BROWNING

Although Browning has been around for a long time, there is little current information we have been able to gather on the history of Browning's archery line. John Moses Browning and his family operated a rifle and shotgun manufacturing business in Utah in the latter part of the 19th century. A prolific firearms designer but unable to produce products in any quantity, Mr. Browning purchased his designs from U.S. and European manufacturers in exchange for royalties or produced the product under the Browning name. John's family heirs continued this business strategy with other companies producing Browning-branded products. With a high-quality dealer network and a reputation for "best quality," the company flourished, occasionally venturing into fishing gear and archery. In 1962, Browning purchased the bow manufacturing operations of Gordon Composites in San Diego. Browning bows were built from 1962 to 1975, initially at a facility in San Diego by the Gordon brothers (plastics). Browning later moved production to Browning's headquarters in Utah.

Harry Drake, a renowned California bowyer, archer, and bow designer, played a role in the original design of the Browning bow line. It is unclear who served as the primary bowman for Browning bows over the years. The traditional bows were sold from 1962 to 1975 through Browning's established network of sporting goods retailers. Browning's marketing strategy was to target rifle hunters as an opportunity to expand their hunting experience to include bowhunting. Browning bows are well-designed and enjoy a strong reputation for quality. They are considered good shooters, both in terms of speed and forgiveness. Browning sold a full line of target and hunting bows, arrows, and archery accessories. The initial bow line of 1962 included (from most expensive to least expensive): Olympian, Trophy, Safari/Explorer, Apollo, Diana, Normad, Medallion, Spartan, Mohawk, and Apache. In 1966, Browning added the high-end Challenge target bow. In the late 1960s, Browning added the Monarch mid-range target bow and the popular Cobra hunting bow, as well as the Wasp. The Fury model was added in 1972. Takedowns and the first compound bow were introduced in 1974. The final Browning archery catalog of 1975 included three compound models, one takedown model (The Cam-Lock), and the Explorer, Cobra, and Normad Staker, as well as the return of the entry-level Rover, Wasp, and Mohawk models.