Is This Sporting Goods Giant Secretly Breaking Its Promise Not to Sell AR-15s?

Dick's Sporting Goods, which famously suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles following the Sandy Hook massacre, has quietly begun selling AR-15s in its new spinoff store, TheBlaze has learned.

The new chain, Field and Stream, opened its first location in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, on Friday and is fully stocked with various AR-15 rifles, including the infamous Bushmaster AR-15 rifle used in the Sandy Hook shooting, a sales representative told TheBlaze Monday afternoon.

A spokesperson for Dick's Sporting Goods, however, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheBlaze.

In December, the sporting goods giant announced they had suspended selling AR-15s one week after the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school.

An AR-15 rifle. (AP)

"Out of respect for the victims and their families, during this time of national mourning we have removed all guns from sale and from display in our store nearest to Newtown and suspended the sale of modern sporting rifles in all of our stores nationwide," a statement then read.

At the time, Dick's declined to say how long the suspension would last, but it appears it will not affect their new spinoff chain, Field and Stream.

According to a prominent gun blog, the chain's first location is rumored to have 1.4 million rounds of .22 LR on location and $8 million worth of ammo has been allocated to the store.

According to the new Field and Stream chain's website, they are "not associated" with popular the outdoor magazine of the similar name, Field & Stream.

(H/T: Vocativ)

Follow Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) on Twitter

--

[related]