I was watching one of the Outdoor Sports channels this morning before heading off to the Sunday Worship Service and almost jumped out of my seat when a commercial came on for Winchester Model 70 Rifles. I thought they were out of business.

I do not beleive Winchester is out of business, they just discontinued the model 70 and if I'm not mistaken one of the lever actions.

I also believe it was due to them closing down the New Haven CT plant where these two firearms were manufactured.

I could be incorrect but I seem to remember reading this in the NRA's American Hunter a few months ago.

well, if they discontinued the Model 70, why were they advertizing it on television this morning?

I don't know, but maybe it's and older show being rerun?

Here is the way I understand what happened to the Winchester M70s.

Winchester, as a company, has not existed for many years. Olin Corporation owns the "Winchester" brand name or trademark along with all the trademark model number like M70, M94, etc. They manufacutre Winchester powders, reloading components, and ammunition. Olin licensed the "Winchester" name to US Repeating Arms back in 1963 to manufacture M70s, M94s and M1300s. That's when the M70 was converted to a push feed action and they started manufacturing them in Japan along with the M94 lever action and M1300 shotgun.

I am not sure of this date, but I think in the late 80s or early 90s, USRAC re-opened the New Haven plant and moved the manufacturing of the M70s and M94s back to the US. They also introduced the "M70 Classic" with the Controlled Round Feed, like the pre-64 M70s. Somewhere in all of this, USRAC was bought out by Herstal, the same company that makes the FNs. In March 2006, Herstal dissolved USRAC and closed the New Haven plant and all production the M70 and M94 rifles and the M1300 shotguns was stopped. The license aggreement between USRAC and Olin corportation for the use of the "Winchester" name was about to expire. This, along with mismanagement of the plant, labor issues and poor quality control resulting in lower sales, contributed to the closing of the plant.

Also, somewhere in this time frame, Herstal also bought Browning.

Since March, 2006, Olin has entered into a license agreement with Browning (Herstal) to use the "Winchester" name on firearms. I have not seen any specific mention of the M70s or M94s, but it is speculated that Browning will start manufacting these models again in a year or two, prossibly in Japan. Other countries, including Russia and Portugal, have also been suggested as possible manufacturing locations. It makes sense that the M70, M94 and M1300 are part if this new agreement because other Winchester models are still being manufactured, like the 1885 lever actons. If you visit the Winchester web page, www.winchesterguns.com or the Herstal web page, the M70s, M94, and M1300s are still listed as if they are available.

I heard that the Winchester Custom Shop has a supply of M70 actions and custom models can still be purchased. I do not know for sure if this is the case. It may be just an unfounded rumor.

22rfw, did the commercial mention something about big fire?

GSP

Overheard a local distributor saying that FN wil be taking orders from major distributors starting in January at the Shot Show.

FN has a plant in the southern USA and will probably start producing rifles next summer.
Butch

There was a comment or rumor that some of the machinery from the NH plant was sent to the FN plant in Columbia, SC where they make M16 or some other military rifle(s) for the US Government.

Then there is the issue of a union contract where the M70 could not be made elsewhere for some period of time.

I think that it runs out this coming summer. I've talked to a tooling supplier and he is building and selling tooling now.
Butch

David, I'm curious about your statement concerning Model 70s made in Japan. I've seen that statement before. Where have you seen that info? I'm being curious, not argumentative. I've never seen a M70 stamped "made in Japan". My understanding is that other than the possibly the Model 770, they have always been made in the US.

quote:

Originally posted by butchlambert:
I think that it runs out this coming summer. I've talked to a tooling supplier and he is building and selling tooling now.
Butch

I would say that about seals the deal. If they are buying tooling to make Model 70s then they are going to be back on the market. The question will be, at what quality, and at what price.

CDNN has 2 Classic rifles right now. Got a sales email flyer from them - I think it was last night. If some one wants a classic action they have a couple

M Pursell

I may be wrong about that. I have never seen one either, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. I have heard from many others on this forum and others and a few gunsmiths that there was a time when USRAC had made the first post 64 M70s and the M94s in Japan at least in the 60s and early 70s.

David,

I myself have not heard of a Japanese made Winchester 70 or 94. Which, doesn't mean they don't exist, but not to my knowledge. There was a very rare Nodel 777, I think it was, which was Japanese made. I hate to be a nitpicker, but if these Japanese Winchesters date to the 60's or early 70's, they for sure weren't done under USRAC's watch. Regards.

The rumor of Japanese M70 & M94s apparently got started by someone because of the change of quality after 1964 & who did not really know anything about what was going on & like many other rumors has been kept going as hearsay by others & before long it becomes the gosphel.

The Winchester model 777 was a Nikko model 700 that was made in Japan for export to Europe only.

Gun,
I once actually had my hot hands on a Model 777, some years back. Apparently a few did make it stateside. Don't remember much about it, even what caliber it was, but at the time I didn't know anything about it, and since it was Japanese, didn't have any interest in it. It was priced reasonably, $500 perhaps.

The Win M70 and M94s were never made in Japan.

Actually, USRAC did not come into existence about until 1982 when Olin decided to cease the production of firearms. Winchester firearms were manufactured by the Winchester Division of Olin from sometime in the 1930s until 1982. The product redesigns that went into production in 1964 were Olin's doing , not USRAC's as they did not yet exist. With Olin's decision to shut down the New Haven plant a group of executives and employees formed USRAC and purchased the plant and equipment and negotiated a licensing agreement with Olin to produce certain Winchester branded products including the M70, M94, M1200, etc.

Where some of the confusion comes from is some Winchester shotguns (M101 and M23) were made in Japan by, if memory serves correctly, Miroku, under a seperate licensing agreement.