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!

 

[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.

 

[ocsdor]

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.)

Everyone answering, ask yourself this. If we were talking about gasoline instead of ammunition, would your answer still be the same? If two gas stations in town bought up all the other gasoline and sold it 50% higher than what you would have paid, what would your answer be?

 

[MoparMan]

This has been discussed in other threads. Did the shop actually have the same walmart ammo there at a higher price? Name the shop and we can see if its the same shop.

 

[printcraft]

This has been discussed in other threads. Did the shop actually have the same walmart ammo there at a higher price? Name the shop and we can see if its the same shop.

Just a cautionary note on this (grain of salt and all):
One of those threads IIRC was legit that the dealer was buying up all the ammo at wallyworld and reselling it at a higher price and one was a total BS fabrication because the poster was upset at the dealer in question (who is a member in good standing here) about something.

 

[MoparMan]

Just a cautionary note on this (grain of salt and all):
One of those threads IIRC was legit that the dealer was buying up all the ammo at wallyworld and reselling it at a higher price and one was a total BS fabrication because the poster was upset at the dealer in question (who is a member in good standing here) about something.

Thats what i thought, couldn't remember the entire situation though.

 

[Cygnus]

Uh oh.....

 

[Bill of Rights]

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]

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!

 

[STEEL CORE]

Heres the deal, store owner and wife make trip before his shop opens for ammo resupply, say he gets six boxes of .9, she gets six boxes of .40, they then go and sell at a profit regardless would be the same as any other vender, selling hot dogs or sodas from a cart, they have to gety their supplies somewhere. You could bring your significant other in too, buy the limit of what you want, come back later and do it again. I am happy that Wal-Mart placed their limit on ammo sales to keep said dewalers/owners from buying it all....................remember when a certain store had alot of WAl-Mart ammo with fresh stickers on the boxes and no body could find any ammo?!? Thats because said local owner and his boys were standing in the Sporting goods ailse of several area stores at 8AM and bought it all................subsequently Wal-Mart invoked its policy, call it rationing or whatever, I have managed to put 500 rds of 9.mm and 500 rds of .40 away, buying it six boxes at a time since this spring, one day my wife was in the store with me and she bought six boxes too.........I shoot this stuff, as I did 100 rds of .40 two days ago, and will go through 100 rds of both .9mm and .40 cal next weekend in Deer Camp.

Sign of the times, you can shop somewhere else, or remind the dealer of his wal-maret shopping habits and hope he feels sorry for you and cuts you some slack on a box.

Anyway, you wonder if there will be fall out on Mags after the FT. Hood Masacre.....won't happen in Texas, but enough incidents happen like that and we could see another mag capacity ban.

 

[truegrit]

one thing has me concerned about this and that is Wal Mart looking the other way while other retailers do this I had seen a thread about Gander in merrilville buying ammo from Wal Mart and reselling it I check the Wal Mart in Merrilville every week and they do have some ammo WWB .40 Federal .40 and some Winchester .223 but last week they had an unmarked box in their cabinet and I asked the guy to open it and it was full of .45 .40 and 9mm hmm?

 

[chachi73]

+1 to free markets!

 

[Greatestsin]

yeah the gander in merrillville had blazer brass when walmart did and now it has federal (just like walmart does) as its over-priced cheap 9mm, 40, and 22lr. They usually charge double or more what walmart has it for. Maybe thats why this walmart never seems to have 9mm anymore

 

[Jack Ryan]

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.)

Then he'll tell you how all the gun manufactures and ammo factories deliberately run inferior piles of products destine specificly for Walmart because they can sell special run bad ones cheaper and his is all top grade that he buys one or two at a time. LOL, all while he has a pile of MaoMart ammo right there on his shelf.