Walmart Ammo Purchase by Dealer....

[JD31]

I was in a Wal-mart in Central Indiana about a couple of weeks ago. I was able to buy a few boxes of ammo, and I was considerate of the guy behind me and inquired if he was after the same thing I was. He told me "No, he was good." Then passing by he loaded up on his limit, then someone, I assume was his wife, bought up her max.

While this would not be a problem, I was in a (to remain unnamed) gun shop a week later, and this guy was behind the counter and spoke like he was the owner.

It has been stated in other threads to support your local gun shops, but this incident has me with a choice. Should I be irked or are there "legitimate" reasons that this dealer/owner should be buying up all the hard to find ammo at Wal-mart?

Could it be that he honestly can't price his ammo cheaply enough to earn a profit and buy from himself? It was a small shop and maybe it is a quantity thing.

(Not a big deal, not losing sleep over it, and not bashing dealers in general. I buy my ammo when and where I find it at a fair price and always leave some behind for the next guy. I am just curious as to what the general opinion is about this type of ammo buy up.)

[Mgderf]

It's called the "free market", and it's a good thing, even though some circumvent the "moral codes" of others.

You're right about one thing. It's NOT worth losing sleep over.

If it makes you uncomfortable to deal with this guy, then don't!

[Bill of Rights]

Originally Posted by Mgderf

It's called the "free market", and it's a good thing, even though some circumvent the "moral codes" of others.

You're right about one thing. It's NOT worth losing sleep over.

If it makes you uncomfortable to deal with this guy, then don't!

And tell him why you won't!

He has every right to get his supply where he wants, and you have every right to fulfill your demand (or not) wherever you choose, but it does no good to not shop with him if he doesn't know why not.

Blessings,
Bill

[sporter]

I don't really care where the local gun shops buy there ammo.

Often time it is the same places us regular guys buy ours. A gun shop has a right to buy it where ever it wants.

If you don't like the price don't buy. That is what is great about a free market; you have a choice.

There is NO ammo shortage so gouging is not really a factor at the moment and the gunshop owner is offering a service by providing supply to his customers and convenience.

[Jay]

I have to be hypocritical about this subject.... and not just ammo....

I have access locally to a second generation gun shop. His ammo prices will consistantly beat any online prices when you figure in shipping. He has more ammo than walmart , and at very similar prices, and he has ammo that you'll never see at walmart. That being said, I buy most of my bulk-pak ammo from walmart, but I usually buy primers($35/1000), powder, and reloading stuff from the gun shop. I've bought several firearms from out of state, and had them transferred thru the shop, (for a $20 fee). On the other hand, I've bought 5 firearms from the local gent this year alone. The local guy sends me new shooters, and I send him folks for hunter education.
His prices are not always the cheapest, but I want him to stay there. He's had parts that would have taken me lots of time to locate. He and his dad are a wealth of info.

Bottom line..... gun shops don't have to be the cheapest, to be in the shooters' best interests.

[nighthawk80]

Originally Posted by Jay

I have to be hypocritical about this subject.... and not just ammo....

I have access locally to a second generation gun shop. His ammo prices will consistantly beat any online prices when you figure in shipping. He has more ammo than walmart , and at very similar prices, and he has ammo that you'll never see at walmart. That being said, I buy most of my bulk-pak ammo from walmart, but I usually buy primers($35/1000), powder, and reloading stuff from the gun shop. I've bought several firearms from out of state, and had them transferred thru the shop, (for a $20 fee). On the other hand, I've bought 5 firearms from the local gent this year alone. The local guy sends me new shooters, and I send him folks for hunter education.
His prices are not always the cheapest, but I want him to stay there. He's had parts that would have taken me lots of time to locate. He and his dad are a wealth of info.

Bottom line..... gun shops don't have to be the cheapest, to be in the shooters' best interests.

This!

[Bigum1969]

Time to name names....

[JD31]

I am not uncomfortable dealing with the shop owner, and I hope that some of the smaller dealers might comment on why it might be necessary for them to go this route. I know that there must be legitimate reasons. (smaller quantity orders not coming in. Maybe they are buying their personal stuff at places other than their shops for the same reasons we go to the big box places. Again, this is not a thread to bash the gun store owners. Just looking for understanding. (While the story is true, I don't want to cause the owner any bad press. He is just trying to make a living like the rest of us.)

[dubsac]

I do believe that "some" gunshops do buy ammo from wally world and resell it at a higher price here in Indianapolis. Im just glad that most of them have imposed a limit on max boxes.

[Shoots4Fun]

To me, I love supporting the local stores. I like to go in the local places and have face to face discussions and service. I even like to buy there too. But I am only willing to pay so much of a premium for that service. I can't quantify it exactly, but whatever I consider a reasonable mark-up or profit. There's a lot to me said in my book about handling the merchandise and picking it out of the group instead of ordering something from the internet because it's $25 or $50 cheaper. However, I also like going to Gander, Cabelas, and Bass Pro and looking at tons of stuff all at once to compare the actual merchandise. There's a place for each type of retailer. They all have to be competitive in their own right (inventory, knowledge, service, or price, etc.)

But for things like ammo, Walmart is tough to beat on the low price goods. I buy my target practice ammo there when I can. If they sold handguns, then I'd have to decide where my loyalty lies, price or personal service.

It's exactly why all of the mom and pop stores go out of business in little towns when Walmart moves in.