It boils down to this: Charleston shooter Dylann Roof wouldn’t have been able to legally acquire a firearm if he had gone to Walmart.
As it turns out, the worldwide superstore chain has some pretty strict gun regulations, stricter even than what is required by the federal government. Although the government allows a firearm transfer if the FBI doesn’t return the background check within three business days, Walmart doesn’t.
Their stance? Wait it out. Walmart refuses to sell a firearm until the background check clears. Period. That means Roof, who had a felony drug charge on his record, would have been turned away at Walmart.
Unfortunately, however, that wasn’t the case. Roof went somewhere else to purchase his gun and he slipped through the cracks after the FBI exceeded their time limit to return the background check.
But Walmart’s stance on background checks isn’t a response to Charleston. In fact, the company instituted the policy way back in 2002.
On top of that, they also mandate anyone employee who sells firearms to undergo special training and get a background check. Oh, and the employees also record and store the data from the sales “to trace guns sold by the company that are later linked to crimes.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, recently threw Walmart under the bus (and young people) when he inanely commented that he’s “not terribly confident that a 21-year-old Walmart clerk is going to sell guns responsibly or be able to give customers the kind of advice they need on how to responsibly use that gun.”
Really? Because it sounds like Walmart has it pretty much under control.
(This article was a submission from freelance writer Brent Rogers)
If Walmart has stricter laws on the sale of firearms why sell a gun to felon? Ive got a sales receipt that Walmart sold me a muzzleloader and a hunters perment I told myself that if they sell me the gun that I could own the muzzleloader. these laws on guns change so much its hard to keep up with laws and all the gray areas. I’m convicted felon a year from being parden and now charged with felon in poss of firearm. I’ve been told that the meantlly ill can own guns that’s why Walmart don’t have to do a background check. Sounds like the system is put in place to keep control over the people. I lost home and vehicle from being lockup for over 96 days in jail. To top that off the went into my while not home without a warrant and took the muzzleloader and arrested 6 miles walking down the road. broke no laws, not on paperwork had no right to arrest sounds like a system of falsehood.
Boycott Wally World… and Obozo …
In Delaware , Walmart stopped carrying firearms when DE passed mandatory background checks on private sales And required all FFL dealers to provide the background check for a fee. Walmart did not want consumers walking in with a firearm to transfer, so they dropped gun sales entirely.
Hope WalMart’s policies hold up in court. Once you take on more duties than are required by the statutes, you’d better do it right, good intentions are not a defence. If more could have been done to prevent sales to persons not legally qualified to possess firearms, then WalMart will be sued for negligence if they fail to do that. Not selling if BATF doesn’t reply is probably not a risk, however.
In Delaware , Walmart stopped carrying firearms when DE passed mandatory background checks on private sales And required all FFL dealers to provide the background check for a fee. Walmart did not want consumers walking in with a firearm to transfer, so they dropped gun sales entirely.
Cabelas has the same policy
While what the article says is true – that particular terrorist could not have got his gun at any WalMarts I’ve seen – they have not sold handguns in a long time.
And the only Walmarts that do sell handguns are the one in Alaska.
Every Wal-Mart in Alaska sells handguns. Also, as a FFL myself, the story is not complete as written. If he had marked yes in the lower section he would not have received the firearm. The BATF investigator is the one that found the pending charge and could not confirm the status in the 3 days a FFL has to wait before deciding to go ahead with the transfer or deny it. Agreed… the FFL still had a choice to continue the transfer after 3 days but then he would risk a lawsuit from the purchaser even though he would be fully justified in canceling the sale.
There is nothing special about Walmart recording every sale, every licensed FFL has to record the sale of a firearm; its called a 4473 and is used to help trace a firearm used in a crime.
Our local Wal Mart’s procedure is not any different from that followed by local sporting goods dealers or dealers at area gun shows.
I worked Wal-Mart sporting goods and sold guns. Our policy was a non-reply from the feds was a no-sale until we heard back from them. You either got a good-to-go or you were SOL. Every sale was recorded, to comply with federal regulations.
Great! Now if they would just not be in support of obamacare, I would return to shopping there sometimes.
and now if Walmart would put the Confederate flag back on the shelves and if Walmart would stop selling Chinese made merchandise, and if Walmart would pay employees a decent salary, and if Walmart would stop charging me a reclaimed oil fee each time an oil purchase is made whether you use the reclaimed oil procedure or not and if Walmart would stop supporting the Obama administration altogether I would consider buying my dog some treats there again.
Jesse. Have you noticed the 1 cent per quart fee on oil at Walmart? Buy a 5 quart container of oil and you are charged 26 cents. Since they only OVERCHARGE you 1 penny, It’s no big deal , RIGHT? I wonder how many thousands of 1 cent thefts occur over a 1 year period?
and now if Walmart would put the Confederate flag back on the shelves and stop letting the nut jobs like Roof control their thinking I might consider buying some dog treats there again