View Full Version : AR15.com under new ownership...
Didn't see that one coming:
"AR15.com, the popular and long-serving forum for all things AR-15, and by extension firearms related, has been acquired by the 2nd Adventure Group. AR15.com, set up way back in 1996, joined the 2nd Adventure Group family which includes Brownells, Big Springs, Crow Shooting Supplies, Sinclair International and W.L. Baumler Co. and is owned by Pete and Frank Brownell. An announcement post, shared on AR15.com on June 3, said the site will continue as it always has but is looking forward to new user interface improvements and a secured continued online presence."
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2019/06/05/breaking-brownells-acquires-ar15-com/
Brownell brothers, interesting.
Doesn't matter, Ed Avila Sr. and his mods are still a bunch of f*****g douchebags.
Yep, been gone from that shithole site since 2012. Never looked back.
I've never had a more frustrating experience simply trying to register and use a forum than I have with ar15.com.
Doesn't matter, Ed Avila Sr. and his mods are still a bunch of f*****g douchebags.
Yep, been gone from that shithole site since 2012. Never looked back.
Lol this is a fact. The mods are c*cks.
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Back when I was in business as eguns.com, I used to pay a hefty sum to them to advertise and sell on their forum*. At that time, it was worth it, as it generated a good amount of traffic. I have not actively been selling in the business since around mid 2013 IIRC. But I still have a bunch of old inventory. I recently asked them if I could list some of it for sale on their forum, explaining the situation: I was no longer actively pursuing business and wanted to just list old inventory to clean out my basement, and would sell a good amount at or below my cost. I am basically selling as a private person though technically, any credit cards would be run through my business account (I still have the LLC as I use it for computer consulting and side iOS programming gigs). They said NOPE, you need to pay the business advertising fee in order to list (right, like I need more costs to sell my stuff at cost or loss). Anyway, I politely declined their offer. I will refrain from saying anything more...
*as I did on M4C, which was also well worth it, as the folks here know what they want and make good customers.
titsonritz
06-05-19, 19:23
I heard they got AK47.net, too
BoringGuy45
06-05-19, 20:36
I only ever use that site to sell shit. If I have unwanted parts, I usually don't have to wait more than a day or two to get a buyer.
Doesn't matter, Ed Avila Sr. and his mods are still a bunch of f*****g douchebags.
Yep, been gone from that shithole site since 2012. Never looked back.
You got that right.
Whats a forum like AR15, M4C, or Pistol Forum worth?
AR15.com is like the creepiest place on the internet
Coal Dragger
06-06-19, 08:59
Never been a member there, have perused a few threads.
As Firefly points out that place is pretty much creepy as hell. It’s basically a forum inhabited by army surplus store weirdos, tacti-Fudds, and PSA tards. As if someone took a gun show, and turned it into a forum.
I just wanted to be able to post in their Retro and A2 sections, but since they don't allow email addresses from "free" providers just getting signed up turned into a huge futile hassle.
I don't know about those other companies but Brownell's supports Trump's choice of Canterbury.
The only thing I liked about it was the classifieds, but I haven't been on there in years.
The Dumb Gun Collector
06-06-19, 09:50
As Firefly points out that place is pretty much creepy as hell. It’s basically a forum inhabited by army surplus store weirdos, tacti-Fudds, and PSA tards. As if someone took a gun show, and turned it into a forum.
Agreed, I tried several times but the vibe is strange over there.
Doesn't matter, Ed Avila Sr. and his mods are still a bunch of f*****g douchebags.
Yep, been gone from that shithole site since 2012. Never looked back.
I think that's around the time I left, maybe even a little bit earlier. What a terrible forum it turned into. Every time a buddy would mention that site I made sure they knew I referred to it as Barfcom. I used it for sales only for a while and then when I realized 1) I wasn't actually selling anything because of that forum and 2) the type of d-bags I was having to address from that forum I just gave up entirely. Eff that forum. I doubt this new ownership will change anything either. I've yet to see a single forum that was "bought out" become better and instead just about everyone took a major nose dive shortly thereafter. Barfcom will be no different. They'll pump it for advertising as long as it drives sales #'s and then cast it aside like so much rubbish just like every other forum sell-out over the decades. Maybe Vertical Scope will buy it at that point. lol
As if someone took a gun show, and turned it into a forum.
A perfect example.
I signed up there when I first got into firearms, back in 06 or so. Place seemed weird. Since it was my first time on a forum I wasn't sure if it was me or them. Stuck around for about a month.
No one knows what a forum like AR15.com would be worth?
I don't care much about who owns it. Let me know when they change out the membership over there...
Pete resigns from the NRA board and then buys AR15.com. Something is brewing. Could be signs of good things to come. The 2a community needs it from addressing “gun culture” to political unity.
As if someone took a gun show, and turned it into a forum.
That's probably the most apt description I've heard. God help anyone that tries to read General Discussion and tries to make any sense of it. It's 4 chan with guns.
I haven't even looked at that site in many years. It was the douchebag mecca for sure.
I remember signing up like 5 or 6 years ago and posting no-nonsense, solid replies in the reloading forum... never crossed anyone, or stepped on toes. And still got banned just because (I guess) they suspected I was someone who'd been kick off before.
Funny how paranoid and nutty the imbecile mods and staff are.
ARFCOM has LOTS of problems. Their 3 strikes rule is what chases off knowledgeable posters who have been there for well over a decade. The longer you're a member, the more time you've had to run afowl of mods in a bad mood, say something slightly out of step with their hyper-right groupthink, etc, and since your "strikes" never reset, it's only a matter of time before you're banned. This is why they have such a bizarre culture of "I'm the most conservative patriot ever" one-upmanship. They're so paranoid that banned users will return, that they label anyone who speaks against the grain as a "retread" and call for them to be silenced.
Hopefully Brownells will eliminate the shockingly overt racism, the literal calls for violence against anyone considered left-wing of their userbase (which is 99.99% of the world), and make them less of a black eye on the gun community as a whole. I'm also fairly certain their proprietary forum software has tons of vulnerabilities and I have no doubt a significant number of the posters there are people outside the gun community up to no good.
They're so paranoid that banned users will return, that they label anyone who speaks against the grain as a "retread" and call for them to be silenced.
That's exactly what happened to me. I intentionally avoided butting heads with anyone, and strictly stuck to productive/knowledgeable posts, and go nuked. It was funny.
They cater to the retarded masses because that's the majority and what generates traffic and add dollars. Can't blame them from that prospective, but if you want intelligent info..... you have to dig deep and wade through seas of retardation.
Pete resigns from the NRA board and then buys AR15.com. Something is brewing. Could be signs of good things to come. The 2a community needs it from addressing “gun culture” to political unity.
If Brownells / 2AG looks at this as a triad, it’s possible to see a 2nd amendment spin on things. A video website similar to YouTube, but pro2A, would be a solid component. A social media hub like IG/ FB could be the next layer, and the third is the forum.
If you look at why or how most pro 2A social media sites fail, it is because they are unable to grab members and sustain growth. Arfcom is a forum which is continually boasted as being the largest firearm site on the web, and while that says nothing of content, it is still a numbers game. Having purchased one corner of the 2A triad, the social media section can fuel itself for awhile just based on the amount of person from the forums. The video portion will be the time sponge, and will be most difficult to grow, but advertising can take care of that.
What this doesn’t mention is where the rubber meets the road. Plenty of firearm businesses are willing to put up with arfcom because they are seeing sales being generated. That certainly doesn’t mean Ford, Chevy, or other large companies are going to be willing to throw cash at a website which accepts the GD diatribe. Locking GD down and pushing the crumbs into a paid member section, may get around what is being said to a degree, but it won’t change the generic message that GD puts out which is anything and everything but PC.
That's exactly what happened to me. I intentionally avoided butting heads with anyone, and strictly stuck to productive/knowledgeable posts, and go nuked. It was funny.
They cater to the retarded masses because that's the majority and what generates traffic and add dollars. Can't blame them from that prospective, but if you want intelligent info..... you have to dig deep and wade through seas of retardation.
You definitely have to wade through tons of crap to find a nugget of gold. I liked some of the sub forums, but overall hated the condescension and dick measuring.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190606/c9fe0b8c4dea1f14e210a1518f2b8315.jpg
Just as a data point
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If Brownells / 2AG looks at this as a triad, it’s possible to see a 2nd amendment spin on things. A video website similar to YouTube, but pro2A, would be a solid component. A social media hub like IG/ FB could be the next layer, and the third is the forum.
If you look at why or how most pro 2A social media sites fail, it is because they are unable to grab members and sustain growth. Arfcom is a forum which is continually boasted as being the largest firearm site on the web, and while that says nothing of content, it is still a numbers game. Having purchased one corner of the 2A triad, the social media section can fuel itself for awhile just based on the amount of person from the forums.
All good points. SNIP for length.
Add to that a payment/banking option. As banks and payment systems continue their SJW routine, an opportunity for safe transactions is here. Privacy, security, and no politicization. Doesn’t have to be overtly pro-2a but would be attractive for a thousands of businesses and millions users already feeling wary of the current landscape.
With the NRA going the way of the Fudds, the next generation is eager for freedom leadership in the digital world.
Doc Safari
06-06-19, 14:41
Reading between the lines I'm extrapolating that Brownell wants ARFcom to be a huge 2A promotion site and not just an enthusiast's forum. We'll see if I'm right.
It was a fun forum back in the "wild west" days of the early internet.
Then it became popular, then it added regulation and that changed the environment. And if you didn't keep pace with the evolving environment, you eventually were excused from participation.
There is no perfect forum, you find where you fit best. I enjoyed most of my time there and there were a lot of people who I enjoyed posting with.
M4C crushes arfcom in terms of tech info, and always has since I joined here.
That said, arfcom's GD is one of the most unique rabbit holes on the internet. Lots of funny shit in that subforum.
Add to that a payment/banking option. As banks and payment systems continue their SJW routine, an opportunity for safe transactions is here. Privacy, security, and no politicization. Doesn’t have to be overtly pro-2a but would be attractive for a thousands of businesses and millions users already feeling wary of the current landscape.
With the NRA going the way of the Fudds, the next generation is eager for freedom leadership in the digital world.
Can you imagine a 2A version of Paypal? Or company that accepted payments? I would think many firearm companies would switch over immediately.
I haven't even looked at that site in many years. It was the douchebag mecca for sure.
I remember signing up like 5 or 6 years ago and posting no-nonsense, solid replies in the reloading forum... never crossed anyone, or stepped on toes. And still got banned just because (I guess) they suspected I was someone who'd been kick off before.
Funny how paranoid and nutty the imbecile mods and staff are.
"You sound....familiar"
ARFCOM has LOTS of problems. Their 3 strikes rule is what chases off knowledgeable posters who have been there for well over a decade. The longer you're a member, the more time you've had to run afowl of mods in a bad mood, say something slightly out of step with their hyper-right groupthink, etc, and since your "strikes" never reset, it's only a matter of time before you're banned. This is why they have such a bizarre culture of "I'm the most conservative patriot ever" one-upmanship. They're so paranoid that banned users will return, that they label anyone who speaks against the grain as a "retread" and call for them to be silenced.
Their mods are lazy POS. Once you've had a time-out you are WRONG in any verbal altercation, even though the facts are WRITTEN there (like an NFL ref getting to see a review before making a call). You're wrong, too bad so sad. Also, there are "special" members who are not to be questioned/disrespected (Old_Pain-in-the-ass comes to mind). The mods here at least actually LOOK at things before making a decision, as well as keeping this place MUCH more civil.
I went out with a bang though.....a frequent poster made a borderline racist comment quoting me, I made one back without a warm fuzzy, and viola! I'm banned (previous offender status). Told the mod who banned me to actually READ what took place. Got an email from "Staff" the next day asking me if I thought questioning the mod would help my case. That is when I told them what they could do with their website in no uncertain terms. That led to an exchange of several obscene emails between myself and dickhead Ed Sr., initiated by him. And yes, they were VULGAR!!! Don't care, that website can go f**k itself.
Can you imagine a 2A version of Paypal? Or company that accepted payments? I would think many firearm companies would switch over immediately.
I do think the day is coming for liberty minded companies. The current corporatism is spending all its branding capital on stupid SJW movements. Sadly, future business services and affiliates to know where a company politically stands before committing to an agreement with clauses for lawsuits if they change their policies the way Shopify and others have.
I have an account there I started January 18, 2002. I think my post total is around 240....in 17 years. That place is a non-stop, rolling train wreck. Too much activity. You try to follow a thread, step away for 10 minutes and you have to hunt to find it. It's the forum equivalent of being in a huge crowd at a public event - lots of noise and pushing and shoving. Going to that place is upsetting to my peace of mind.
No one knows what a forum like AR15.com would be worth?
To know what it is worth, you would have to see their financials.
I do think the day is coming for liberty minded companies. The current corporatism is spending all its branding capital on stupid SJW movements. Sadly, future business services and affiliates to know where a company politically stands before committing to an agreement with clauses for lawsuits if they change their policies the way Shopify and others have.
There are a few very wealthy conservatives that could kick this off. The Uihlein, Koch, Mercer, and Adelson's have enough money to start their own bank and to back conservative replacements for YouTube and Facebook. However, I really don't know if they are pro-2nd conservatives, or just back conservative candidates because they think they can make more money that way.
I think this guy hit the nail on the head 8 YEARS AGO!
NSFW but true:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pcCJGnig6pI
Nuff said.
I haven't even looked at that site in many years. It was the douchebag mecca for sure.
I remember signing up like 5 or 6 years ago and posting no-nonsense, solid replies in the reloading forum... never crossed anyone, or stepped on toes. And still got banned just because (I guess) they suspected I was someone who'd been kick off before.
Funny how paranoid and nutty the imbecile mods and staff are.
I’ve had that happen on here. Not a member over there.
I got banned from arfcom for telling truth. It was a badge of honor.
Diamondback
06-07-19, 00:05
All I needed to know about Barfcom was said when a certain toxic shitbag of a now-deceased relative sang its glowing praises. That place needs an enema, and I don't think there's a hose and nozzle big enough--not to mention identifying precisely where to stick it.
I have not actively been selling in the business since around mid 2013 IIRC. But I still have a bunch of old inventory. I recently asked them if I could list some of it for sale on their forum, explaining the situation: I was no longer actively pursuing business and wanted to just list old inventory to clean out my basement, and would sell a good amount at or below my cost. I am basically selling as a private person though technically, any credit cards would be run through my business account (I still have the LLC as I use it for computer consulting and side iOS programming gigs).
Chad, do you have a listing here? If you have parts and accessories too, it might be worth a look to see if anything in your deadstock fits my needs for planned builds.
Chad, do you have a listing here? If you have parts and accessories too, it might be worth a look to see if anything in your deadstock fits my needs for planned builds.
I have a few things listed in the EE and will slowly add more stuff. But if you have specific needs or want an overview you can DM me.
Estimated worth of the AR15.com website: $2,595,500
https://www.worthofweb.com/website-value/https:/www.ar15.com/forums/
Honestly that place has some...,unsettling threads about divorce, middle aged virginity, and really extreme reactions to the most mundane minutiae.
A lot of perpetual victimhood too. It’s boomer central. I think lurking around a while back I came up on these guys....I dunno if they were trolling or what but had My Little Pony avatars and passed themselves off as a fag couple.
Or guys unironcally discussing which scooter to get for obese people. And the THIRST. Holy GAWD the thirst. Folks posting pictures of their old ass women and dudes leg humping like she was Christy Turlington. I’m not gonna dog another dudes woman. Because you know I get defensive about AOC and Bailey Jay but why would you post a pic of your old lady so 40 year old virgins can get thirsty?
Also you could show a haji split in twain with a barrett but a girl in a bikini is forbidden.
And the stupidity. The rank stupidity and the LARPing.
I at one point lurked for fun and the KAC subforum was fire when Boltcarrier was still in business but otherwise naw....no thanks
Honestly that place has some...,unsettling threads about divorce, middle aged virginity, and really extreme reactions to the most mundane minutiae.
A lot of perpetual victimhood too. It’s boomer central. I think lurking around a while back I came up on these guys....I dunno if they were trolling or what but had My Little Pony avatars and passed themselves off as a fag couple.
Or guys unironcally discussing which scooter to get for obese people. And the THIRST. Holy GAWD the thirst. Folks posting pictures of their old ass women and dudes leg humping like she was Christy Turlington. I’m not gonna dog another dudes woman. Because you know I get defensive about AOC and Bailey Jay but why would you post a pic of your old lady so 40 year old virgins can get thirsty?
Also you could show a haji split in twain with a barrett but a girl in a bikini is forbidden.
And the stupidity. The rank stupidity and the LARPing.
I at one point lurked for fun and the KAC subforum was fire when Boltcarrier was still in business but otherwise naw....no thanks
I check it pretty often because their EE has a ton of activity, but that’s about it. The G MK16 thread was the only other thing that I did pay attention to but I quickly discovered what everyone meant when referring to TOS. I’m glad I stopped paying attention to it before I saw any of that though. Some of that is just disturbing.
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It's like any other site, you just have to sort through the piles and know who is who in a sense. The EE has great traffic and one can move something quicker there. One thing to watch out for though is association, if you are a known member here and post there, you may get pinged for what members there are allowed to continue. I got popped and it was rather obvious, sent the mod a message and he never responded, because he knew, chump.
I think this guy hit the nail on the head 8 YEARS AGO!
NSFW but true:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pcCJGnig6pI
Nuff said.
That's great!
I have to wonder if Brownells ever looked at AR-15.com before they bought it. Looking at it, from the layout to the posts, I don't see how they see it as a wise choice to spend their money on.
Oh my, that is all insignificant. You can make it look like anything you want. Look at it like real estate. Is it a good location? Yes/.. then build whatever you want. I would expect the digital building is already complete, they just want the vacant site.
Think of it this way.
You see a pasta shop on the corner. All day people come and go. The camera pans and you are Tony Soprano with a full bowl of pasta. What do you want? You want that real estate. Will it be a pasta shop after you get it? Doesn't matter.
I have to wonder if Brownells ever looked at AR-15.com before they bought it. Looking at it, from the layout to the posts, I don't see how they see it as a wise choice to spend their money on.
It certainly has name recognition. You can’t google anything AR related with links to that site popping up.
I see it as comparable to porn hub buying tumblr ( I think this I still happening)
Hopefully they’ll restore it to glory
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Dr. Bullseye
06-07-19, 23:50
Doesn't matter, Ed Avila Sr. and his mods are still a bunch of f*****g douchebags.
Yep, been gone from that shithole site since 2012. Never looked back.
Finally!!!
It's simple really.
Membership, Brownells seems to have bought a ready made audience they can advertise to without putting up with regulations and restrictions. They can also minimize their competition if they decide to.
Depending what they paid, it might be one of the better internet acquisitions of the decade. Even if it ends up being a wash where advertisers and members simply offset their operating costs it would still end up being free advertising for them on what is probably the largest firearm forums on the net.
The only thing that really bugs me is all the shit I took back in the day for BOTD content and now every other avatar over there is some chick wearing next to nothing. It's a bit irksome.
Diamondback
06-08-19, 01:37
Membership, Brownells seems to have bought a ready made audience they can advertise to without putting up with regulations and restrictions. They can also minimize their competition if they decide to.
They already have with the Gunstruction AR-builder app--anything not in the Brownells catalog is excluded from the database of parts you can work with, and I suspect that they only place things where the manufacturer pays for the advertising.
They have a lot of really good pic threads. I've never had any issues there. Don't spend a lot of time there though either.
NYH1.
I certainly hope that place isn't representative of gun owners. Brownells obviously didn't do their homework as this adult oriented site would have been a far wiser purchase. I quit that damned place in 2003ish because of all the children who think they know everything.
God awful site full of God awful people, for the most part. Yes, and the moderators suck big hairy balls as well.
I just love this place........So very much better and for the most part full of fairly like minded adults. The others are identified and purged rather quickly thank goodness.
I'd say it has more to with making money than representing any particular class/group of gun owner.
Five_Point_Five_Six
06-08-19, 10:24
Assuming Brownell's doesn't know what they're doing is foolish.
Yeaaah!
Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss
Back when I was in business as eguns.com, I used to pay a hefty sum to them to advertise and sell on their forum*. At that time, it was worth it, as it generated a good amount of traffic. I have not actively been selling in the business since around mid 2013 IIRC. But I still have a bunch of old inventory. I recently asked them if I could list some of it for sale on their forum, explaining the situation: I was no longer actively pursuing business and wanted to just list old inventory to clean out my basement, and would sell a good amount at or below my cost. I am basically selling as a private person though technically, any credit cards would be run through my business account (I still have the LLC as I use it for computer consulting and side iOS programming gigs). They said NOPE, you need to pay the business advertising fee in order to list (right, like I need more costs to sell my stuff at cost or loss). Anyway, I politely declined their offer. I will refrain from saying anything more...
*as I did on M4C, which was also well worth it, as the folks here know what they want and make good customers.
So, the owners of a website designed to make money off advertising dollars told you that you could not sell your leftover business inventory without paying for advertising. And you are upset about this. Why would they care about the cost at which you sell items? It benefits them not.
If you are truly a private individual, you should just sell your stuff as a private individual. If you are a business selling off business inventory, well then you are a business.
I’m not trying to be a dick. It’s just that you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Assuming Brownell's doesn't know what they're doing is foolish.
This.
Lets be honest with ourselves... We may not like it, but TOS is absolutely representative of the majority of gun owners. The mindset held here on M4C and a few other smaller forums is a very small percentage of over all gun owners. I'm not saying that's a good thing.. but it's the truth.
Brownells really isn't the company you go to when you need a basic duty grade rifle. They are the place you go to for replacement parts when your budget build shits the bed. They are the place you go to for clone parts and clone rifles. They are the Autozone of firearms parts and accessories. They sell some quality parts, but you will have to dig through mounds of shit to find them.
Honestly, what other area of the internet is more representative of their customer base than TOS? I'd bet the answer to that question is none.
With social media like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. cracking down on anything firearm related, it looks to me like Brownells is thinking ahead and playing the long game. It really is a great marketing strategy for them, and makes complete sense. I bet it pays off for them in the long run. Why go on other social media platforms and hope people see your page and adds (which are likely being suppressed) when you can instead go strait to your target customer base?
So, the owners of a website designed to make money off advertising dollars told you that you could not sell your leftover business inventory without paying for advertising. And you are upset about this. Why would they care about the cost at which you sell items? It benefits them not.
If you are truly a private individual, you should just sell your stuff as a private individual. If you are a business selling off business inventory, well then you are a business.
I’m not trying to be a dick. It’s just that you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Thanks for your input. No one is trying to have their cake and eat it to. But thanks, anyway.
I spent a ton of money as an advertiser on that site over time, and now that I am no longer pursuing the business, but trying to empty my basement of old inventory (and only existing old inventory, no reordering, no ongoing concern), I am basically selling as a "private individual" and not an ongoing concern. It is their business to run as they see fit, but as they allow private sales at no charge, I had hoped they would see the situation and allow it, considering the former business relationship and large amount I spent there in the past. They didn't, so I moved on.
I've never had any issues being a member over on AR15.com and I've been there almost from the beginning.
The AR pistol stuff and parts is parts shenanigans is hard to take though.
Thanks for your input. No one is trying to have their cake and eat it to. But thanks, anyway.
I spent a ton of money as an advertiser on that site over time, and now that I am no longer pursuing the business, but trying to empty my basement of old inventory (and only existing old inventory, no reordering, no ongoing concern), I am basically selling as a "private individual" and not an ongoing concern. It is their business to run as they see fit, but as they allow private sales at no charge, I had hoped they would see the situation and allow it, considering the former business relationship and large amount I spent there in the past. They didn't, so I moved on.
If you’re a private seller, why even ask permission to sell your stuff? Why not simply post it for sale?
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