You walk into a Dick’s Sporting Goods today expecting to find a row of shiny bolt-action rifles or maybe a semi-auto shotgun for duck season, and you’re probably going to be disappointed. It’s a weird vibe if you haven't been in a while. For decades, this place was the literal go-to for hunters. It was the suburban heartbeat of the outdoor shooting sports world. But walk past the rows of high-end yoga pants and the massive wall of pickleball paddles now, and the hunting section is either a ghost town or completely non-existent.
What happened?
It wasn't just one thing. It was a slow-motion pivot that turned into a full-blown sprint away from the "hook and bullet" industry. If you're looking for Dick’s Sporting Goods firearms, you basically have to look at the history books—or at least the corporate earnings reports from about five or six years ago. The company didn't just stop selling certain guns; they fundamentally changed their identity. Honestly, it’s one of the most fascinating case studies in modern American retail because they chose a political and social stance over a massive chunk of their guaranteed revenue.
The 2018 Turning Point
Everything changed in February 2018. Following the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Edward Stack—who was the CEO at the time—made a move that shocked the retail world. He didn't just offer thoughts and prayers. He pulled modern sporting rifles (the industry term for AR-15 style platforms) off the shelves entirely.
But he went further.
Dick’s Sporting Goods firearms policies were overhauled overnight. They raised the minimum age to purchase any firearm to 21, even in states where the legal age remained 18. They also stopped selling high-capacity magazines. It was a polarizing moment. Some people cheered. Others burned their loyalty cards in their driveways and posted the videos on Facebook.
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Stack later admitted in his memoir, It’s How We Play the Game, that the company knew they’d take a hit. They did. We’re talking about a reported $150 million in lost sales in the year following that decision. That is not small change, even for a billion-dollar behemoth.
Field & Stream and the Slow Fade
You might remember Field & Stream. That was Dick’s specialized outdoor brand. For a while, the company tried to compartmentalize. They’d remove the "scary" stuff from the main Dick’s stores but keep the hunting gear in the Field & Stream locations. It was a half-measure that didn't last.
Eventually, the company decided to just rip the Band-Aid off. In 2019, they began removing firearms from hundreds of additional Dick’s locations. By 2020, they were selling off Field & Stream leases or converting them into a new concept called Public Lands.
Why the Firearms Ban Actually "Worked" for Their Bottom Line
Here is the part that drives critics crazy: the move actually helped their stock price in the long run.
You’d think losing $150 million would be a death knell. It wasn't. By clearing out the heavy, locked-down glass cases of rifles and the pallets of heavy ammunition, they freed up massive amounts of "square footage." In retail, square footage is everything. It's the only currency that matters.
They replaced the guns with stuff that has much higher profit margins. Think about it. A rifle sits on a shelf, requires a background check, specialized staff training, and carries a ton of liability insurance costs. A $120 pair of Nike sneakers or a $40 Yeti tumbler? Those fly off the shelves with zero paperwork and a way higher markup.
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By 2023, the transition was basically complete. The company’s "House of Sport" flagship stores don't even pretend to be gun shops. They have rock climbing walls and batting cages instead. It’s a lifestyle brand now. They traded the camouflage crowd for the "athleisure" crowd, and the stock market rewarded them for it.
The Industry Ripple Effect
When Dick’s Sporting Goods firearms exited the chat, it created a vacuum. Local gun shops—the "mom and pop" stores—actually saw a bit of a resurgence in some areas. But the real winners were Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s.
Those two giants leaned in while Dick’s leaned out. If you go to a Bass Pro now, it’s like the Disney World of firearms. They realized that by Dick’s vacating the space, there was more "market share" to grab.
- Walmart followed suit shortly after, stopping the sale of certain handgun ammunition and short-barrel rifle ammo.
- Vista Outdoor, a major ammo manufacturer, saw shifts in where their products were being stocked.
- The NSSF (National Shooting Sports Foundation) actually ended up removing Dick's from its membership.
What You Can Still Find (Sometimes)
Can you still find any firearms at Dick’s?
The short answer is: probably not.
While a tiny handful of stores in very specific rural markets kept a limited selection of hunting rifles and shotguns for a while, the company has almost entirely phased them out. Even the "hunting" section in most stores is now just camo clothing, some archery gear, and maybe some deer blind accessories.
If you’re looking for a background check and a 12-gauge, you’re better off checking:
- Local independent FFL (Federal Firearms License) dealers.
- Big-box outdoor retailers like Academy Sports + Outdoors.
- The aforementioned Bass Pro/Cabela’s merger.
The Liability Factor
One thing people forget is the legal headache. Dick’s was named in several lawsuits over the years regarding sales. Even if they won, the legal fees are a nightmare. From a corporate "risk management" perspective, firearms are a "high-risk, low-reward" category.
They decided the brand damage from being associated with any high-profile incident outweighed the profit from selling a Remington 700. It was a cold, calculated business pivot disguised as a moral stance—or maybe it was both. Either way, the result is the same for the consumer.
The Reality of Modern Outdoor Retail
The departure of Dick’s Sporting Goods firearms marked the end of an era where you could buy your kid's soccer cleats and a deer rifle in the same building. That "one-stop shop" for all things sports is dying. Retail is becoming specialized. You have "wellness" stores and you have "tactical/hunting" stores. The middle ground is disappearing.
It’s also about demographics. The suburbs are changing. The people moving into the areas where Dick’s builds their massive 50,000-square-foot stores are statistically less likely to be hunters and more likely to be looking for a $600 treadmill or a high-end baseball bat. Dick’s followed the money.
Actionable Insights for the Consumer
If you are a hunter or a sport shooter who used to rely on Dick's, you need to adjust your strategy because that inventory isn't coming back.
- Support Local FFLs: Small shops often have better expertise and can order specific models that big-box stores never carried anyway.
- Check "Public Lands": If you liked the "outdoor" vibe of Dick's, their new brand, Public Lands, focuses on camping, hiking, and fishing. Just don't expect to find anything that goes "bang."
- Ammunition Stocks: Don't waste your gas driving to a Dick's for ammo. Even their "leftover" stock is long gone. Use online aggregators to find bulk deals instead.
- Gift Cards: If you have an old Dick’s gift card, it’s still valid for any of their other gear. They have one of the best selections of golf and team sports equipment in the country, even if the gun counter is gone.
The shift in the Dick’s Sporting Goods firearms policy was a bellwether for the rest of corporate America. It showed that a company could take a hard stance on a divisive issue and not only survive but thrive by courting a different demographic. Whether you agree with the move or not, the "Sporting Goods" sign on their front door means something very different in 2026 than it did in 2016.