We went to the little town of Morgan, Utah to find out just what kind of a legacy this inventor has left behind at the company that bears his name. The Morgan facility is world headquarters for sales, marketing, research and development and an in-house advertising and public relations group.

Q.  Who is the man behind Browning?

A.  John M. Browning was one of 22 children born to Johnathan Browning, a Mormon pioneer gunmaker who manufactured many of the guns and implements used in Brigham Young's trek West. Four sons of Johnathan eventually formed a partnership, and from their crude gunshop in the wilderness came gun designs that revolutionized the field of arms for more than half a century.

John M. Browning is generally known as the inventor of the automatic rifle, pistol, shotgun and the machine gun. He registered 128 patents on more than 80 separate firearms, from his first patent in 1879 on the single shot rifle to his death in 1926. Firearms experts around the world consider John M. Browning to be one of the greatest firearms inventors the world has ever known.

Q. What makes Browning and the individuals who make up this firearms company tick?

A.  We have something very unique in this world today. We have a group of people whose work ethic dramatically exceeds the average worker across the country. Our people love their jobs and the product they represent. They have a great amount of respect for the Browning and Winchester names and it is reflected in their work. We have a lot of individuals who will work their entire career at Browning. That doesn't happen often in this or any other industry. We employ approximately 170 people in the Morgan facility and an additional 100 employees in our Missouri distribution and service facility. We have a manufacturing facility in Belgium for our custom guns; and our main supplier of firearms for over 30 years is Miroku, Japan.

Q. What are the different branches or markets that Browning participates in?

A.  Browning is a supplier of hunting and shooting products. Browning is most famous for our excellent firearms, but our total offering encompasses a wide range of hunting and shooting products such as cases, knives, lights, and our premier clothing line.

Q. What area of Browning's business receives the most attention?

A. Our firearms business is the strongest area and the mainstay of this company. However, our apparel division is the area that has shown the greatest growth and change in recent years. We feel that our clothing products are second to none from a technical standpoint.

Q.  What is your demographic?

A. Our demographic is split between the Browning and Winchester markets. Our Browning customer is a little more technical than the average gun owner. From the Winchester side, we have a loyal, dedicated, hard hunting, but less technically oriented group of gun owners. So, if you look at it, our target market is just about anyone who owns or would like to own a firearm.

Q. Are the ages of your gun buyers changing?

A. Yes, the age is increasing every year. That is a very real concern. We don't feel that we are recruiting gun owners like we should be. We understand that the competition is fierce for the free time of young people. We are losing open spaces where young individuals can learn and practice with a firearm. Plus, to a lot of individuals this industry is politically incorrect. All of these factors are working against us as an industry. We work closely with and rely heavily on organizations such as the NRA and National Shooting Sports Foundation to help provide opportunities for these young shooters.

Q. I recently saw a Browning ad that showcases an individual with a prosthetic leg. What is Browning doing to provide opportunities to special needs individuals?

A. There are a couple of things to consider when talking about programs for special needs individuals. We could literally give our entire product line away every year in support of worthy organizations. We try to focus our main dollars on a national level and do what we can on a local or regional level. Browning strongly supports most of the conservation organizations such as NRA, NWTF, RMEF and Ducks Unlimited. From a strictly handicapped situation, we are supporters of Wheeling Sportsmen and other organizations which have created opportunities for people who canŐt get out in the field on their own to enjoy these experiences.

Q. When an individual walks into a sporting goods store, why should they pick Browning?

A. Some individuals buy strictly on price. Some individuals buy strictly on quality or reputation. The individual buying on price won't usually buy Browning. In many cases the individual buying on quality won't buy anything but Browning. The Browning product is what we feel to be the best in their class. The Browning customer looks for
quality, tradition or knows from past experience that the product and service will be great and he is willing to pay for it.

Q. What is the greatest recent development in the firearms industry?

A. The firearms industry is a very old industry without a lot of dramatic changes over the years. However, the development of the Ballistic Optimizing Shooting System (BOSS) here in Morgan has provided a major improvement. The BOSS system has allowed us to buy any cartridge off the shelf and make the rifle shoot that cartridge by adjusting the harmonics in the barrel. That had never been done before and the system really works.

More recently, a new cartridge has been developed in conjunction with Olin Winchester, which is the new Winchester short magnum cartridges. We've taken the characteristics of a good cartridge with head spacing on the shoulder and a short fat cartridge and created short action magnum cartridges. These cartridges perform equal to or better than their longer predecessors in a shorter more compact version. They are predominately more accurate as they head space on the shoulder, not on the belt. You get the performance of the magnum in a shorter, smaller action. This is the most exciting development since the BOSS System, and it has definitely given industry professionals something to talk about.

Q. How has the recent terrorist acts and economic turns affected the firearms industry?

A. This industry is unique in many ways. When our society experiences a slow down or slight recession we usually experience pretty good times. When times are good, people spend on large items, RVs, etc. In times of slow down, items get a little smaller and that tends to favor our industry. In time of tragedy or war, people tend to look to self-protection and focus on security items like firearms. Last fall we expected a slow down due to the economy. We experienced quite the opposite as we realized brisk sales following Sept. 11. We don't like the reason for the increased sales, but we are thankful for the business.

Q. When you take all the fluff out, what is the real difference in Browning products?

A. If you look at the real players in the industry, there really isn't a lot fluff. Even the humblest customer knows quality and why they are buying it. A firearms purchase requires a basic product knowledge. You just can't baffle most consumers. It really boils down to quality, price and service; and if you can give a consumer that, then you will be the winner. There are some companies that don't do a good job in one of those areas, and they are suffering because of that. Real customer service is imperative. We go to great strides to train our staff, both in the plant and in the field, to make sure that our customers are getting the best service possible.

Q. There have been some manufacturers who seem to have caved in to the non-hunting or gun control coalitions. Where does Browning stand?

A. First and foremost we want to make it clear that we make hunting and shooting products for law-abiding citizens. We don't condone irresponsible or illegal use of our products. We also believe that bad guys need to be punished. Let's look at lobby groups. Why should we be any different than any other organization? We find strength in numbers and feel a responsibility to provide support to groups that are lobbying for the causes we feel are justified. That is why we support groups like the NRA. The media has done a great job of making the NRA look like a bunch of faceless goons, paramilitary-type individuals. The reality is that the majority of the people in the NRA are just like you and I, just normal guys who enjoy the outdoors and the shooting sports. We will continue to support groups like the NRA and aren't afraid to go nose to nose to protect our freedoms and way of life. We all need to be more proactive, look ahead and affect in a positive way those individuals who really don't have an opinion on guns.

Q. Where do you see our hunting opportunities going in the future?

A. Game management has come so far in the last 20 years, that in many areas there is more game than ever. However, money and limited entry areas limit the opportunities for much of the population to participate. Many times the open area hunting opportunities leave a little to be desired. We are concerned about this. The introduction of turkeys has increased hunting opportunities dramatically; and you can thank the NWTF for their 400,000 strong efforts. We are working closely with the conservation groups to help create more and better opportunities for the general public.

Q. Is there a single goal at Browning?

A. We want to be the leader in the industry. Not only on product design, but also in service. We want to provide the customer the tool to go out beyond the pavement and enjoy the experiences that can only be achieved by participating in the shooting sports. We want to be a part of the magic and tradition that goes along with these experiences. When someone hears the Browning name we want them to feel a part of the Browning tradition.

www.browning.com

1-800-333-3288