Walmart Drops Handgun and Rifle Ammo Sales

If timing is everything, the management at Walmart may have just made a decision that—at least in Washington State—may hurt its bottom line, as the store announced Tuesday it is discontinuing sales of handgun and rifle ammunition, according to the Washington Times.

The Washington Department of Licensing reported Tuesday that the number of active concealed pistol licenses in the Evergreen State has risen to more than 629,000. That’s up more than 1,550 CPLs from Aug. 1, and for the year, an increase of more than 29,500 active licenses since the first of the year.

The number of concealed carry licenses is also climbing in Arizona, though not quite as dramatically. Arizona copied Washington’s state constitutional right-to-bear-arms provision when it became a state in 1912. Washington’s state constitution dates back to Nov. 11, 1889.

According to the Omaha World Herald, Walmart has also asked that customers “refrain from openly carrying firearms in stores even where state laws allow it.”

The move appears to be in reaction to mass shootings over the past month, including one at a Walmart store in Texas.

The story quoted a memo from Walmart CEO Doug McMillon that is being circulated to employees. In it, McMillon says, “We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so.”

That may soothe some tempers among outdoorsmen and women, whose early hunting seasons opened over the Labor Day weekend. With most fall seasons still on the horizon, hunters will be spending lots of money on ammunition and other outdoor essentials over the next three or four months.

The National Rifle Association released the following statement: “The strongest defense of freedom has always been our free-market economy. It is shameful to see Walmart succumb to the pressure of the anti-gun elites. Lines at Walmart will soon be replaced by lines at other retailers who are more supportive of America’s fundamental freedoms. The truth is Walmart’s actions today will not make us any safer. Rather than place the blame on the criminal, Walmart has chosen to victimize law-abiding Americans. Our leaders must be willing to approach the problems of crime, violence and mental health with sincerity and honesty.”

However, stopping the sale of handgun ammunition might seem somewhat misdirected, since the recent mass shootings all involved semiautomatic rifles, which use different ammunition. The memo notes that sales of .223 Remington/5.56mm NATO ammunition will also be halted, as those cartridges can be used in some pistols that accept the same magazines as “military-style weapons.”

Walmart will also discontinue handgun sales in Alaska, the last state where such sales have been conducted.

According to published reports, Walmart—operating more than 5,000 retail stores nationwide, including more than 60 in Washington State—has “long found itself in an awkward spot with its customers and gun enthusiasts.”

“Many of its stores are located in rural areas where hunters are dependent on Walmart to get their equipment,” the report said. “Walmart is trying to walk a fine line by trying to embrace its hunting heritage while being a more responsible retailer.”

The story also noted that the new policy on open carry might be a reaction to rights activism gone a bit too far. In the memo, printed in its entirety by CNBC here, McMillon explained:

“As it relates to safety in our stores, there have been multiple incidents since El Paso where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers. We have also had well-intentioned customers acting lawfully that have inadvertently caused a store to be evacuated and local law enforcement to be called to respond. These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them, so we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where ‘open carry’ is permitted — unless they are authorized law enforcement officers.”

McMillon also said he is sending letters to the White House and leaders in Congress, calling for action on “common sense” gun control measures. He believes there should be a debate on the merits of reauthorizing the ban on so-called “assault weapons” in an effort to “determine its effectiveness.”

“We must also do more, as a country, to understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior,” the memo said.

Here is the entire letter from CEO Doug McMillian:

Dear Associates,

A month ago, in El Paso, Texas, a gunman with an assault-style rifle launched a hate-filled attack in our store, shooting 48 people resulting in the loss of 22 innocent lives. Just a few days prior, two of our associates were killed by another associate in our store in Southaven, Mississippi. And hours after the shooting in El Paso, our country experienced another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio. This weekend brought tragedy to Midland and Odessa, Texas.

In Southaven and El Paso, our associates responded to anger and hate with courage and self-sacrifice. Our immediate priorities were supporting our associates and the impacted families and cooperating with law enforcement. In parallel, we have been focused on store safety and security. We’ve also been listening to a lot of people inside and outside our company as we think about the role we can play in helping to make the country safer. It’s clear to us that the status quo is unacceptable.

After visiting El Paso on Aug. 6, I mentioned that we would be thoughtful and deliberate in our responses. We’re ready to share our next steps.

We’ve been giving a lot of thought to our sale of firearms and ammunition. We’ve previously made decisions to stop selling handguns or military-style rifles such as the AR-15, to raise the age limit to purchase a firearm or ammunition to 21, to require a “green light” on a background check while federal law only requires the absence of a “red light,” to videotape the point of sale for firearms and to only allow certain trained associates to sell firearms.

Today, we’re sharing the decisions we’ve made that go further:

• After selling through our current inventory commitments, we will discontinue sales of short-barrel rifle ammunition such as the .223 caliber and 5.56 caliber that, while commonly used in some hunting rifles, can also be used in large capacity clips on military-style weapons;
• We will sell through and discontinue handgun ammunition; and
• We will discontinue handgun sales in Alaska, marking our complete exit from handguns.

We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand. As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same. Our remaining assortment will be even more focused on the needs of hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts. It will include long barrel deer rifles and shotguns, much of the ammunition they require, as well as hunting and sporting accessories and apparel. We believe these actions will reduce our market share of ammunition from around 20% to a range of approximately 6 to 9%. We believe it will likely drift toward the lower end of that range, over time, given the combination of these changes.

As it relates to safety in our stores, there have been multiple incidents since El Paso where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers. We have also had well-intentioned customers acting lawfully that have inadvertently caused a store to be evacuated and local law enforcement to be called to respond. These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them, so we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where “open carry” is permitted – unless they are authorized law enforcement officers.

We believe the opportunity for someone to misinterpret a situation, even in open carry states, could lead to tragic results. We hope that everyone will understand the circumstances that led to this new policy and will respect the concerns of their fellow shoppers and our associates. As it relates to concealed carry by customers with permits, there is no change to our policy or approach. This morning, we briefed your leadership team on how to communicate this change in policy to customers when needed, and they will be sharing that with you very soon. We will treat law-abiding customers with respect, and we will have a very non-confrontational approach. Our priority is your safety. We will be providing new signage to help communicate this policy in the coming weeks.

As an additional step, we commit we will work alongside other retailers to make the overall industry safer, including sharing our best practices. For example, we are exploring ways to share the technical specifications and compliance controls for our proprietary firearms sales technology platform. This system navigates the tens of millions of possible combinations of federal, state and local laws, regulations and licensing requirements that come into effect based on where the firearm is being sold and who is purchasing it. We hope that providing this information, free of charge, will help more retailers sell firearms in a responsible, compliant manner.

Finally, we encourage our nation’s leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger. We do not sell military-style rifles, and we believe the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons ban should be debated to determine its effectiveness. We must also do more, as a country, to understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior. Today, I’m sending letters to the White House and the Congressional leadership that call for action on these common sense measures. As we’ve seen before, these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen. Congress and the administration should act. Given our decades of experience selling firearms, we are also offering to serve as a resource in the national debate on responsible gun sales.

We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so. Our founder, Sam Walton, was an avid outdoorsman who had a passion for quail hunting, and we’re headquartered in a state known for its duck hunting and deer hunting. My family raised bird dogs when I was growing up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and I’m a gun owner myself. We understand that heritage, our deeply rooted place in America and our influence as the world’s largest retailer. And we understand the responsibility that comes with it. We want what’s best for our customers, our associates and our communities. In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again. The status quo is unacceptable.

Doug
Sept. 3, 2019

What’s your take on Walmart’s new policies? Will you reach out to Walmart and give your feedback? Share your answers in the comment section.