Walmart has announced that it will no longer sell firearms and ammunition to anybody under the age of 21. The news comes as a result of the Parkland shooting. Walmart also confirmed it would be removing items that resembled “assault-style rifles” from its inventory. This includes “nonlethal airsoft guns and toys.” Walmart stopped selling MSRs in 2015. Despite these actions, Walmart says it will continue “serving sportsmen and hunters” in a “responsible way.” Read the full statement below:
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Walmart Statement
In light of recent events, we’ve taken an opportunity to review our policy on firearm sales. Going forward, we are raising the age restriction for purchase of firearms and ammunition to 21 years of age. We will update our processes as quickly as possible to implement this change.
In 2015, Walmart ended sales of modern sporting rifles, including the AR-15. We also do not sell handguns, except in Alaska where we feel we should continue to offer them to our customers. Additionally, we do not sell bump stocks, high-capacity magazines and similar accessories. We have a process to monitor our eCommerce marketplace and ensure our policies are applied.
We take seriously our obligation to be a responsible seller of firearms and go beyond Federal law by requiring customers to pass a background check before purchasing any firearm. The law would allow the sale of a firearm if no response to a background check request has been received within three business days, but our policy prohibits the sale until an approval is given.
We are also removing items from our website resembling assault-style rifles, including nonlethal airsoft guns and toys. Our heritage as a company has always been in serving sportsmen and hunters, and we will continue to do so in a responsible way.
Dick’s Sporting Goods Announcement
Walmart’s announcement came hours after Dick’s Sporting Goods said it would stop selling firearms to anyone under 21. Dick’s also pledged to stop selling “assault-style rifles” from all 35 of its Field & Stream stores. In addition, the company said it would no longer sell “high capacity” ammunition magazines. The statement from Dick’s also asks elected officials to pass a variety of “common sense gun reform” regulations, including banning “assault-style firearms, banning “high capacity” mags and bump stocks, requiring universal background checks, ensuring a “complete universal database” of those restricted from buying a firearm, and closing the “private sale and gun show loophole.” Read part of the Dick’s statement below:
We support and respect the Second Amendment, and we recognize and appreciate that the vast majority of gun owners in this country are responsible, law-abiding citizens. But we have to help solve the problem that’s in front of us. Gun violence is an epidemic that’s taking the lives of too many people, including the brightest hope for the future of America – our kids.
Following all of the rules and laws, we sold a shotgun to the Parkland shooter in November of 2017. It was not the gun, nor type of gun, he used in the shooting. But it could have been.
Clearly this indicates on so many levels that the systems in place are not effective to protect our kids and our citizens.
We believe it’s time to do something about it.
Beginning today, Dick’s Sporting Goods is committed to the following:
- We will no longer sell assault-style rifles, also referred to as modern sporting rifles. We had already removed them from all Dick’s stores after the Sandy Hook massacre, but we will now remove them from sale at all 35 Field & Stream stores.
- No longer sell firearms to anyone under 21 years of age.
- We will no longer sell high capacity magazines.
- We never have and never will sell bump stocks that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire more rapidly.
At the same time, we implore our elected officials to enact common sense gun reform and pass the following regulations:
- Ban assault-style firearms
- Raise the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21
- Ban high capacity magazines and bump stocks
- Require universal background checks that include relevant mental health information and previous interactions with the law
- Ensure a complete universal database of those banned from buying firearms
- Close the private sale and gun show loophole that waives the necessity of background checks
NSSF Reacts
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) released a statement in reaction to the Dick’s Sporting Goods announcement. Read part of it below and visit nssf.org to read it in full.
We respect the right of all companies to make the decisions they believe are appropriate for their business. Nonetheless, we are disappointed by the decision of Dick’s Sporting Goods to stop selling modern sporting rifles at its 35 Field & Stream stores, to cease sales of certain magazines and to raise the purchase age to 21 for all firearms at all its stores. We note that the Dick’s Sporting Goods announcement acknowledges the vast majority of gun owners are responsible and law-abiding. Indeed, they are and should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.
