Walmart phasing out assault weapons; company cites dwindling customer demand

Walmart, the nation's largest retailer and a staple in rural areas, announced it is phasing out assault weapons, not because of political reasons, but because of lagging interest from customers, Sarah Halzack reports for The Washington Post. The chain, which is in the process of fully phasing out assault weapons, carried MSRs in about one-third of its 4,588 stores nationwide. Kory Lundberg, a Walmart spokesman, told Halzack, "We’re focusing on other hunting and sportsman firearms, such as shotguns and rifles, based on customer demand."

The chain "has recently received pressure from shareholder Trinity Church in New York to reconsider its gun sales policy," Halsack writes. "The church last year filed a lawsuit that aimed to force the retailer to allow a shareholder vote on Trinity’s proposal for the board of directors to more closely review Walmart’s decision to sell weapons with high-capacity magazines. After a federal judge initially ruled that Walmart must allow the shareholder vote, an appeals court later lifted that injunction, meaning Walmart will not be required to include this proposal at its upcoming annual shareholders meeting." (Read more)