Academy Sports (courtesuy gray.com)

The Firearms Blog (“Firearms Not Politics”) reports Academy Sports Pulling Modern Sporting Rifles From Shelves. True story! We phoned around a few stores and the sporting goods giant has removed “assault rifles” from their shelves. They are, however, still selling the guns, which can be viewed “by request.” “We’re doing it out of respect,” a manager who wished to remain anonymous told TTAG. He has no idea how long scary-looking evil black rifles [/sarc] will remain out-of-sight. But we bet the people providing Academy with guns to sell are going out-of-their-minds. The AR-15-style rifle surge is on. Even if you can’t see it.

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139 COMMENTS

  1. I’m going to remove my patronage from Academy Sports out of respect. I’ll still buy guns and ammo, of course. But I’ll respect their desire not to have my business.

        • To clarify: I’ve never purchased a gun from Academy. Now I won’t even consider it…no matter what price or what inducements they might try in the future.

          Not much of a stretch though…I’m a “buy local” true believer.

      • Some suggestions when contacting her.
        1. Be polite but clear and firm.
        2. Mention specific stores that you will no longer patronize.
        3. Mention that you will recommend against shopping at Academy.
        4. Give them a way out: state something they can do to restore trust, such as a public apology and immediate reversal of the policy. (Give them a reason to *change* their current behavior–and to act better in the future.)
        5. Again: be polite, clear, and firm.

      • Alvis Jr Woodall III What is starting? Read the whole article. The weapons are still there they are just temporarily not out for display. This is the same kind of BS that started everyone buying up all the damn .22 ammo for nothing. This country would be a %10000 better if all the conspiracy fools would go take a big jump off the steepest side of the Grand Canyon without a parachute. This talk radio fueled conspiracy shit is more damaging than any shooting that has happened in the last 20 years. People don’t even know what they are really afraid of they just like to think they are preparing for something. Well here is the rest of the story boys and girls, if the US Govt wants to turn this into a police state and declare martial law or some crazy crap like that there is not a damn thing you can do about it besides leave or join.
        Like · Reply · Just now

        • Suggest you leave. I choose to fight. If you join you’ll be outnumbered, outgunned, and out of luck.

        • Certain aspects of your comment are valid, however I have to argue the fact that the US is largely based the 2nd amendment which is in place so the general public can protect themselves against a tyrannical government. If the military and the police force that statistically consist of men and women who swear to support and defend the Constitution above all else refuse to enforce the bidding of the Marxist men and women who would like to see Marshal law who is going to enforce that for them? Lord knows they are not willing or able to carry out the task themselves. Although as a whole I have to disagree with your radical comment of “JOIN or LEAVE”, there is always the option to STAND and FIGHT! (no matter how futile your individual attempt might be, you must stand for something or you will fall for nothing) I do agree with you that uneducated men and women that react without educating themselves on the topic they are running their ignorant mouths about does more harm than good for the general public and the cause they claim to be so passionate about.

    • I won’t be spending anymore with them as well. This panzi ass PC Bullshit is sickening!

    • Next thing you know, they’ll follow Target’s lead and un-sex their bathrooms.

      • I haven’t been to Dick’s since that day. What’s one more bad pseudo-outdoors big box that I won’t shop at going to hurt? I just need to get an LGS to order products I’ll buy. I actually shopped at the local Academy stores frequently. At least they were nice enough to let me know why I should never come back.

    • They did the same thing after Sandy Hook: put the MSRs in the back and only brought one out if you could tell them first what brand and type you wanted to see.
      The real reason? To keep the media from snapping photos of the racks of MSRs and writting up another hit piece founded in ignorance. The thinking was, media types don’t know enough about guns to tell the salesperson what they want to see, take photos of, but not actually buy. Meanwhile:academy won’t be scalping their prices on MSRs and ammo, unlike most of the LGSs and gun shows… so, vote your wallet as you see fit.

      • # 1 Most retailers don’t let the media into the store with cameras rolling unless they are POSITIVE it’s to the company’s benefit.
        # 2 The media is too lazy to study the FACTS about events like in Orlando and call it terrorism.
        # 3 The media makes crap up and can’t even spell check their stories.

    • I work at Academy Sports and Outdoors hunting and fishing. The instructions to temporarily move certain firearms is true but are just back in safe. We are still selling the items and showing them. We were instructed by corporate to do so out of respect and condolences. We are all ways happy to assist you with your next purchase.

      • Bullcrap. I spent $1100 on a Colt LE6920 at my local gun shop today plus another $200 in accessories because Academy decided to go PC and not sell me an AR15. Note, Gander still has them on display and they’re still selling them too. Thank God for Shooters in Jacksonville. I can always trust they’ll carry anything I need and that they’ll stand firm and serve the American people.

      • I don’t see Ford parking all their Mustangs on the lot in a back fenced area “Out of Respect” whenever a drunk driver that is driving a Mustang runs head on into a family and kills them all. Why? Because it was the drunk drivers fault and not the Mustang. So sorry Jimmy Jones but you just lost a customer. Not buying the lame excuse.

      • Sorry for your loss, Jimmy. I was a regular Academy shopper. I’ve spent thousands of dollars there year after year. I have friends who work there and need a check. This poor corporate decision is not respect. It is moral cowardice and it gives the appearance of legitimizing the whole assault rifle propaganda frenzy. It’s like hiding adult magazines or condoms behind the counter.

        People who don’t understand guns need to be educated, not coddled. Visit any Local Gun Store and all of the employees wear sidearms. Customers aren’t intimidated. They understand that it is for the protection of the staff and its patrons.

        I won’t be back at Academy unless they make a public apology and retraction. My loyalty is not for sale.

        Good luck to you.

    • Thank you Mark I appreciate your well thought out response and agree with every word …I hope you send it and I will consider doing the same..

      .

  3. Boycott Academy sports. Presonally I don’t buy from them anyway but is any gun owner goes there stop now. Fuck Academy sprots.

    • I work at the gun bar at Academy Sports. The instructions are temporary out of respect for the families. We are still selling the various weapons and most of us are actively purchasing them ourselves. We do forget all the names we have so I’d you have a specific it helps. However, I absolutely have no problem pulling them out.

      • Academy is basically “flying the flag at half mast” for a while, nothing to get worked up about. I buy all of my clothes, shoes, camping gear, guns and ammo at Academy. I plan to keep doing it, it’s a great place to shop and the prices are unbeatable. After Hurricane Ike, they opened their store even without lights or power and gave 50% discounts on everything.

        As far as LGSs in my county go, they are all run by rude flakes with horribly overpriced merchandise.

    • Wait…some of you nut jobs are going to boycott Academy because it removed MSR out of respect for a bonafide tragedy like Orlando? God, we must live in the stupidest country in the world…

      • No sir, what’s stupid is some muslim shooting up a bar and we the people get punished for it. A bar full of queers at that.

        • That’s exactly the way the Orlando shooter thought about gay people. It’s people like you and your views of others that make it necessary to have stricter gun laws.

        • Islamophobic and homophobic in the same post. Oh, buddy! Do you hide your Bible when secretly watching gay porn, too?

          Who cares what patrons the bar catered to?? They’re victims all the same!! It’s people like you who give the rest of us conservative gun owners a bad name.

      • How is blaming the guns respectful? It’s like suing Chevrolet because a drunk driver ran over your cat.

    • This ^.

      Can they really not see that this placates NO ONE on either side of the issue? For the anti-gun folks, the company is still selling the guns, and is still making money by selling evil baby-killing machines; you’ll gain no money or good will from them. For the pro-gun folks, they see the company toeing the PC line and making current gun owners look like we are, in some way, contributing to the mythical gun violence “problem”, and this is not going to enhance your sales, either.

      This is what happens when your company leadership has no real leaders. If you think you’re doing something truly wrong, then stop doing it, and proudly say why. If you’re NOT doing something wrong, then don’t give-in to the whiners and make it LOOK like there is something wrong with what you are/were doing.

      For folks (or companies) who always want to be in the middle of the road, you should remember what is most often seen in that location — roadkill.

      • I work at the Acdemy sports gun bar. Academy corporate only had us temporarily remove the firearms out of respect and condolences for the families. We are still selling everything and showing everything. A little harder to remember all the AR, AK, and variations we have like 35 different types.

        • Fine. The House of Reps had a moment of silence, too, out of respect. Then they went back to work.

          Now put the guns back in the racks, so these nutjob anti-gunners won’t think this is some kind of a guilty reaction to selling these types of guns. This was a stupid idea, but now it’s over, so just put the guns back in the racks.

          Right. Now.

          Anything less, anything else, is a sign that you value the Feelz of the non-gun-buying public over your paying gun customers. Do you let the feelings of tennis players that hate golf, guide you on what golf clubs you can have on display? No? Then put the guns back out. And order some more, so you don’t run out.

          Thank you for your time.

        • OK. I’ll give it the remainder of the day.
          An announcement by Academy that they’ve restored the firearms to display would be sufficient. An apology would be nice, but that may be expecting too much.

  5. No more ground. The left works on creeping incrementalism. One notch at a time. Year after year.

  6. Confused. If a man kills a bunch of people with a hammer or a knife, etc. Why would people remove that equipment from their store shelves??

    An ar15 is a common instrument for the purpose of sporting, target shooting, varmint hunting, competitive sports (3gun, etc), as well as a very useful instrument in the field for pests and hunting for food. Also and lastly, a very effective defensive weapon for our country and home and hearth.

    Zero reason whatsoever to make AR15’s look like something that needs to be shamed because some psychopath a 1000 miles away killed a bunch of people with one.

  7. As far as I can see (one store is not a good sample) Dick’s has not returned to selling EBRs since they were pulled several years ago.

    • They’re just joined at the hip by Field and Stream, which does. Having cake and eating it too.

    • We don’t have a Dick’s locally, but I dropped-in to visit one recently when I was on a road trip.

      No EBRs/MSRs, no handguns (!?!), not even a 10/22 in the racks.

      The gun department was also a ghost town, and the dust on the shelves indicated the lack of business wasn’t just related to the time or day.

  8. Oh, I get it.
    Out of respect for the killers who already have them Academy won’t be stocking for any awakened homosexuals or others from habitual victimized classes to purchase.

    • I work at one of the Academy sports gun bars in okc. The Academy I work at is stocked up and ready with about 40 different AR, AK, and variations. Corporate had us simply pull them off temporarily off shelf for condolences and respect for families. However, we are very much happy to pull them out. Academy has expanded all the firearms types and continues enlarge the displays.I hope to help you all out.

      • You must be on the damage control team. By not knowing exactly what model and manufacturers you carry and using “like” in any sentence are likely under 30. Wash behind your ears and grow a pair.

      • “I work at the Acdemy sports gun bar. Academy corporate only had us temporarily remove the firearms out of respect and condolences for the families.”

        Okay, you have posted that same thing at least four times so far…
        How is that “respecting” anything or anyone, except the antis who continually look for opportunities to dictate to the rest of us?
        Are you aware that the Orlando looney did not use an AR?
        Or are facts immaterial?

  9. I guess Barnes & Noble will be removing Korans from the shelves “out of respect” then?

  10. Too asinine for words. I don’t think I’ll need anyone to remind me to NEVER shop at that lame ass business.

    (“Psst, c’mere kid. I can’t show these to just anyone but have a look down here behind the counter…”)

  12. Dick’s Sporting Goods did the same after Newton. Now they have opened Field and Stream stores. Haven’t been in either one since.

    • The last time I was in a Field & Stream they had ARs, AKs, and ACRs behind the counter. When did they change that?

    • Same here. Have not set foot in Dick’s or their newer front (Field & Stream) to crawl out from under their reputation of screwing gun purchasers during Newtown and then trying to act like they’re being “sensitive”. They’re playing games trying to have it both ways with customers. Screw ’em. Bass Pro is right up the road if I want to buy overpriced ammo and sporting goods.

  13. Big Deal. Go to your LOCAL GUN STORE and support small business. Saving a small amount at a big store is false economy

      • It’s not just about guns, though.

        I buy many things from there. Jeans, polos, shirts, work boots, shoes, fishing stuff, etc.

        But now, I have to make a choice I didn’t want to have to make, all because of “feels…”

        What about my feels, dammit!

        • I work at the Academy sports gun bar. Corporate had us temporarily pull the firearms out of respect and condolences for the families.They are still available and will be back out as soon as corporate states. I know I like most of the gun bar peeps enjoy showing off to arm, AK, etc

  14. So now all my Texan friends are gonna have to walk up to Academy’s gun counter and ask to see an AR-15 like they’re in some kind of film-noir speakeasy? Lame.

    • Lol. They should totally do a black and white commercial like that. Making something transgressive can be a great marketing strategy.

    • Actually that only happens in the.People’s Republic of Massachusetts. But of course you have to have the.proper licensing *(local/state police permissions for your 2nd amendment privilege. According to local police departments- not a right . )* And then good luck finding a store….Or don’t want to forget your state Bureau of Firearms records issued pin# to purchase …Yup….This is what you call a “police state.”

  15. 888 922 2336

    Call them like I did tell them how you feel they need to know there is another side to this.

    • WHAT!!!, Duded up ranch rifle went crazy and just started shooting people? I thought “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”

  17. This is what is considered a capitalist fudd. They don’t actually like guns or gun rights but they like money.

  18. They should have thought this trough. Look what “Dick’s” did. I have yet to set foot back in that store.

    • Academy sports corporate told us to temporarily pull the guns out of respect for the families lost. The firearms are available and we’ll be back out . I work at the gun bar in Oklahoma. It is an inconvenience to show the various types and remember what we have but we are happy to pull them out. And they do plan to bring them back out

      • Too late. Your bosses should have thought about it before they decided to piss us off.

        Give a service, or go broke. You chose broke. Good bye.

        Tom

  19. I like Academy Sports. They sold an AR-15 to me during the last “assault rifle” ban scare at MSRP when lots of stores were raising prices. This doesn’t seem too outrageous to me, because anti-gun people can be very emotional and unstable. Who needs the drama.

  20. I wonder what car he used to get to the club. They should remove that car from all lots, out of respect. On second thought, why not ban all motor vehicles? If he was stuck in his house surely he wouldn’t have committed this horrible act? For the children!

    • Was he wearing a shirt? Maybe Walmart should stop selling shirts. And shoes.

      Did he use public roads to get there? Well, close public roads out of respect. Makes about as much sense.

      Etc. Ad nauseum.

      The “dumb” on display in modern America is disgusting.

  22. I did a focus group about hunting apparel that turned out to be for Academy Sports and mentioned specifically that I don’t shop at Dick’s because of their pulling AR15s after Newtown. Maybe they didn’t pay much attention to my opinion. Their loss.

    • Academy sports corporate told us (gun bar) to temporarily pull the firearms out of condolences and respect for the families. Academy well continue to sell them and plans to bring them back out.

  23. Never been to Academy. I’ve been on their site and considered buying online from them-NOW NEVER…like Dick’s they suck. I hope Cabelas doesn’t do likewise-my favorite big box store…

  25. Yeah – I hope Williams Sonoma pulled pressure cookers “out of respect” after the Boston bombing. Who makes retarded decisions like this?

  26. I was just about to email TTAG about this when I saw they already have the story. My Academy had all the AR-15;s taken off the shelf, and I was standing by the case when I heard someone from management come by and tell them to removal all assault rifles and pistols off the shelf and out of the cases, now. “It’s priority number 1.” They said they already had.

    Curiously, there was a Springfield M1a still in the glass case.

    • That only highlights the stupidity of such decisions, that M1As and Mini-14s will be left in the racks, when they are functionally no different, and (in the case of the .308 models) arguably more dangerous (distance, penetration, expansion; more deadly by virtually every measure except weight of gun and ammo, and controllable rate of fire).

      And don’t get me started on the semi-auto shotguns…

      • I work at Academy sports. Corporate told us to temporarily pull all of them out of respect and condolences for the families. These are all available of course now as associate kind of hard to remember what all we had. 40+ different types.

      • We Academy in okc did not remove any pistols at the location is work at. They did have us box up the AR, AK, and that variations that stated it was out of condolences and respect for the families. This is temporarily and we are still very much selling them and accessories. We also sold through about 40 Taurus 9mm with the free heritage 22lr Sunday morning not sure when we will get more of the 22 in for that fathers day special.

        • And I really hope Robert bans your IP for spamming, because that’s exactly what your cut-and-paste tripe is.

          Tom

  27. When Dick’s sold out gun owners in December 2012 I took notice. I haven’t bought one thing in a Dick’s since then. There are plenty of local stores to fill my sporting goods/shooting goods needs.

    I feel the same way about Academy. They were already losing on price (ridiculous ammo prices here), but now they’re loosing on ideology. I’ll never buy from Academy again.

  28. Im for removing that here + open carry

    12)(a) A license issued under this section does not authorize any person to openly carry a handgun or carry a concealed weapon or firearm into:
    1. Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05;
    2. Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station;
    3. Any detention facility, prison, or jail;
    4. Any courthouse;
    5. Any courtroom, except that nothing in this section would preclude a judge from carrying a concealed weapon or determining who will carry a concealed weapon in his or her courtroom;
    6. Any polling place;
    7. Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district;
    8. Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof;
    9. Any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms;
    10. Any elementary or secondary school facility or administration building;
    11. Any career center;
    12. Any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, which portion of the establishment is primarily devoted to such purpose;
    13. Any college or university facility unless the licensee is a registered student, employee, or faculty member of such college or university and the weapon is a stun gun or nonlethal electric weapon or device designed solely for defensive purposes and the weapon does not fire a dart or projectile;
    14. The inside of the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, provided that no person shall be prohibited from carrying any legal firearm into the terminal, which firearm is encased for shipment for purposes of checking such firearm as baggage to be lawfully transported on any aircraft; or
    15. Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law.
    (b) A person licensed under this section shall not be prohibited from carrying or storing a firearm in a vehicle for lawful purposes.

  29. Hey! Thats’ how we used to buy Cherry Bombs an M-80s when I was a Kid. True, Cherry Bombs and M-80s were illegal but that didn’t stop anyone (You had know the right fireworks stand).

  31. Golly gee, almost feel like I’m back in high school and trying to buy ‘rubbers’.

    What about the glock or s&w revolver that was carried?

    I demand that autos be removed from car lots, out of respect for drunk driving issues!

  32. Out of respect to other gun owners I will not support this PC Cowardly company and will let them know.

  34. Just got done with website chat with an Academy CSR and he confirmed the policy. He didn’t find it funny when I asked whether Academy would still sell, but no longer “broadly advertise”, shoes given that the Orlando killer wore shoes, too.

    What do expect when a company gets bought out by a NYC LBO firm? Sigh.

    So long Academy. I’m taking my business elsewhere. #NeverAcademy

  35. Academy was the only place you could get 22 ammo 5 years ago near where I live.
    I will shop there no more. And a letter is going to the company.

  37. Pulling ARs off the shelf is idiotic. It’s acting like you are responsible for other people’s actions. The only person responsible is the Islamic terrorist who shot the people up at the night club. This is too bad, because I really liked academy. They just lost me as a customer due to their cowardace. They had ammo on the shelf that I would normally have to order. Looks like I’ll be ordering ammo online from now on.

  38. Damn….stupid move, Academy. I expected better from a store that’s become somewhat of a Texas institution.

  40. Has it been confirmed it was an aR 15? Media is reporting it can fire 700 rounds a minute. Mine will not fire anything like that. I have to pull the trigger each time with my finger in order for it to fire. Maybe mine is defective.

  41. Academy Sports is now on the road to ruin. First hide the black rifle, then, eventually no firearms sales at all. Sounds like K-Mart and Sports Authority buns up syndrome to me. If I had their stock I’d sell it now while the selling is good.

    This is exactly what the anti-gun, global cooling (or warming), EPA Storm Trooper, ACLU U.S.of America hating, progressive, United Nations, socialist wanna’ be, closet communist thumb suckers have been striving for since Lenin’s Revolution. Why are we letting these America haters get away with all that? Their ultimate goal is to be the ones holding all the guns on us so they can force their agenda on us.

    Those who beat their swords into plow shears will be plowing for those who didn’t!

    Think about it! Right now Hillary and Obama have already been operating outside the law and the Constitution and the American people are all that are left to oppose them.

    Wake up before it is too late! Progressivism and Socialism are the maggot and larvae of Communism and you won’t get a butterfly, you get a blood sucking horsefly.

  43. I was in an LGS looking at BUIS today. Wow did they have a great inventory of things that would give Hillary and Barak a heart attack. AR’s and AK’s all over the place. Right up to a .50 cal. rifle on a bipod. Decent prices on various things where I knew the mail order prices. The Henry .357 lever action carbines were gorgeous and one day I will be tempted.

  44. I bought several hundred dollars of hunting, fishing and camping gear from Academy just in the last year or so, but now I will never shop there again. I hope multiple thousands of people like me do the same thing and put this cowardly business out of business.

  45. Stores like these seem prone to making bone head moves.

    Didn’t Cheaper than Dirt do something equally ridiculous, a while back?

    • Why yes! Yes they did! And every firearm manufacturer who produced ANY model of rifle – MSR or not – pulled out of the big out doors sporting and shooting event somewhere in the Northeast (sorry, I’m a lifelong FREE TO PURCHASE WHATEVER FIREARM I DESIRE, FREE TO PURCHASE AS MANY FIREARMS AS I LIKE AND WHENEVER I WANT southerner unfamiliar with all the places up there) because they event organizers had decided to ban the display of MSRs at the show after Newtown so the event was cancelled. The local economy surely must have taken a heckuva hit at that move. In fact, to prevent further trampling of citizen’s rights with premature political intervention, I would favor a 14 day waiting period after a tragedy before the government can open their mouths.

  47. Academy is no longer owned by Texans.

    They sold and were bought out by a New York venture capitalist company.

    Now you know the reason for the “sensitivity”, mentally sick New York Communists.

  48. All I need is 2 3/4″ 00 buckshot for my main firearm from time to time. Fortunately those are sold most anywhere. I do keep a number of .380 rds for the more portable Bersa. I’m not a big fan of “AR’s”, so I won’t miss them in the store. But, that is just me. (By the way, no matter what the government goobers tell you, war is being waged against us).

  51. You wussies. What about respect for all of our veterans who sacrificed so much because our freedom was more important than a few misguided people’s feelings? Acting like firearms themselves are inherently evil and dangerous and adopting the out of sight, out of mind attitude makes you hypocrites and part of the problem. Way to be the latest business to cave to the Politically Correct sheeple running rampant, eating all of the grass, and pissing Kool-aid.

    I have spent thousands of dollars in your stores. Not a penny more. It was fun while it lasted, Academy.

    http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/06/14/breaking-academy-sports-pulling-modern-sporting-rifles-shelves

    #academysports #2A #SCguns #pewpewpew #ar15

  52. I myself will not Shop at your store in the future. I will not Shop a a store that bows to a government like Obama. Target saw how True American can boycott a store. South Carolina with the Confederate Flag. With are you going to pull knife from view. They killed a copy this week . Hypocrite for your actions hide you American rights. I will Shop at Gander Mountain and Cabelas both with in five miles of my house. Cowards Hope Stock Fall Likesemester Target.

  53. If it isn’t on the shelf where I can see the price tag, then I’m not buying anything.
    I need to compare prices.
    Anyway, I have only been to Academy a couple times due to the driving distance involved.
    Just won’t go there anymore.

  54. When is one of these big box chains going to be run by someone with some cajones, someone that will put together an “anti-assault weapon, anti-terrorism kit” complete with AR, 30 round mags (plural), ammo and a free pass to a local gun range with instruction if desired…? Basically the ‘proper’ response to an incident such as this….

  55. It really makes me angry that Academy is exercising their rights as Americans to run their business as they please! Just like other Americans have the right not to purchase guns/ammo from them.

    How dare they?

    • No one is saying they do not have the right to do business as they please. We are just letting them know that the free market will respond and that for us, as well as them, the bottom line isn’t always a dollar symbol.

  56. Did Walmart pull all the pressure cookers from the shelves after the Boston bombing?

  57. Academy Sports should change their name to Academic Sports ie; not relating to a real situation, and therefore not relevant

  58. During the last gun-grab scare following Sandy Hook, a little farm/hardware/and gun store in the tiny town of Blossom, Texas (about 6 miles east of Paris on hiway 82) never gouged prices on guns or ammo. Granted, their stock sold out quickly, but you could put your name on a list for any specific gun and when one came in, thE person at the top of the list got first chance to buy it at regular price. Blossom Hardware gained a ton of lifetime customers because of their integrity!

  59. My Letter to Academy:

    To whom it may concern at Academy Sports:

    I would like you to know that due to your recent policy change (whether it be temporary or not) of removing AR-15s from your shelves and making them available by request only, and only if the specific model can be recited, I will no longer frequent any of your stores. Had I known yesterday that this would be taking place, I would not have made the purchases I did at your Spartanburg, SC store. No worries though, I’ll be returning that stuff, and repurchasing it from a store that cares about the rights of their customers.

    I was on the fence about boycotting your stores, until, when reading the website http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/06/robert-farago/breaking-academy-sports-removes-ar-15s-shelves-respect-still-sells/, I noticed in the comment section a repeated (and piss poor) attempt by someone on your staff going by the screen name jimmy.jones to do damage control, instead of just correcting the problem. I was actually, somewhat sympathetic to your dilemma, although not in favor of it, but was willing to give Academy the benefit of the doubt until I saw that. Your company either needs to realize who actually spends the most money in your stores (hint: it’s not the blue state gun control demographic) and stand by them, or you need to announce that as a company, you easily cave to the slightest bit of pressure, and are willing to jeopardize your core business to placate a vocal segment of society who are pitching a hissy fit over a weapon that has saved countless American lives, while not contributing much to your business. Any attempt to limit or restrict legal access to firearms for law abiding citizens of the once great nation are the beginnings of a complete ban/confiscation. You either need to go all in as a gun seller, or get out of the business altogether, and focus on the women’s pants suits that will be the core product for your only remaining customers.

    Don’t bother changing the policy on my account though, there’s nothing Academy could do to ever win back my business. Unfortunately for your bottom line, I’m not the only that feels that way.

    Sincerely,

    Former customer.

  61. What about those big scary magazines? they hiding those as well? Wouldn’t be surprised if magpul follows Daniel defense in this case

  62. I read this first on “Wide Open Spaces”
    It was reported there that Acedemy would also be keeping a database of anyone that bought what they considered an excessive amount of ammunition. I have not seen that reported anywhere else and was wondering if anyone could verify this.

  63. I sent the following e-mail:

    Hi Elise,

    Academy Sports has been one of my favorite stores for years. I have spent thousands of dollars at your Spartanburg, South Carolina store and bought numerous guns as well as other sporting equipment. I am both furious and disappointed to learn of your new policy regarding the display and sales of modern sporting rifles. I think it is anti-intellectual, unpatriotic, and a horrific injustice. Suddenly, the rifles themselves are bad and guilty of being able to assault people. In a crucial time of mourning and teaching people about the dangers of having gun free zones, Academy is addressing the issue as if the guns themselves were at fault and anyone who wanted to own one was a criminal. To remove them from your website and store displays and still expect to profit from their sales is both ludicrous and cowardly. Will customers have to wait until no one else is around, whisper, “Got any AR-15s, man”?, and then follow the associate to a dark corner of the store to see your wares? Do you not understand the enormity of what you are doing?

    If you persist in following this path, but continue to profit from the sales of MSRs, then you are hypocrites, cowards, and detestable. If that is your choice, I will no longer do business with you. Stopping sales of them would be one thing. This is completely different. If you cave to political correctness and give the appearance that you are and were doing something wrong, how long do you think it will be before all guns will be taboo in your store and our country? It won’t take long for other firearms manufacturers to follow Daniel Defense’s lead and refuse to sell firearms through you. It is a slippery slope indeed. Fire the idiot child in sheep’s clothing who implemented this disastrous policy.

    Please let me know if you reverse your policy.

  64. The Rock has hit on the EXACT word to describe the Management at Academy Sports.
    Hypocrites.
    Pull the scary “Black Guns”
    And turn the buyers into back alley crack cocaine purchasers, while we still make our profits, we will have it both ways.
    So if sick wife beater uses a baseball bat, is Academy Sports going to hide those as well?
    So if the playground bully throws baseballs at the class nerd do we hide all the evil baseballs?
    My children got me Academy Sports gift cards for Father’s Day. Yes, I could have just cut them up, but Why give them a free ride?
    I spend them on a Nice Marlin 30-30 and promptly told the store manager it was the last time they will ever see me.
    Her reaction was the typical “Oh I’m sorry to hear that crap”.
    I honestly do not think they realize how much the gun community cannot stand hypocrites and cowards

  65. I think we’re making way too much of this. They made a prudent business decision. They don’t want to attract the freak show gun controllers who come in and snap pictures and video surreptitiously, using it to stir up an ill-informed public. The crazies then get Academy in the crosshairs and public opinion crashes down, ruining yet another place for us to buy gear. This is a clumsy attempt to protect themselves, and by extension, us. Cut them some slack.

  66. I Love the sport of shooting.In the old days We could go any where out of the city limits and shoot. You had to show respect. Now no body what to let you shoot. As I loose more friends they sell out or move off I now find myself renting a space to shoot. You are doing every thing you should do, You will never make every one Happy Best Regards Michael K

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