so let us tie
the second down with the chains of the Constitution so the second will not
become the legalized version of the first.”–Thomas Jefferson

In Utah, Gart Sports carries WinWhiteBox. In fact, that’s where I go every Ammo Day to get my supply.

As for gun sales, they’re actually a kind of inverse indicator of how the status of the RKBA is perceived by gun owners. During bad times when Sugarmann and his ilk are stirring up trouble in Washington gun sales skyrocket, like they did in the late 70’s and in the 90’s; back then sales of new guns averaged between 4.5 and 6 million per year. During the 80’s, gun owners felt more secure, and sales averaged around 3.5 million/year.

Also, the market for guns has changed. Sales of traditional hunting weapons, like bolt-action scoped rifles and long shotguns, are declining. But sales of Cowboy-style lever actions, “assault weapons”, small concealable handguns and home-defense shotguns are going strong.

I think it’s perfectly normal that gun sales would fall from their post-9/11 and Katrina spikes. With the Republicans in charge most gun owners don’t feel that there’s any real threat of new gun control passing. If Hillary Clinton ever became president, there’d be another round of panic-buying, especially if the Demos retake one or both houses of Congress.

My local wal mart sells guns as well, shotguns, rifles, ammo and they can FFL transfer other weapons too, like full autos and handguns, but those are all special orders that the customer arranges.

I live closer to the gun store than I do to wal-mart.

I think I am still ahead of the game.

Alot of Wal Marts already don’t sell guns – look at New Jersey or LA – so I really didn’t see this is news.

Unc,
55,000 FFL’s (according to the folks at the ATFU hearings in the House last month). With Wally World scaling back that should only knock it down to 54,000 but it’s still disturbing, especially if Wally figures out he can do without the firearm revenue. Not that it’d be a big hit by itself, but it could start a trend for chain stores to get out of the arms biz. Good for local dealers, but I think bad for overall numbers. & bad for society, as I think seeing guns in wally world & other such places helps (a little) to get folks used to the idea of other folks having arms. Yeah I know it freaks some people out, but those aren’t the ones on the fence to begin with.