FAREWELL TO WINCHESTER
By Michelle Malkin · April 03, 2006 09:31 AM

End of an era

Sad:

The famous Winchester rifle glorified in American Westerns may have fired its last shot as a plant where it had been manufactured since 1866 closed its doors last week. One hundred eighty-six employees of the US Repeating Arms Company plant located in New Haven, Connecticut, were thanked for their work Friday, two days after the facility stopped all manufacturing activity, said Catherine Sullivan-DeCarlo, a spokeswoman for the city government.
She told AFP that the mayor's office has been searching for an investor, who would take over the plant, but has to overcome several obstacles on the way to achieving this goal.

US Repeating Arms Company and its New Haven plant belong to Belgian manufacturer Herstal, which has purchased from US firm Olin the right to use the famous brand name.

"Herstal owns US Repeating Arms and Olin owns the license to the Winchester name so they own the brand name," Sullivan-DeCarlo said. "We've been talking to different gun manufacturers, and at the same time the mayor has been talking to Olin about possibly keeping the name Winchester here for whoever comes in the factory," she continued. "Because otherwise, our fear is that the Winchester name will end up overseas."

That would be a rough turn for the celebrated lever-action 1873 gun that made rapid reloading and fire possible and helped conquer the West.

Local coverage of the factory shutdown here and here.

The Times of London pays tribute:

Emanuel Gomez remembers the day that the company bought tickets for all its workers to watch the John Wayne film Stagecoach.
It was a source of pride for everyone at the factory that made the movie star’s signature Winchester rifle. “You have all these action scenes and you see him shooting his Winchester - killing Indians, of course,†Mr Gomez, who spent 44 years at the plant, recalled.

But the iconic American firearm known as “The Gun that Won the Westâ€, featured in so many Hollywood Westerns, is now riding off into the sunset for good.

Workers at the factory that produced the quintessential cowboy rifle for 140 years were laid off this week amid howls of protest from gun-lovers around the world, and the plant closed yesterday. “John Wayne and so many actors carried a Winchester: They didn’t say: ‘Hand me my rifle’. They said: ‘Hand me my Winchester’,†David Bichrest, the secretary of the Texas-based Winchester Arms Collectors Association, said.

“We have got 2,000 active members in this organisation. It runs from Australia to England to Belgium to France to Norway,†he said. “The whole fraternity is upset. There is a website called ‘Save Winchester’.â€

...Local officials say that three companies - including Smith & Wesson - have shown interest in buying the factory if they can get hold of the name.

“The name is very important. That is why there is going to be a battle,†Denny Johnson, another Winchester worker, said. “If it does not say ‘Winchester, New Haven, Connecticut’, it's not a real Winchester.â€

So what does that mean? Is Winchester Repeating Arms is closed for good? Or is there another factory somewhere?

quote:

Originally posted by Arctic Gun:
So what does that mean? Is Winchester Repeating Arms is closed for good? Or is there another factory somewhere?

Dead, gone and buried.

It means that the plant in New Haven is closed. The firearms(M70, 94, 1300) that were manufactured there are out of production. There are firearms with the Winchester name still being manufactured in other locations, namely Japan. Olin Corp. owns the Winchester name and licensed USRA to use it for firearms.

There is talk of different manufactures buying the right to make those models. Something like that is a possibility. But for now the plant is closed.

Sam:

As the old man that I am. the name "Winchester" disappeared for me when something called "US Repeating Arms Company" took over some years ago. The current corporate maneuvers simply are dancing on the grave. (You know the odd thing, Sam? The only Winchester I ever owned in my life was a M70 in 220 Swift that my father gave me as a high school graduation present in 1948. I never owned or used any other Winchesters -but as an American I truly regret its passing)

Ohiosam
I have left you a PM with a question. Please respond when you have a chance.
Thank you
Joe

Hopefully when someone jumpstarts production again and has the balls to stamp "Winchester" on the guns they produce, like the Model 94 for example, they won't make the same stupid mistakes that have been made since 1964. THEY HAVE TO MAKE EVERYTHING THE PROVEN PRE-64 WAY OR NOBODY WILL BUY THEM!!!

Pardon me but doesn't Pre-64 refer to the model 70 Winchester? I did not know that there is such a thing as a pre-64 model 94.

I realize that the changes made in 64 were all cost saving measures but unless I'm mistaken the only Winchester truely commanding a premium for being a Pre-64 is the model 70.
I do understand Pre-cross bolt safety when referring to a model 94.

Please straighten me out here if I'm wrong.
Thanks
Joe

the term "pre-64" applies to all Winchesters. Pre-64 model 94's command a premium, just as the model 70's do.
The post 64 model 94's went through a phase when the receivers were some weird alloy, and were very rough and "clunky" feeling. They got much better later on.

Thanks, I was not sure about that one.
Joe

Though it is quite possible that the Herstal Group may sell "Made in Japan"
Model 94's and Model 70's again in a few years (at premium prices) just as they have Models 52, 63, 71, 85, 86, 92, 95, and others, it is highly unlikely the New Haven plant will be taken over by anyone unless they have really deep pockets and a LOT of nostalgia.

Herstal (Browning) might make a success of the Japanese made line of 94's and 70's because they could likely negotiate a very good deal with Olin for use of the "Winchester" name. After all, the name is no asset to Olin if no one is paying to use it. And Herstal already owns the production drawings, patent use rights, tooling, etc.

BUT the plant in New Haven is really not a viable operation IF the information I have from the inside there is anywhere near accurate.

Not only is the building not in top condition, the machinery is generally very old, and worst of all...it is said that the plant is likely to become another EPA "Super-fund" site. Generations of solvents, oils, greases, bluing chemicals, etc. have supposedly soaked through the floors into the soil below, and hence possibly into the groundwater. To clean that all up could possibly require removal of the building and foundations, much earth, and various other processes. If so, the cost & time would be little short of fabulous and very lengthy.

I sincerely hope the insiders who passed this info on to me are dead wrong and just repeating rumours. But if they are correct, I think any possibility of future New Haven Winchesters is likely gone forever.

At any rate, were I in an association or business entity looking at the possiblity of acquiring the plant, I would certainly urge a most thorough and arduous "due diligence" process before making ANY offer for the plant for any purpose.

AC

quote:

Originally posted by jcunclejoe:
Ohiosam
I have left you a PM with a question. Please respond when you have a chance.
Thank you
Joe

Just saw it Joe and left a response. Sam

quote:

Originally posted by gerry375:
Sam:

As the old man that I am. the name "Winchester" disappeared for me when something called "US Repeating Arms Company" took over some years ago. The current corporate maneuvers simply are dancing on the grave. (You know the odd thing, Sam? The only Winchester I ever owned in my life was a M70 in 220 Swift that my father gave me as a high school graduation present in 1948. I never owned or used any other Winchesters -but as an American I truly regret its passing)

Gerry,
I own several Winchesters but only 1 made after 1964. I have a 16ga M97, a 12ga M24, a .22cal M69A. The post 64 I have is an early M70 Featherweight made just before USRA took over. It has WRA markings. Sam

Sam:

Reading about your Winchesters, I suddenly realized that once again I had shot my mouth off too fast when I said that my M70 in 220 Swift was my only Winchester. There was one more - a Win. 1897 pump in 12 ga. It had a straight grip and a hammer. I used it at about age 15 in ruffed grouse season and also at age 16 in grouse season. As a lifelong ruff hunter I never used a shotgun that killed grouse better, not ever. I traded it away. Why? It was "old fashioned". My own father told me I was being foolish -but who listens to a father at that age? ( I think I killed ruffs at about 8-9 birds to a box of 25 - I kid you not)

I doubt I've seen a dozen grouse around here in the last 3 years. In the 2004 deer season I flushed 5 grouse on one drive and that was the most I'd seen in years. Used to be a bunch around here but not anymore. You still have some up in your neck of the woods?

I too own a Win 97 pump.

As a boy, watched my grampa knock down three ducks in a row with three long shots with this gun. "Now we can go home" he said, after waiting what seemed like hours for a young boy.

Do we thank the WSM lawsuit for the end of Win?

Sam:

I was speaking of shooting ruffs in Putnam and in Sullivan counties in NY. Unfortunately I haven't hunted in the last 10 years that I have been living on Long Island in NY state (and which has no grouse at all) So I have no current info. Of course, ruffed grouse have some real cycle swings. ( I always thought they were more severe than for rabbits or squirrels) Maybe your area has been in the middle of such a swing. ( They used to run,as I remember, about four years from high to low)

Snapper:

Glad to hear you have a 97. I'm 76 years old and remember that shotgun like it was yesterday. BTW, the one I had was with a 28" barrel so maybe it was just like what your grandpa used on ducks. (I was too ignorant at 15 to understand that you can't use a 28" barrel shotgun on ruffed grouse in woods. Lucky for me I had not read the book)

Over the years; I've owned several Pre '64 Winchesters. Mostly model 70's in .22 Hornet (two of these, one a super grade), .30-06, and one in .308. Other Winchester rifles, I've owned were: A Model-1907 in .351 WSL, M-94 in .44 Mag., M-75 Sporter in .22 LR, M-320 in .22 S,L,LR. I had a collection of Winchester M-43's too in .218 Bee, .32-20, and a couple in .25-20 WCF. I have one Winchester M-43 in .25-20 which I intend to Keep!