That used to be, pre 1968, very common. Many hardware stores, and other sorts of stores as well, would sell firearms. This was especially true in smaller towns . I know I used buy my "ammo" at the hardware store, but that was steel BB's. Although I did buy some house brand ammo, and could have bought a shotgun or a rifle at a Holiday convenience store and gas station as late as '75 or '76.
Of course in those days you could buy house brand firearms and ammunition at both Sears and Wards, and could order them from the Penny's catalog (but after '68 you had to pick them up at a retail store).
Political assassinations may have had a lot to do with that, with the libs firmly convinced that guns were some how responsible for the deaths of the Kennedys and MLK.
I was very surprised at how few places there are around here to purchase firearms, considering how rural this area is.
The clinton administration changed the rules to make it harder to sell firearms.
I don't blame anyone who changes their business model in response to changing business climate.
I don't hate the player, I hate the game. I want to make the laws such that Walmart would want back in to that market.