My information is that Winchester Repeating Arms is owned by the Belgium Company FN which is in turn owned by a huge French Arms company. Is this true? If so we should boycott Winchester.

Howard,

You should post this in the Politics Forum!

Regards,

Pete

I could be wrong, but I think the "huge French arms company" was GIAT, which sold USRAC to Fabrique Nationale (FN) in the past year or two. So, likely they're not French, but Belgian.

Hopefully, someone in the know can clarify the issue.

RSY

I believe that RSY has the gist of it. GIAT (which is a French arms giant, the company which sold all the Mirage jets to middle-eastern nations) sold Winchester to FN, however, I believe it may have been simply a business arrangement, as I think FN is owned by GIAT as well. - Dan

OK, that's it, I'm switching from French Toast to Belgian Waffles...

Put in your time, money, and energy and show us the boycott.

Take this to the Political Forum.

FNFAL is owned by the belgian government, like a governor, in all honesty. the french DO NOT own it.

fn owned that list woudl include
winchester
savage
browning

jeffe

Joe,
thanks for making me look this up, and you are correct..

according to their company history, they are independant..
http://savagearms.com/history_contact/history.htm

jeffe

Leave the post right here. If bulliwyf doesnt want to read it then he can ignore it and buy all the french crap he wants.

Enough Americans have died to save their sorry french asses.

Winchester, both the company and the name, are owned by the Olin Corporation of East Alton, Ill.

Now, US REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, as well as Browning Arms Company, are owned by FN Herstal. FN Herstal USED TO BE owned by GIAT (Groupement Industriel d'Armes Terrestres).

GIAT divested itself of the majority of the shares to the Walloon Regional Government (Walloon is the Belgian Province where Herstal is located). GIAT retained a minority interest in FN. Curently, the Walloon government sold FN to the Belgian aerospace conglomerate EWA (Enterprises Wallonnes de l'Aeronautique).

This webpage shows the member companies of EWA, in alphabetic order. Scroll down and you will find FN Herstal.

EWA member companies

Amen Customstox.

Belgium also is against the USA. boycott them too!

If you're going to boycott them, do so for crappy products too.

Always have I guess, that's why I just stick with my Remingtons.
Droptine

From now on, if I want a CRF rifle, it's either a Ruger (American) or a CZ (made by one of our "new Europe" allies).

No more hunting in Canada for you guys, then. Boycott them as well! I'll stick with my Winchester's, thank you.

custumstox:

Tell us what your boycott plans are.

Buliwyf

Since I've hung my MRC hat for the day, I can say I would have a hard time taking the boys at USRAC to task. I've met their management team and have to say....all the way to the very top...they have their heads in the right place. They're working extremely hard to fix the sins of the recent past and are pouring a lot development effort into the M70 to make it better than it ever was.

They are truly "one of us", even if the foreign owners of the parent's parent company are "one of THEM". Maybe we shouldn't be so eager to bash one of our own.

[ 03-21-2003, 09:26: Message edited by: Rod@MRC ]

Buliwyf,
I will go out of my way to NOT buy anything owned by the French. Now tell me what YOU are going to do.

Rod, I don't necessarily agree. They may be our citizens but they are working to make Them richer. I think in this case it has been shown that they are not French so it is a moot point. If it was an Iraq owned company would you feel differently. I may be stretching it but I am not sure if it matters that they are good people or not. Boycots often leave a sting at home also.

[ 03-21-2003, 12:00: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Chic,

I guess that means no more French Walnut Blanks?


Rich Elliott

[ 03-21-2003, 17:04: Message edited by: Rich Elliott ]

It's better to boycott products labeled as:

• Product of China or Made in China
• Product of Germany or Made in Germany
• Product of Russia or Made in Russia
• Product of Turkey or Made in Turkey
• Product of Indonesia or Made in Indonesia
• Product of Canada or Made in Canada
• Product of Mexico or Made in Mexico
• Product of Pakistan or Made in Pakistan
  

and so on.
Boycotting a U.S. product made here by U.S. citizens just because the parent corporation is owned by a corporation based in one of the above countries will only hurt U.S. citizens (this does not apply to ongoing boycotts of S&W, Ruger, and Colt for stabbing the gun-buying public in the back).
Boycotting imports is a MUCH better way to go.
George

[ 03-21-2003, 19:36: Message edited by: GeorgeS ]

Customstox:

Your posts are diatribe.

Buliwyf

[QUOTE] And just who do you think owns Remington?

--------------------
Randy Wakeman

I was just stating that I prefer Remingtons over Winchesters. To each his own, it has nothing to do with who owns who.
Droptine

Buliwyf,
If you think so then I know I am doing everything right.

George, a boycott of a product that is made here but owned by a foreign company will not "only hurt U.S. citizens", it will hurt the profits of those parent companies. If you don't buy from those companies where the product is produced overseas, US citizens are also hurt in the sales arena. There is no free lunch when it comes to a boycott. And when they do get hurt more pressure is brought to bear.

[ 03-21-2003, 21:03: Message edited by: Customstox ]

Customstox:

These are citizens you are referring to that are trying to feed their families in tough economic times. They are trying to make an honest decent living. You have not faced economic struggles are your comments would not be arrogant. Your arrogance and ignorance shows in the diatribe posts you make in an effort to glorify your internet reputation.

Buliwyf

Is this an American website? (Must "we" boycott Winchester). Who exactly are "we". I would suggest some of you take a step back and really consider what you are saying, and who you are speaking to.

Chuck

I'm not going to show any effort to boycott this. Even if I did and others did as well, the hunting world would SUCK if I knew I would have to pick a Remington.

Bulliwyf, you know nothing about me or background or upbringing. In fact the more you post, you display that you know nothing about anything. A boycott does do economic damage and does create hardship to people. And it creates pressure.

You do what you want and buy all the French items you want. I will choose not to and that does not make me arrogant or ignorant but it does paint a pretty good image of you.

Custunstox:

Your posts are disturbing. Your misguided masochistic thinking to damage the working person's ability to make a living lets anyone know all they need to know about you.

You should be boycotted. Then we will see how you handle the pressure that will be created.

Buliwyf

Buliwoof, your lack of an intelligent response speaks volumes about you. Ignore switch ON.

Ban everything.

Rich Elloit,
There has not been a true French Walnut stock imported into the USA in the last 50 years..The cut it up for furniture long ago...Now they simply stamp French on California English and die it orange...

SEE!!! I TOLD ALL OF YOU A MILLION TIMES TO GO WITH A PRE-64 MODEL 70, MADE IN THE USA...OR A NAZI MADE MAUSER, THEY DISPISED THE FRENCH TOO AT ONE TIME UNTIL WE WHIPPED THEIR A$$ AND LIBERATED THE FRENCH, NOW BOTH ARE BUTT BUDDIES.

Customstox:

These working people of whom you wish to destroy their economic well-being have done nothing but work. They are not politicians, they work for a living. Jobs are hard to get much less replace. Taking care of loved ones is a priority. Internet midgets like yourself without economic hardships offer arrogant and ignorant comments about issues intended to hurt others.

You post like a politician. You have no economic worries about paying your bills so it is very easy for you to arrogantly post. I expected you to agree to be boycotted so we could see you show us how to handle the hardship created.

You can run, but you can not hide.

Buliwyf

There are 10,943 Americans who now reside on this picturesque spot on the French coast who I imagine would agree with me. Whether they do or not does not matter, it is a personal choice. The French have stated their opposition to our position in this war and they have also shown their commercial side with Iraq. They supplied them with a reactor to produce nuclear weapons grade material in 1981 and they are an arms supplier to them now. Those arms are now being used against our soldiers. I have no vote in France. The only way I can vote is with my pocketbook.

Every time they have been involved in a war, the United States has been there to save their asses, at the cost of our young soldiers lives.

France has moved from simple dissent against America to active hostility toward us.

In the last weeks, French President Chirac warned East European nations that if they side with America, France will oppose their membership in the European Union.

William Safire reported in the New York Times
that France has been secretly helping to arm Iraq -- and has been helping Iraq build long range missiles. These same missiles may be used against American soldiers. Why did France do this? My guess would be for commercial reasons.

You can go ahead and support France and all they stand for. I for one will not. And if you can find people who do not want to buy my product because of this stand, you will be doing me a service as I do not want to do business with them.

Now come out of that cloak of anonymity that you seem to enjoy here and tell us who you are. I have no trouble doing it. Maybe you can show just a little courage. By the way, I am not hiding but you seem to be.

Here is that spot in France where the 10,943 Americans who no longer have a voice in the matter are "residing."



Her are some of those French owned products. By the way do you happen to work for B. F. Goodrich. Oops, you are still in high school.

Air France. Air Liquide. Airbus. Alcatel. Allegra (allergy medication). Aqualung (including: Spirotechnique,Technisub, US Divers, and SeaQuest). AXA Advisors.

Bank of the West (owned by BNP Paribas). Beneteau(boats). BF Goodrich (owned by Michelin). BIC (razors, pens and lighters). Biotherm(cosmetics). Black Bush. Bollinger (champagne).

Car & Driver Magazine. Cartier. Chanel. Chivas Regal(scotch). Christian Dior. Club Med(vacations). Culligan(owned by Vivendi).

Dannon (yogurt and dairy foods). DKNY. Dom Perignon. Durand Crystal.

Elle Magazine. Essilor Optical Products. Evian.

Fina gas stations and Fina Oil (billions invested in Iraqi oil fields). First Hawaiian Bank.

George Magazine. Givenchy. Glenlivet (scotch).

Hennessy. Houghton Mifflin (books).

Jacobs Creek (owned by Pernod Ricard since 1989).
Jameson (whiskey). Jerry Springer (talk show)

Krups (coffee and cappuccino makers).

Lancome. Le Creuset (cookware). L'Oreal (health and beauty products). Louis Vuitton.

Marie Claire. Martel Cognac. Maybelline. M�phisto
(shoes and clothes). Michelin (tires and auto parts). Mikasa (crystal and glass). Moet (champagne). Motel 6. Motown Records (that is surprising). MP3.com. Mumms (champagne).

Nissan (cars; majority owned by Renault). Nivea. Normany Butter.

Parents Magazine. Peugeot (automobiles). Pierre Cardin.Playstation Magazine. ProScan (owned by Thomson Electronics, France). Publicis Group (including Saatchi (Saatchi Advertising).

RCA (televisions and electronics; owned by Thomson
Electronics). Red Magazine. Red Roof Inns (owned by Accor group in France). Renault (automobiles). Road & Track Magazine. Roquefort cheese (all Roquefort cheese is made in France). Rowenta (toasters, irons, coffee makers,
etc.). Royal Canadian.

Salomon (skis). Sierra Software and Computer Games. Smart & Final. Sofitel (hotels, owned by Accor). Sparkletts (water, owned by Danone). Spencer Gifts. Sundance Channel.

Taylor Made (golf). Technicolor. T-Fal (kitchenware). Total gas stations.

UbiSoft (computer games). Uniroyal. Universal Studios (music, movies and amusement parks; owned by Vivendi -Universal). USFilter.

Veritas Group. Veuve Clicquot Champagne. Vittel.
Vivendi.

Wild Turkey (bourbon). Woman's Day Magazine.

Yoplait (The French company Sodiaal owns a 50 percent stake). Yves Saint Laurent.

Zodiac Inflatable Boats.

You might enjoy this link also. Then you can boycott away you spineless SOB.

Tammuz

Notice... I'm going to boycott this thread. Any joiners? (I'll have no idea, as I'm on boycott, and thus shall not return to see who joined. ) ~~~Suluuq