T/C fan!

scraphunterr, when it comes Walmart, every gunshop is this world is a "little guy".

Todd1700

I say thank God for Wal-Mart. I remember what it was like to be totally at the mercy of the sporting goods stores here in my area. Outrageous prices and stores that closed at 5 pm on weekdays, 12 noon on Staurday and all day on Sunday. Hell, a 9 to 5 working man had 4 hours Saturday morning to shop at the places. As far as knowledgable sales people, well thats not a given at a sporting goods store either. 90 percent of the time when I go to my local sporting goods store the guy who owns it is out fishing or hunting and has left his mother there running the place. And a lot of the guys at hunting/fishing stores that actually do know what they hell they are doing are arrogant SOB's that try to steer you to what they think you need or what they have an overabundance of instead of just selling you what you want.

wnogood

I agree Todd, in some areas, wal-mart has made some sporting goods stores step up and get back into competing for business. But, in some markets, wally world is closing down some good stores. I have shopped in good ones and bad. I feel for the little guys who are working hard, and always have, even before the big boys came to town. I have to admit, I do occasionally shop at wal-mart, but the only hunting supplies I will buy there is stuff that is on clearance for pennies on the dollar.

soarkrebel

Well said todd. i have no problem dealing with wal mart if they have a better price on a gun than a gun shop. i have been in lots of gun dealing business's and the majority are to high and i really don't find them that much help when it comes to guns that i want. one should have an idea what one wants.
I look back and remember that before wal mart there was gibsons or howards or otasco or whatever.

Ok lets say it's the night before opening day and you forgot your ammo or just noticed your hunting license expired and it's 10 pm and home is 100 miles away and wal mart is 5 miles away. where do you go ? call bubbas gun shop and see if he'll open up for you or go to the 24 hour wal mart?
hummmm i'll bet on wal mart!

driftrider

I may buy a gun from Wally-World if the price were exceptional, as in 15% or more lower than all the other gun/sporting goods stores in town. I do shop around before I buy a gun, because for me a new gun is a large investment and I don't want to pay too much more than the gun is worth.

I am very blessed that I do have a very good small, privately owned/operated gun store across town from where I live (called Cedar Valley Outfitters). What's even better is that his price is always +- $25 or so of the current market price of any gun you're looking for, and all the guys working there are very knowledgeable about their trade. I once asked a teen-aged Wal-Mart employee working in sporting goods if I could look at a Baretta (semi-auto) shotgun that had caught my eye, and he started to pull a Weatherby Vangard out of the case! And when I told him that that wasn't even a shotgun he just had a clueless look.

CVO is also very fair about things like trades. Try trading a gun at Wal-Mart and see what happens, and the big chain gun stores like Scheels will try to rip you off if you try to trade a gun with them. As a case in point, I used to have a H&K USP 45 stainless that was in 98% condition that was worth at least $450-500, especially since H&K no longer makes the full-sized USP 45 in stainless. But the gun didn't fit me very well and I couldn't shoot it as well as I thought I should be able too, so I decided to trade it off for a more suitable pistol. I took it to Scheels and they only wanted to give me $300 for it in trade, which is a minimum of $150 less than what they would turn around and sell it for.

So would I buy at Wal-Mart if the price were outstanding, and in fact I have bought a couple guns from them, but not before I've given CVO a fair look.

Mike

oldelkhunter

There are however some very good small gun stores in some areas that simply cannot compete with them and go by the wayside because of them and the way they purchase their products in bulk.. I have yet to find a Walmart person at the firearm counter that knows anything about guns period. Its a good store to buy ammo if you know what you want and as you know the highest end scope they sell is a Leupold Rifleman so what really good are they? Can you trade guns with them ? They will only stock what they can sell while the little guy has way more variety and sometimes has to sit on specialty items therefore the high prices on some things. I buy most of my guns ,ammo and reloading equipment from a local guy and Walmart cannot touch his prices or his return policies or his knowledge for that matter. He has just about any product you need at comparable prices to DNR sports or any of the major catalog stores. Of course on some limited items like a Winchester Super Shadow Walmart has them built just for them and he have to charge more for one because he doesn't order 100,000 at a clip like Wally World. As far as I am concerned we should go back to mom and pop hardware stores and gun stores . There would be a lot more jobs in the US if we did, China would be on the ropes and we would be less stressed out as Humans.

14mercs

I think if it were really a good gun store they could compete with Walmart on price and especially on customer service. Reputation and price will win customers every time!

oldelkhunter

If your a small store you cannot compete with them on price, they buy in way too much volume. Their only weakness is they have incredibly stupid people stocking up their sporting goods stores and they have very little in there that interests me other then shotgun ammo and the occasional cheap factory load.

bigcountry

For some people it works out great having Wally world, others don't. Here in MD, all the gun owners have this expert chip on thier shoulder. When most people I see couldn't get thier butt up a tree to save thier lifes. Most business owners don't know how to run a store. Some here in MD, doesn't keep up with the newer products, want to sit there and debate with you about knowledge of guns. I think that is the only reason alot are in business, they wanted a place to sit there and act superior to everyone.

But I have found one in Mt. Airy, MD, gunshack, that the people there doesn't debate with you. They will sell you anything they got without a whole lot of personal opinion. And for ok deals.

oldelkhunter

I guess I have always been blessed being around good gun stores with exception of time I lived in Florida.