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To make a long story short, I am having great trouble trying to buy a Browning rifle. I approached various dealers for quotes for my 300 WSM X-Bolt and most said that yes, it could be done, but then invariably muttered that Browning "is difficult to work with" or "arrogant" etc. Seemed a common theme. Anyway, I went with Browning's website-listed South African agent and ordered the rifle. Well, almost a year later the rifle is still in America. The agent says that he has battled to get anything out of them, even though the man he was dealing with was hunting in Namibia just a month ago. Now, I understand that there are a myriad of models and cartridge combinations, but how difficult is it to source a rifle and send it to your official agent within 12 months? If anyone has any insight or, better yet, a Browning employee is reading this, please advise. | ||
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if you ain't paid for it yet, buy something else. Winchester is just as good as Browning, Bergara makes a damn fine rifle too. I mean Christ if you can't even purchase one, what do you think is going to happen if they send you the wrong one or it breaks. | |||
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Good point, but I really have my heart set on this particular rifle. | |||
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That sort of difficulty just to buy a rifle is ridiculous. Some brands really need to examine and revamp their supply methods. Years ago here in New Zealand my son ordered a Kimber and waited and waited.... The reseller / agent was great and constantly chased up the order but Kimber was basically not communicating so we were only ever in the dark. Eventually, due to frustration, my son bought another brand. Several weeks after that the Kimber just arrived, unannounced. But it was too late and got sent back. I have never seen such poor customer service from any other firearm brand. Hunting.... it's not everything, it's the only thing. | |||
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If you plan to keep it forever, then just have DPCD build you a custom. Good price and great quality. JP Sauer Drilling 12x12x9.3x72 David Murray Scottish Hammer 12 Bore Alex Henry 500/450 Double Rifle Steyr Classic Mannlicher Fullstock 6.5x55 Steyr Classic Mannlicher Fullstock .30-06 Walther PPQ H2 9mm Walther PPS M2 Cogswell & Harrison Hammer 12 Bore Damascus And Too Many More | |||
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My suggestion/recommendation would also be Winchester, although they are both owned by the same conglomerate. I have five(5) .300 WSMs-all in the Winchester platform. Some have remained as purchased; others have been customized. I own many, many, many Browning rifles, but for me, I realized years ago that Winchester really has what I want-CRF, three position safety, etc. etc. Browning's 60 degree bolt throw is good, but the other advantages of the Winchester outweigh it for me.  | |||
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First question I would ask is your agent in SA dealing directly with Browning or with a distributor. The problem may not be with Browning but the distributor or exporter. Mike Legistine actu quod scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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I am surprised to hear this. I have many of their rifles and shotguns. Never experienced anything like this. | |||
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Maybe FN has changed them. About 35 years ago I invented a rifle sight and tried to sell it to a number of well-known firms around the world. Though none of them took it up, Browning was by far the friendliest to deal with - the most arrogant was Ruger. | |||
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