Dick’s Sporting Goods is Pulling Guns Off its Shelves

By Ready to Fire News On Mar 18, 2019

Dick’s Sporting Goods is ending all gun sales at 125 of its locations following a wave of controversial decisions that have earned the ire of the gun community in the United States.

The move comes in the wake of shrinking sales reports overall for the outdoor retailer, which executives have conceded is partially a result of the brand’s new gun policies.

Curiously, the store isn’t pulling guns from all of its shelves. The move only affects 125 of the roughly 700 Dick’s Sporting Goods stores across the country. These locations have been identified as stores which lose money by stocking guns, because they are located in areas where the majority of the population doesn’t actively support gun rights or make regular gun purchases.

Dick’s has already stopped selling certain types of guns, essentially guns designed for home defense rather than a tool to be used on a farm or in a wilderness setting. Such a decision is consistent with their concept in that they sell gear for outdoors sportsmen, not for police and military use.

An initial reaction might be for the gun enthusiast to boycott the store, but that doesn’t really make sense once the business impact is taken into consideration. They stopped selling guns in stores that don’t sell guns anyway. By taking guns off the shelf it allows for space to display better selling products and possibly draw in people who want other outdoor equipment than guns. It’s a privately held company, they have the right to determine how they choose to run their business. It isn’t meant as a personal affront to gun enthusiasts, it’s just a reflection of what works best as a business model in those locations.

Of course, gun owners have a right to be upset with Dick’s Sporting Goods — although not necessarily for this decision. Their ban on selling rifles to individuals under 21-years-old, for example, is far more deserving of scorn. The United States Constitution firmly protects the rights of adults to keep and carry firearms, and this includes individuals who are 18-years-old. Their decision to hire multiple anti-gun lobbyists to push for gun control in Washington is also a far more egregious offense than this.

Everybody knows guns in the hands of responsible gun owners prevent crime while guns in the hands of criminals can potentially escalate the crimes they are capable of. Dick’s Sporting Goods still sells great goods for the outdoors enthusiast, and the majority of their locations still sell hunting rifles of various calibers. Hopefully, those won’t be coming off the shelves any time soon.

~ Ready to Fire News