Damn, I didn't know that WWB was made in China and is pure junk. I better tell all those guys that fly out to FrontSight and pick up their pre-ordered ammo for the courses at the Wal-Mart in Pahrump, NV!
Wal-Mart, much like every other merchant out there buys product made in 3rd world countries because that is where it is manufactured!
Try buying a computer monitor or laptop that is actually completely made in the US! Good luck!! How about a TV, stereo, microwave, electric shaver, etc.
If Wal-Mart were "pulling out of the gun business" it would have been 100% of their stores, not 1/3 of them!
I think there is a bit of BS in the announcement. I think here are some other major contributing factors:
- Local licensing is such a hassle, fraught with restrictions (e.g. Walpole can sell ammo, but nothing for paintball or BBs), and BS about local rules/state laws/mandates by local chiefs/etc.
- Wal-Mart does not pay or treat their employees well enough to hire and KEEP people who are knowledgeable about the gun laws and products. Sell ammo to someone under age (or no LTC/FID) in MA and you lose your MA license to sell!
- I suspect that BATFE and local chiefs have created lots of stink for Wal-Mart corporate to deal with over violations inadvertently done by dumb clerks.
- The politics of selling guns. Local Zoning Board can dictate that they will only give a permit if a store does NOT sell guns/ammo, sell tires/batteries, install car parts/repair cars, etc. I doubt that Avon, Brockton, Boston, etc. would ever issue a building permit to a Wal-Mart that was going to sell ammo or guns (afraid of all the gang-bangers buying their supplies there)!
I have NEVER seen a "good supply" of ammo at any Wal-Mart. Stores like Four Seasons regularly sell more ammo in a couple of hours than any Wal-Mart store I've ever been in has in stock!!
No Wal-Mart that I've ever seen in MA/NH has more than a couple of handfuls of guns. Not much stock, not much selection! NO competition for any real gun store.
I have NOT seen any gun store go under because of a Wal-Mart! Regulations, hassles by local chiefs, Ch. 180, the AG/CHSB goon squads nit-picking them to force them to give up their MA License and FFL has worked wonders here, but it wasn't the ability to purchase a whopping 4 boxes of ammo for $4/box less than your local gun dealer that put them out of business. Where are you going to get real cleaning supplies, targets of various types, spotting scopes, gun scopes, etc. . . . certainly not Wal-Mart! They carry a few of this and that, but not enough variety of anything to be competitive. However on a Sunday or Monday when nearly every real gun store in MA is closed, Wal-Mart may be your best bet to pick up that item you need NOW!