whatnickname
Member
I made my initial post several weeks ago when the barrel bushing of my Browning 380 re-orientated itself and got launched down range 40+ yards. Took me and another club member nearly two hours to find the bushing. Needless to say, I was not pleased at the prospect of turning an expensive handgun into a paperweight and embarked on a mission to locate replacement parts. Try as I might, none of the obsolete parts dealers I found on line had any of these bushings...not Mid-West Gunworks or Numrich. At this point, and not wanting to turn either of my Browning 1955 380 pistols into parts guns, it seemed unlikely that I was going to do much shooting with either of these pistols in the foreseeable future.
In a last act of desperation, I went onto Browning’s website and pulled up four listings for obsolete parts dealers. One of them was Lee’s Gunparts in Irving, Texas. No website…figured someone needed a good laugh this past Thursday so I called them. Couldn’t believe it: “Yeah, we have these as well as the bushings for the 1922 model Browning.” I near fell out of my chair! Figured well, better get ready for the price. Wonder if the invoice will come with a complimentary tube of K-Y Jelly? price was $25.00. Me: “25.00???!!!”. Lee’s: “Yes. How many would you like? Blue or nickel plated?”
I am now the proud owner of four barrel bushings for the Browning 1955 380! Anyone that owns one of these pistols knows just how quickly the loss of that barrel bushing can turn a very desirable and historically significant pistol into a highly discounted parts gun! Happy Saturday, my friends!
In a last act of desperation, I went onto Browning’s website and pulled up four listings for obsolete parts dealers. One of them was Lee’s Gunparts in Irving, Texas. No website…figured someone needed a good laugh this past Thursday so I called them. Couldn’t believe it: “Yeah, we have these as well as the bushings for the 1922 model Browning.” I near fell out of my chair! Figured well, better get ready for the price. Wonder if the invoice will come with a complimentary tube of K-Y Jelly? price was $25.00. Me: “25.00???!!!”. Lee’s: “Yes. How many would you like? Blue or nickel plated?”
I am now the proud owner of four barrel bushings for the Browning 1955 380! Anyone that owns one of these pistols knows just how quickly the loss of that barrel bushing can turn a very desirable and historically significant pistol into a highly discounted parts gun! Happy Saturday, my friends!
