20 Questions buying Wal-Mart Ammo

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Lurch37

New member
Last week at Wal Mart, while my boys were playing the Guitar Hero demo for the upteenth time, I strolled down the the sporting goods area. I thought I needed to buy some ammo for an upcoming range trip and bought some 9mm and some .45acp. The odd thing was that the guy asked me if it was for a handgun or a rifle, whereas I told him a handgun. The sale was finalized and all that, and then I asked him why the questions.

The counter guy was very nice by the way and told me it was policy to ask so as to reduce Wal Marts liability. I learned that if you are under 18 and you tell them that its for a handgun, they won't sell ammo too you. On the other hand, if you tell them your 18 and its for a rifle, then they will sell ammo to you. I questioned him about the underage kid simply lying and saying he did have a rifle as a means to buy the ammo, of course the Wal Mart guy said they have no way of proving if you do or don't have a certain gun.

I then finally asked the Wal Mart guy that at 45...I'm obviously over the age of 18 and why did they need to ask me anyways....he gave me one of those blank stares and just repeated that it was policy to ask. Oddly enough, yesterday, I bought some .45acp at Wal Mart and the same guy rang it up without asking a thing. They were very busy so I didn't have time to ask, but I assumed they only ask if your buying 9mm for some reason.

We talked the first time for 10-15 minutes and the Wal Mart guy was fairly knowing about the 9mm being chambered in a rifle but it was odd that it seemed they only ask when someone is buying 9mm and not .45acp.

Thoughts?
 
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PPGMD

New member
From what I understand their computer asks when two questions, first is rifle or handgun, then they ask for ID to check your birth date.

Around here (at least with most of the sporting goods employees) if it's pistol caliber they follow the 21 year old federal rules, and 18 for rifle calibers. Some employees may not care enough to check ID, and just tell it yes, while others being new don't know about the department policy of assuming all handgun calibers are for handguns.
 
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Yesit'sloaded

New member
I had an issue with a walmart that wouldn't sell me .22 ammo. I drove 20 miles and the next one sold it too me after asking the question. At the first one the person at the gun counter told me that they didn't make .22 rifles. I pointed out four on the rack and she just refused the sale anyway. The second store's guy and I had a talk about squirrel hunting. At the first one I showed my range membership for one range and my law enforcement range permit (I'm not a cop) for the other and she still told me that .22 was not a rifle caliber.
 
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cohoskip

New member
At our local WallyWorld I have purchased .22, 9mm, .380,.38 spl & 7.62x.39 with no questions or checks of any kind. Of course, I am a soiled senior citizen and maybe they figured I was old enough and harmless, too. :D
 
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gmhippie

New member
Although I really dislike walmart I by most of my ammo there, 9mm, .40 cal, I'm 43 and have never been asked any questions or for an ID...I live in a largley gun friendly area where hunting is very popular along the Idaho Oregon border, maybe that is why they dont ask..??
 
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VUPDblue

New member
The only ammo I buy there is .22. It is just impossible to beat $9.50 for the 550 rnd Federal bulk pack. Anyway, I went in there one day this week and bought 5 boxes. I have been stocking-up since I bought my Spike's .22 conversion for my yet-to-be transfered M16. Now, I like to stir the pot from time to time and when the older gentleman behind the counter asked me if it was for a pistol or rifle, I said "neither, it's for a machinegun". He laughed and said "sure it is". I laughed too and took my ammo and went home. Sometimes the truth must be funny...
 
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Average Joe

New member
The clerk just looks up when she rings it up. ( after the register asks the 21 question) Never asks , just enters it in. I guess she has heard all the negative comments before.
 
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allenomics

New member
I've never been asked that question when buying ammo at Wal-Mart. The older man behind the counter I buy from is very experienced and full of good hunting, target shooting and fishing stories.
 
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EastSideRich

New member
Here in MN it is illegal to sell handgun ammunition to anyone under 18. I found this out first hand many years ago when I tried to purchase a box of .22lr. When asked if it was for a pistol or rifle I made the mistake of saying it was for a pistol, at which point the guy let me know he would not be selling it to me. I assume if I'd have said rifle I would have walked out with my ammo. As it turned out, I just had to go to another sporting goods store and say it was for my rifle and had no problem.

That was a long time ago - now a lot of places will ask for your drivers license and actually swipe it through their computer. I'm in my early 30s and could not possibly be mistaken for 17 yrs old, but this happens to me occasionally. I guess it's probably a store policy thing, but I don't particularly care for ammunition purchases being tied to my name in some database. I'm probably just a little paranoid, but it makes me uncomfortable.
 
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azsixshooter

New member
I've never been asked anything like that before. I'd probably just tell them whatever it was for and not be too upset about it. After all, they are a private business and I suppose in our free society they should have the right to set whatever policies they want to and refuse service to anyone. If I owned a business I'd expect those rights.

Now if some idiot woman tried telling me there was no such thing as a .22 rifle we would have a problem. I'd be posting that one to rimfirecentral.com!
 
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Tanzer

New member
They've asked me that too, though I mostly reload. Tell him no, you're going to cut little wings out of doilies, and make cute little gold halos out of painted #10 washers, glue some gold yarn on the top for hair (that's why you're buying hollow points), and you intend to make angel ornaments for Christmas trees to sell on Ebay (probably just gave some fool an idea-I want a share!). Then ask him where the Arts & Crafts department is so you can paint little smiley eyes on the copper jackets.
 
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22-rimfire

New member
If the ammunition was for a rifle, they would often allow you to put it in your cart (as you would shotgun shells) and pay at the regular checkout if you asked. I don't worry about it much and don't really care if they ask.
 
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Lurch37

New member
Sounds like the "policy" is different at each store. I don't think I've ever been asked for my I.D. when buying ammo, and I don't remember ever having been asked the rifle or handgun question in all my years of buying ammo at W.M. until the other day. I would assume some sales people don't care and some do, making the question or questions they are supposed to ask a moot point in the sale.
 
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Hawg

New member
Most of the people that work Wally World don't know what they're doing. They just know what they've been told by whoever trained them who may or may not know what THEY'RE doing. Some are paranoid about doing something wrong, some don't give a rip. Don't be too hard on them, they're just doing a job.
 
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clayking

New member
If you haven't been asked for ID, it's because you look a lot older than 21. The cash register display will always have the 21 notice on it. If you look young enough to be close to 21, you will be carded. And yep, most of the folks behind the wally's that I frequent don't have a clue about guns or ammo. Just ask one day if they have any +P and look for the blank stare.....................ck
 
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WSM MAGNUM

New member
I don`t have any problem buying 9mm or .45 ACP at my local Wal-Mart here in Maryland. Hard to believe considering how anti-gun Maryland is. Never get questioned or ID`d. But some of the people that work the sporting dept. don`t have a clue about identifying what ammo you are asking for.
 
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softmentor

New member
I just buy at my gun shop. ::smiles his jolly smile:: MagTech .40 and .45 for $1.00 a box less than WalMart. Got a deal on Remington .22 gold bullet for $7.00 per brick, no shipping charge.
Actually I do buy WalMart on rare occasions. I guess there are not to many slightly bald, white haired, wrinkled, fat guys under 18, or even 21 for that matter. LOL Never been asked, but I do remember reading that is the policy. Now getting WalMart employees to be consistent about asking and enforcing the policy? That's another story. And I was wondering...(speaking to the young clerk behind the counter) are YOU 18???
 
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4D5

New member
It can be fun some times

When I get the question by a newbe, I alternate between "it's for a shotgun" and "its for a machinegun"

The regular guys never ask.

And as for swiping my ID to buy ammo as someone mentioned above, it would be a cold day in Hell for that to happen.
 
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