Walmart says it will discontinue the sale of handgun ammunition and also publicly request that customers refrain from openly carrying firearms in stores even where state laws allow it.

Walmart announced Tuesday that it will stop selling short-barrel and handgun ammunition after it runs out of its current inventory, and is further requesting that customers refrain from openly carrying firearms at its stores unless they are law enforcement officers.

A company spokesperson says Walmart will continue to treat “law-abiding customers with respect” and it will have a “non-confrontational approach.”

The move by the retail giant will reduce its market share of ammunition from around 20% to a range of between 6% and 9% according to Tuesday’s memo.  Approximately half of its more than 4,000 U.S. stores sell firearms.

The company announced in February of 2018 that it would no longer be selling firearms and ammunition to people younger than 21 – they also removed items resembling assault-style rifles from its website.  Those actions were reportedly prompted by the mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.

In 2015 Walmart stopped selling semi-automatic weapons such as the AR-15 style rifle; the retailer also doesn’t sell large-capacity magazines, handguns (with the exception of Alaska), or bump stocks – nor the AK-style firearm.

(AL.COM/www.al.com/Associated Press)