Did Brownells.com change ownership?

[Carcassonne]

I have not been to Brownells for a while. They don't seem to have as much stuff as they use to. I can't find the gun parts schematics to find springs for my Beretta PX4.

Did they change ownership and go downhill?

Midwest Gun Works now has the parts schematics and parts that Brownells doesn't.

Gun Part Corp (aka Numrich Arms) website is also crap.

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[Experimentalist]

Brownells has been evolving their website for quite some time.

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for in terms of schematics, but I did find this: https://www.brownells.com/gun-schematics/

[SkyHawk]

Their new website sucks, I can't stand it. I have been a customer for 25+ years but I find myself looking to Brownells last anymore because their website is like looking at a vast warehouse inventory of items through a straw.

[coq]

I don't have an answer to your question, but during my recent search for a J Frame screw and some screwdriver bits, I found the same guys and had a very positive experience.

https://www.midwestgunworks.com

[TrappedinCalifornia]

I have not been to Brownells for a while. They don't seem to have as much stuff as they use to. I can't find the gun parts schematics to find springs for my Beretta PX4.

Did they change ownership and go downhill?

Midwest Gun Works now has the parts schematics and parts that Brownells doesn't.

Gun Part Corp (aka Numrich Arms) website is also crap.

.

Well... In the time honored, Calguns tradition, there's usually a workaround to be found. (Something which took me about 2 minutes to find.)

Beretta PX4 Parts at Brownells

You can still find a schematic on Brownells' UK site.

Or, you can Google one...



...and work from there with the part name.

I find the newer websites to be almost useless. They are designed to work with 'smart phones' rather than desktops now and the two layouts aren't exactly compatible. Well, they aren't for me. Then again, I still keep hardcopies of most everything. Finding the hardcopy when I need or want it is another issue. But, I know, if I own it, I've got at least one... somewhere... usually.

[pacrat]

Yes they changed. They do things differently now. I recall having that giant catalog on my kitchen table, with a note pad next to it, careful notes about page number, part number, price, etc., (remember the secret/hidden price system). You needed to have credit card at ready, and a Landline Phone in hand. Before that, I filled out the paper order form and mailed them a check. If I wanted it delivered faster, I sent them a money order. Those were the days.

Yeah, that was back in the 60s-70s, when Bass Pro Shop was a small paper catalog for cheap lures etc. You found their small advert in Field n Stream and others and sent them your name/address and postage and they would mail you a catalog. Which was only about 10 pages but had great prices.

[divingin]

Brownell's used to be a sister company to Sinclair International. A couple (few?) years ago, they officially absorbed Sinclair, and started discontinuing the Sinclair products. They seem to have moved from an all-inclusive specialty shooting supply retailer to more of a mainstream seller (though they still have more tools and such than most.) The disappointing part is that they still list a lot of specialty items, but either don't or rarely stock them.

I understand the paper catalogs going away - they're expensive to produce, store, and ship, they tend to lag real world inventory and offerings, and very few people use them. Websites are much cheaper in the long run (though I also won't get into website design right now.)

Disappointing all in all. They've gone from being one of my top few go-to suppliers to one of the last I'll look for something at.

[hambam105]

Brownell's has to be suffering from inner-web nightmares.

I can't imagine the expensive complexities associated with keeping a multitude of low profit margin items at the ready for the impatient & demanding 2024 customer.

[Spyder]

Their customer service has been trash for a while. A year and a half ago I ordered a gun from them and they sent the wrong one. Zero help in getting it returned or corrected, wouldn't refund and wouldn't pay return shipping. At the time I lived almost 2 hours from the nearest FFL and didn't find out it was wrong until I went to dros it. They said too bad.

Currently waiting for an order of several hundred dollars I bought in January 8th. The tracking humber they sent me says it hasn't left their possession yet, still waiting for pickup. I've contacted them nearly a dozen times and they keep saying to just wait another week, and they claim it's in transit...but they won't tell me where or when. Just "wait another week".

[eaglemike]

Their customer service has been trash for a while. A year and a half ago I ordered a gun from them and they sent the wrong one. Zero help in getting it returned or corrected, wouldn't refund and wouldn't pay return shipping. At the time I lived almost 2 hours from the nearest FFL and didn't find out it was wrong until I went to dros it. They said too bad.

Currently waiting for an order of several hundred dollars I bought in January 8th. The tracking humber they sent me says it hasn't left their possession yet, still waiting for pickup. I've contacted them nearly a dozen times and they keep saying to just wait another week, and they claim it's in transit...but they won't tell me where or when. Just "wait another week".

Yup, I hate it when the label is printed but it's not really shipped. Midway did that to me so many times I pretty much quit buying from them.
I sell stuff online and try to ship the same or next business day. I never ever pull the "print the label and call it shipped" baloney.
Customer service and support is key in today's market. I wanted to alter an order a couple of years ago. I emailed and called Brownell's. They finally got back to me about a week later, after the parts had actually shipped.

Some companies are truly horrible though. Optics Planet is near the top of the list, I'll never order from them again.
If you ever need some sort of tools or industrial supplies, check out McMaster-Carr's website. mcmaster.com
They have about the most functional site I can remember and have tons of really cool stuff. They ship right away, and actually answer the phone. If they don't know the answer they will get it and actually call you back. Warning - it's a deep hole once you order from them. Prices aren't always low, but you can bet money you will get service and support. That's worth a lot to me.

[splithoof]

Brownells and Midway have both gone downhill. I remember their little pricing system in the printed catalog with two prices, and the green sheet that explained how the gibberish next to the list price was actually the shop price. That was funny. The last time I bought from them, they sent the wrong 1911 grips, and did not want to take them back. They were a pain in the ain. These days, Brownells are those little butt nuggets my dog leaves behind on the trail.