Trouble Purchasing Rifle at Walmart

[TexasSully]

I have been in the market for a .308 for my hunting collection. Wally World has discontinued selling Weatherby and has discounted the Vanguard select to 349 or even 249 depending upon the store. The closest location to Austin was the Killeen location on Lowes drive for 349. I left North Austin around 8 this morning and they still had 2 available. The trouble began when I handed the associate my TXDL and LTC. (I should interject that 30 years ago when I returned to Texas from New Mexico, my DL was issued with middle initial only instead of full middle name and my LTC is issued in the same format.) The associate asked if I had only an initial as my middle name and I said no. She then said I could not purchase the gun because I didn't have valid ID. We debated a few minutes and I asked her to call a manager. The manager she called backed her up so I requested to speak to the manager in person.
The manager and I debated a bit and I told her that Cabela's, Gander Mtn, Academy and even some other WalMart stores had accepted the ID without question. After some back and forth she called another manager on the phone and was told that since my ID's were issued by the government that they could proceed with the sale even though NMN was on them. The manager then processed the 4473 and the sale went through without a hitch. Of course another manager had to sign off on the paperwork and walk me out the door with my new rifle. During our walk she apologized for the delay and informed me that her fiancé was in the same position as me--his passport is the only ID with his full legal name on it.
Has anyone else experienced this when purchasing a firearm?

[Abraham]

Not me and a few years back I bought (when they still sold them) 2 AR's from my local Walmart.

I think if memory serves, I showed them my DL and that was good enough, though I was a CHL holder, but the sight of my DL was adequate.

Perhaps, the holdup was a snail paced anti who hoped you'd be discouraged and leave without buying the rifle?

[mrvmax]

They can use a combination of govt documents to verify your info. NICS is about to roll out some changes where the background check info has to match the ID but that’s not in effect yet. Most issues are due to a lack of knowledge, lack of knowledge is usually attributed to laziness or difficulty in wading through complex govt regs.

[rotor]

From the 4473

1. Transferee's/Buyer's Full Name
(If legal name contains an initial only, record "IO" after the initial. If no middle initial or name, record "NMN".)
Last Name
(Including suffix (e.g., Jr, Sr, II, III))
First Name
Middle Name

It looks like on the 4473 if you have a middle name you must show it in full and you actually didn't have ID showing your middle name. As I don't have a middle name it has never happened to me (I do NMN) but one might say technically they are correct.

Texas drivers license says "full name" for application and my wife's drivers license and her LTC show her full middle name. So, I guess they technically were correct. Perhaps what it shows is that the government is not really doing a full background check. Technically unless your middle name is just an initial your drivers license and LTC should have a full middle name listed. Good luck changing that.

[spectre]

I think 18 U.S.C. 922(t)(1)(C) only requires verifying identity by examining a valid identification document.

It's a shame the same standards are not followed for voting nationwide.

[G26ster]

I have a middle initial only (guess my parents couldn't afford a full middle name for me). I had one gun shop tell me I could not purchase a firearm without a full middle name. Even after I explained I didn't have one, and my DL And CHL showed just an initial, they insisted. I never went back. Nutsso!

[Deltaboy]

I never ran into this one!

[OneGun]

Not surprised!! Its Walmart! The hire people with a good work ethic, not necessarily the brightest.

[puma guy]

I had to make several trips to Wally World to by a rifle a few weeks ago, because their computerized 4473 system was being updated. I put the gun in law a way and made three trips back before they had it fixed. Same process you had with a manager screening then another walking me out. WalMart will not sell you any ammo at the same time. I only went there because I had a gift card.

[TexasSully]

I had to make several trips to Wally World to by a rifle a few weeks ago, because their computerized 4473 system was being updated. I put the gun in law a way and made three trips back before they had it fixed. Same process you had with a manager screening then another walking me out. WalMart will not sell you any ammo at the same time. I only went there because I had a gift card.

That's funny because the one associate who was adamant that I didn't have proper ID had asked me if I wanted to buy some ammo with the rifle prior to her deciding I wasn't worthy.

[Pawpaw]

I had to make several trips to Wally World to by a rifle a few weeks ago, because their computerized 4473 system was being updated. I put the gun in law a way and made three trips back before they had it fixed. Same process you had with a manager screening then another walking me out. WalMart will not sell you any ammo at the same time. I only went there because I had a gift card.

You have a gun in law???

[puma guy]

I had to make several trips to Wally World to by a rifle a few weeks ago, because their computerized 4473 system was being updated. I put the gun in law a way and made three trips back before they had it fixed. Same process you had with a manager screening then another walking me out. WalMart will not sell you any ammo at the same time. I only went there because I had a gift card.

You have a gun in law???

Guess I should get LDB415 to proof read for me. Hey, Leo! Help!

[stash]

About 10-15 years ago Cabela's would not accept my CHL because the abbreviation for my address was wrong. My street name is a circle (like Buttercup circle). My CHL had CR (county road) instead of CIR (circle).

[Soccerdad1995]

Not surprised!! Its Walmart! The hire people with a good work ethic, not necessarily the brightest.

We just set a record with over 7 million unfilled job openings nationwide. If anyone is remotely qualified for a higher paying job, they will not be working at Walmart. In fact, it's a bad time to expect high quality customer service from any place that pays low wages (Fast food, etc.). Look at it as the downside of the economy doing so well.