Dicks Sporting Goods to Destroy Unsold Firearms and Accessories

U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- Dicks Sporting Goods announced on Monday their plan to destroy all of the unsold firearms that the chain pulled from the shelves of their subsidiaries including Field & Stream.

Dicks Sporting Goods stopped selling modern sporting rifles such as the AR-15 on Feb. 28, 2018, in response to the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. The school shooting took place on Valentine’s day by a deranged former student using an AR-15. Dicks also raised the minimum age to buy a long gun or ammunition in their stores from 18 to 21. They also stopped selling standard capacity magazines even though the shooter only used 10 round magazines.

“Thoughts and prayers are not enough,” the company said in a statement released after the shooting. “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.”

Dick’s CEO Ed Stack stated that he was worried that the Parkland shooter could have purchased the rifle he used at a Field & Stream store, but he insisted that Dicks Sporting Goods still supported the Second Amendment upon the growing backlash from gun owners as well as a boycott by Second Amendment supporters.

“We’re staunch supporters of the Second Amendment – I’m a gun owner myself,” Stack said on “Good Morning America” after the policy change was announced. “We don’t want to be a part of this story, and we have eliminated these guns permanently.”

This instance was not the first time Dicks have faced a backland from gun owners. In 2012, following the Sandy Hook tragedy, Dicks pulled modern sporting rifles from all Dicks Sporting Goods stores across the country. The rifles were still available for purchase at Field & Stream.

The sporting goods chain could return the unsold firearms to the manufacturers but has chosen not to return the merchandise. According to some Second Amendment supporters, this stance is further evidence of an anti-gun bias at Dicks. It is unclear how many firearms Dicks will be destroyed, or if they plan on writing off those guns as a loss on their taxes.

“We are in the process of destroying all firearms and accessories that are no longer for sale as a result of our February 28th policy change,” a spokesperson from Dick’s Sporting Goods told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We are destroying the firearms in accordance with federal guidelines and regulations.”

Dicks Sporting Goods has been storing the modern sporting rifles at their distribution centers since they pulled the guns from their shelves. The company will destroy the firearms and send the parts to a salvage company to be recycled.

The company is facing two lawsuits for age discrimination due to their policy of having to be 21 to buy a long gun. These cases are still pending, but the company plans to fight out the suits in court.

Dicks Sporting Goods is the largest sporting goods retailer in the country.

Their stock dropped sharply after the retailer pulled the firearms from the shelf and enacted anti-gun policies. The company claimed the boycott did not effect their stock prices.

About John Crump

John is a NRA instructor and a constitutional activist. He is the former CEO of Veritas Firearms, LLC and is the co-host of The Patriot News Podcast which can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/patriotnews. John has written extensively on the patriot movement including 3%’ers, Oath Keepers, and Militias. In addition to the Patriot movement, John has written about firearms, interviewed people of all walks of life, and on the Constitution. John lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and sons and is currently working on a book on leftist deplatforming methods and can be followed on Twitter at @crumpyss, on Facebook at realjohncrump, or at www.crumpy.com.

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