I was at Gun-Con 2024 at Brownells in Grinnell, Iowa last week with a buddy of mine. We made a road trip out of it as we only get to see each other maybe once every few years.

Gun-Con generally speaking was good, very crowded for the space available though. Would have been nice to have some BIG TENTS setup outside for some shade. All the exhibits were in a corner of Brownell's warehouse floor. Pretty good representation from some big names in the industry and some smaller names trying to make their products known to the masses such as Bul Armory makers of the Axe (G19 clone-ish), 1911', SAS II...2011's. Their SAS-II EDC is on my short list at $1,850 directly from Bul Armory to your FFL. I would put one of these against a Staccato any day and take the savings to buy more ammo!

However, I did have one issue with Brownells. Found a grail gun I had been searching for 4 years at Brownell's retail shop. Went to pay for it and have it transferred to my FFL. They "could not" sell the gun to me. Why? Apparently, their retail store's POS (point of sale) system is NOT setup properly to calculate the correct tax on firearms to be shipped out of state. I was shocked and pissed off to say the least! Who turns downs a fist full of $100 bills? Anyway, got a hard pass from Brownells even though the transfer would have been done completely legally due to the taxing issue. I'm a simple guy...I was physically at their store, physically with cash in hand, physically wanted to ship to my FFL back home out of state and possessed all the information they needed. I fail to see why anything above and beyond local sales tax would apply on this purchase. If it were a T-Shirt, scope, sling, anything not requiring an FFL transfer they would have and did sell me those items. I may be making a mountain out of a mole hill, but for such a BIG corporate beast like Brownells not to have this setup already really ticked me off.

That does seem odd.

Can't say that they wanted to keep it for themselves or had already had someone else ask them to hold it for them?

I dunno how it is done in your state of residence, but in California, a buyer has to pay the sales tax at their FFL *unless* included with the firearm is a receipt showing that the seller (in the other state) had already collected the CA sales tax. In that case, the seller in the other state would be required to remit the CA sales tax collected to the CA Board of Equalization. Most just sell the gun with no taxes withheld and send it to the CA FFL, who collects the required taxes when he transfers the firearm to the buyer. I’m a little shocked that Brownell’s either can’t figure that out, or can’t program their POS properly to not collect any taxes for firearms shipped out of state.

quote:

I fail to see why anything above and beyond local sales tax would apply on this purchase.

After the Supreme Court decision on Wayfair, internet sellers were required to collect and remit sales tax if the dollar amount was above a certain level dictated by each state. The sales tax must be collected by the point of delivery tax rate. Brownells POS system may not be integrated with their catalog system. Every state is different with Texas being the worst, Illinois is horrible, and Colorado is impossible for small retailers shipping from out-of-state. Texas has at least 2000 jurisdictions.

Brownells has always been behind the technological curve.

Just call the store manager.
Always , just call the store manager.

I stopped by the Brownell's store and saw a used rifle I liked, since I'm from a bordering state they'd sell it to me on the spot. I asked if didn't buy it then, could I call them and have it shipped to a licensed dealer, they said not for a used rifle.

It was an at least $2200 rifle with a $1000 scope on it in new condition for $2300.