99% of firearms sold at Walmart are the EXACT same model that you would buy at any other shop. EXACT same.
Originally Posted by
Gm54-120
Not entirely true.
At times Walmart has offered to buy X number of say...a muzzleloader but they want it far cheaper. T/C for example has made a cheaper version just for them and some parts are not the same. Such as castings instead of machined parts in the trigger group. Some of these "shortcuts" in manufacturing eventually were used in later models sold to other retailers.
In the event of this low volume of 'Walmart Exclusive' (the 1%), there are three VERY simple ways to determine if the model you see on the Walmart Rack is lower grade than other shops.
- Look it up on the manufacturer website. If the specs on the Walmart version don't match up with any given model online, i.e. model numbers, specs, etc etc, then decide whether you care about the differences, or would rather save the money. Ruger used to sell Walmart cheaper stocked 10/22's, did it effect anything? Only the sale price... If you don't have a smart phone, they'll let you use their computer at most Walmarts, or retreat home to research it.
- Look at it with your eyes. If the stock is lower grade than you want, don't buy it. If it has a plastic trigger guard and you aren't into that, don't buy it.
- Pick it up and feel it in your hands. Even walmart lets you handle firearms before you buy them. Test the action/stock fit, trigger feel, etc etc.
Long story short, buying guns isn't rocket science, and Walmart is a great place to buy them. The expense of producing distributor exclusive models usually prohibitive, so it just doesn't happen that often, and when it does, frankly, there is no value in changing how you machine critical components like barrels, actions, triggers, sears, etc. It's the extraneous components, trigger guards, mag plates, magazines, stock materials, sights, etc that a manufacturer can skimp on that can shave production costs, most of which that don't actually effect the function of the firearm in the least.
For what it's worth to me: I like to see guns in every mainstream store that I can. Keeping the average person used to being in proximity with firearms is good for our industry. They might not like guns, might not own guns, might not support the RIGHT to own guns, but the more times I walk by my neighbors pitbull and it doesn't bite me (she's actually quite the doll), the less I expect EVERY pitbull to bite me.