Quoted: I hope Tim Weaver comes in here soon and sheds some light on the past situation that involved some valley Walmarts putting up no firearms signs...enough pressure was put on them and they took them down.  I doubt Walmart wants that kind of pressure brought to bear again.

Many moons back, in the long-long ago, Valley Wal-Marts started posting "no guns" signs.  Of course, those who carried concealed, whether legally or not, were able to skirt this. However, the law-abiding, being just that, more often than not disarmed, leaving their self-defense tool in the car.  Several folks I know had guns stolen from vehicles for precisely this reason.

So, a concerted effort was made to determine corporate Wal-Mart policy.  Seems that, as a corporation, they support whatever the local laws allow.  Thus, store/district managers were "informed" of the corporate policy and signs came down.  Occasionally, we'd see them pop-up again, usually after some lamb got a-scared, but a quick reminder to/from Corporate got that taken care of.

Responses from Corporate at that time seemed to indicate they prefer concealed carry, but as we've seen some stores make no fuss about open.  It's been a while since I've heard what the latest policy is, but it seems that generally gun owners are left alone.  Any issue almost always comes from either a new store or district manager...often one coming from some place in Maine.

And HDWizard is right...even if the store owner "permits" you to carry concealed and you don't have a CCW, it's still considered a public place as far as the law goes....whether you'd get busted or not isn't something I'd chance, but it's always your decision as long as you understand the potential consequences.  Get informed.


Hokie wrote some stuff like this:

However, now that I'm here, in a place like WalMart....whether it's in downtown Tombstone or not....is a very public place. If I walk in there with my daughter, and some guy who I don't know from a hole in the wall is walking around with a handgun on his hip, I'm probably gonna tap my CCW to be sure it's there and walk my daughter down a different aisle or out of the store. If it were just me I'd probably walk up and say "Nice Piece" but if my kid's there with me in a public and populated retail store and I don't know the cowboy walking around with a gun.... I don't want to be around you. Furthermore, if I ran a retail store and someone greeted my 122 year old welcome lady at the door wearing a firearm, I'd probably be watching you too. Liberal? Nah....concerned that some total stranger could really ruin the atmosphere? Yeah.

As someone pointed out...frightened of the gun you see, but not the one you don't?

This brings back memories of the Great Tempe Gun Test....when the City of Tempe basically said they were going to search cars, etc., to make sure No Guns Were Present in the downtown area.  Blatantly unconstitutional and they'd even lost a court case years earlier over the same stuff.

LONG story short, a group of eight of us went for a liesurely evening of coffee and comraderie in downtown Tempe on a Friday night.  Two carried openly and five carried concealed.  My wife, who wasn't carrying, wore an obvious gun fanny pack, but no gun in it.  Within about 30 minutes of hitting the area (30 of which were spent in a coffee shop), the two open carriers were stopped and, um, questioned by the Tempe Gendármerie.

All the while with their backs to the rest of us, who were obviously with them.  Not a one of us was asked or questioned as to if we had weapons.  Obviously, their concern was for the gun they could see, not the ones they couldn't.

Had we been n'er-do-wells, their action easily would have been "career limiting tactics".

Quoted: Quoted: UPDATE!!!! I just spoke with the District Manager of the Wal-Mart I went to yesterday! He stated that Wal-Mart has No Firearm Policy and I am allowed to Open Carry in the store! He also stated that I will have NO Problems in this store in the future! I will still look at getting my CCW After Aug 11th but until then I will Open Carry. Victory is Sweet! So if I gather correctly... * Wal-Mart has a No Firearm Policy * Except for yours Did I read it right?

their policy is they have no policy, beyond what local laws allow.

Quoted: Uhhhhh, yea, sure........you clicked hometowns, then Arizona and then this thread all by accident.   But hey, we get a lot of outsiders coming here to stir the pot, so don't feel too bad.

Hometown Forum topics pop up in Active Topics..................that's what brought me in here.

Quoted: Holkie please don't ever move out to AZ and attempt to change our so called 'cowboy' life. Stay back east where you obviously like to suck on your thumb and whine about the children seeing scary guns on patrons in stores while you put your mind at ease patting your CCW. Try instead teaching your child to look for threats, mention tactics and methods of evasion. Open carry is a way of life here, and if you want to look down on it, turn around because there is someone looking down on you for concealed carry. It's like the old bumper sticker "Welcom to AZ, now leave"

+1 Billion

Quoted: Quoted: Uhhhhh, yea, sure........you clicked hometowns, then Arizona and then this thread all by accident.   But hey, we get a lot of outsiders coming here to stir the pot, so don't feel too bad. Hometown Forum topics pop up in Active Topics..................that's what brought me in here.

Same here.