Brownells

[Patrick L]

I too have dealt with Brownells for going on 40 years, and I have definitely seen a change in the last 8-10 years. Definitely more into trendy, tacticool, sort of stuff. Definite decline in the quality of their people too.

I always attributed it the the "the third generation ruins the company" syndrome. First generation builds a company from nothing. Second generation works for the family business, also works hard, builds it into something really special. Since they are now pretty successful, 3rd generation grows up very comfortable, "entitled" if you will. They get sent to college, some get MBAs, and suddenly they decide to "fix" the company to maximize profits, expand their market, whatever. Company now stinks!

I have no evidence this is what in fact happened.

[oldhenry]

There is college business classes on and about what typically happens when a family business 'passes the torch' to the next generation.

More often than not, it doesn't end well.

Painfully true. The business that I started in'76 closed this past November. The third generation has a different mindset.

[hornetguy]

Please excuse my ignorance, but did you first check with Ruger? Just wondering as I didn't see where you had. Many times, aftermarket parts just aren't identical no matter where you shop.

Slim

And as a second follow-up to this...
I called Ruger, and got to talk to a real, live human being. Louise asked me what I needed, and I explained my concern that my front sight might not be "original" height, and when I gave her my measurement, she checked it. She told me that Ruger only makes two heights for these blades, one is about .340, and the other is .44-something. Mine measured crudely at .350. I asked her what the part number and price was for the taller one, and she said "just give me your mailing address, and I'll send you one".....

I'm pretty much blown away that a company still cares about making/keeping customers like Ruger does. I've always been a fan of Ruger, and this just reinforces that opinion.....
I know it's not a terribly expensive part, but still.... just the willingness to not only give me the part, but to pay shipping for it.... all just to make a customer happy.... that's rare today.

[John Taylor]

About 30 years ago I had a customer looking for a Ruger rear sight with a narrower notch like used on their 10" revolver. I took a chance and sent Ruger a $10 bill and a note for what I was looking for. They sent me a dozen of the sights

[porthos]

i too am in the "upset with brownells" croud. it all started with the charge for a catalog. another policy that changed is: if you have brownells screwdriver bits that insert by magnet into the handle the bits are guarenteed for life. i've sent them back several times when i broke or twisted several of them. you do not have to send them back now. just send them the invoice # that the bits are on and they will replace them. how many of you keep the invoices.. guess what, i do. i was in business and retain all of them for 20+ years ago. most customers have trashed them; so no proof of purchase. sone day i will go thru my old invoices and get new bits. other than that i don't have much use for them

[waksupi]

I don't think they have a lot of "gun" people working there. One of my cousins works there, not sure she even knows which end of the gun the projectile comes out of. Another guy I know who works there, is a Harley mechanic.

[22cf45]

They certainly aren't what we are used to for years. Seems like everything I need is out of stock. Recently I needed a Brownell steel grip, ordered it. Received it in short order only to find out it came with a cap head screw! WTH, can't imagine putting a cap head screw anywhere on a custom fancy wood stock. Bet Len Brownell was turning in his grave.
Phil

[MKII]

Nobody has much good to say about Pete. Frank is a true gentleman but in poor health and not having anything to do with running the company. When retail and wholesale co-mingle everyone pays more.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I think there are fewer and fewer hobbyists working on guns just as there are fewer folks doing leather projects and building balsa wood plane kits. When I moved to the city where I now live 30 years ago there was a Tandy Leather store that closed not long after along with the Radio Shack and quite a few gun shops. The times, they are a changing! Brownell's had to change with them. For that matter, casting boolits these days is about as common as book binding and caning chair seats.

[Fishoot]

I color case harden old single shots. I have had bone charcoal on "notify me" status for at least 6 months. I suspect I will never get it from Brownell's. Sad to watch this business go downhill. I'm now cooking old cow bones to make charcoal.

[dogrunner]

Gawde what a depressing thread.............but I agree with every sentiment voiced.............just a GD shame!


It occurs that some one ought to send a copy of this whole thread to Brownells!

[Outer Rondacker]

Gawde what a depressing thread.............but I agree with every sentiment voiced.............just a GD shame!


It occurs that some one ought to send a copy of this whole thread to Brownells!

Do you honestly think they give a hoot. Not one bit as long as they money flow is still coming in. Just like Midway USA.

[Shawlerbrook]

Haven’t dealt with Brownells in a few years, but they use to be the place to go for gunsmithing tools, parts and supplies. Their Kinks book series not only has some great tips but is very entertaining. I do agree that many of the old, self taught smiths are passing on and it is very sad. This is another time when I know how the old mountain men felt as they saw their lifestyle dying away.

[pworley1]

It is not just Brownell"s. The lack of knowledge and level of service has dropped across the board of companies. Items kept in stock do not make any money so most now only keep the most popular and best sellers in stock and drop ship everything else.

[Snakeoil]

I am a second generation Brownell's customer. I did not read all the posts here, but a good chunk of them. I suspect that they are finding themselves boxed in by the way business is done today. If they tried to maintain the Mom&Pop business practices, my guess is they found themselves seeing their market share diminish. Keep in mind that all those gray haired guys that ran your local gun shops, were gun smiths and custom rifle/pistol builder are dying and retiring. Brownell's cannot stay in business by saying how much they miss those guys. They need to understand what the guy that will replace them is expecting. That my friends is the generation after the baby-boomers.

I would also suspect that the firearms makers are not using outfits like Brownell's to be their parts distributors any longer. You want parts for your new Remington, Browning or Henry, you need to go to them or have your gunshop/gunsmith go to them. Because a computer can pretty much make a chimp into a parts sales guy, they hire the chimp, stop paying the commision to the distributor and charge retail prices, the margin from which they keep rather than share with the distributor.

The other rub is stuff is just not available like it used to be. The speciality products are gone. I know the owner of Merit Gun Sight. Actually, he's the son of a guy I worked with for years who bought Merit from the creator. He's busy, has no time and hence Merit Gun sights are not being made. He said he's going to start up again in the spring and to call him. I have guys that I shoot with that want Merits. I even offered to build sights for him for free just to get product out there. He did not want my help. Now, take that example, change the driving circumstances (health, death, age, etc.) and Brownell's sources for superb products is slowly fading away.

Been to a hardware store lately? Try to buy a slotted head machine screw. They are either Phillips, Hex, Torx or Phillips with a slot. Slotted head screws are now a specialty item. Why, BECAUSE WE DON'T MAKE THAT STUFF IN THE USA ANYMORE!!!!

Sorry, it's a sore point with me.

Don't bitch about Brownell's until you have walked a mile in their shoes. Whining is what weenies do. Suck it up, support the businesses that support our hobby and deal with the disapointments. There will be more. That I can guarantee.

[Shawlerbrook]

You can’t name many businesses that are better now than they used to be. Trying to find help that is knowledgeable and gives a darn is near impossible.

[hornetguy]

Been to a hardware store lately? Try to buy a slotted head machine screw. They are either Phillips, Hex, Torx or Phillips with a slot. Slotted head screws are now a specialty item. Why, BECAUSE WE DON'T MAKE THAT STUFF IN THE USA ANYMORE!!!!

Not trying to derail the thread.... and I agree with just about your whole post.... except the anger about the quoted part.

Personally, just me, but I don't know of ANY application where a slotted screw head would be better than any of the others mentioned. They ALL are much easier to torque to spec, and to break loose when "stuck". Stripping one of them actually takes a concerted effort.

But, I agree with the rest of it...

[Hannibal]

Not trying to derail the thread.... and I agree with just about your whole post.... except the anger about the quoted part.

Personally, just me, but I don't know of ANY application where a slotted screw head would be better than any of the others mentioned. They ALL are much easier to torque to spec, and to break loose when "stuck". Stripping one of them actually takes a concerted effort.

But, I agree with the rest of it...

If you are making a single shot rifle or working on something with damaged fasteners and want it to retain some semblance of originality or period correctness then it's a problem.

Stick a Phillips or torx screw in the side of a lever action and see what that looks like.

[maxreloader]

stick a phillips or torx screw in the side of a lever action and see what that looks like.

amen!!!

[ulav8r]

Even if slotted screws were available, none of them would be of any use for antyhing other than maybe a buttplate on a cheap gun. Even those were not flat head slotted screws. 99.9%(at least) of all gun screws were custom screws not readily available from anyone but the original manufacturer.