I heard the same silliness once upon a time about Kimber. That was 4 years ago and last I checked, they're still going strong. Gunshop rumors are to be taken with a very large grain of salt.
Posts: 306 | Location: Originally from Texas | Registered: 17 March 2001
quote:Originally posted by Paul H: Gunshops are notorious for some of the most inane blather about hunting and guns.
And sellers at gun shows. I was looking for a 12.7x108 Russian machinegun round to add to my collection a few years ago. I asked lots of vendors if they had any. Most had never heard of it. the few who had heard of it ALL told me about those clever Russkies....see...they could fire US .50cal rounds in THEIR machineguns, but the Russian rounds were to big to fire in the US .50 mg.
Posts: 7580 | Location: near Austin, Texas, USA | Registered: 15 December 2000
Gunshop gossip is often a long way from the truth.
I remember five years ago at one of the most prominent gunshops in Portland, the talk was that U.S. Firearms, maker of those wonderful Hartford-built (in Colt's old factory) copies of the old Colt Single Action Army revolvers, was is serious financial trouble and would soon be out of business. If you walk in there today you'll get fed that same storyline, yet, U.S. Firearms continues to thrive, add more gun models, more state-of-the-art equipment, etc., etc. If they're about to go out of business, they're not acting like it!
In reality, the talk gets thrown out in order to create a sense of urgency so that you'll buy exisiting specimens from this store's inventory (thy're stocking dealers) while they're "still available". Create some gossip that creates some sizzle that creates a sale! Same old P.T Barnum stuff you'll get handed in a lot of gunshops across the country.
All too often gun dealers make me sick with their antics.
Im pretty sure they were talking about the 9422 series. If you look at the new 2005 catalog thats exactly what it states. "the 9422 will be gone in a year"
Posts: 356 | Location: Lansing, MI | Registered: 11 July 2000
Scott, I'm glad you brought up the Model 9422. One of the local dealers around here (this guy I trust 100%) was told by a USRAC official that the Model 9422 was going to be replaced by "something else" by the first of next year. What the "something else" is, I don't know....
or, the other way around, olin still "owns" the name... whoever makes it under license is that
jeffe
FROGS!!!!!!
Actually, it was my understanding that G.I.A.T. owned a majority stake in FN a few years back, who in turn owned the marketing rights for Browning. At some point, G.I.A.T., through FN, purchased the USRA manufacturing facility in New Haven, Connecticut (around 1993 or so) and the rights to market firearms under the Winchester name (made an agreement with the Olin Corporation who still owns the trademarks). G.I.A.T was also responsible for building new manufacturing facilities for USRA/Winchester (so that we can get all of those really nice CRF Model 70s at a fairly reasonable price).
Around five or six years ago, G.I.A.T. spun off FN (who is supposed to be the parent to Winchester/USRA, Browning, and FNHUSA) through some kind of complicated stock swap deal. This isn't gun shop/gun show bullshit, I got it from people in "the know."
FYI, USRA has gone belly-up a few times since being formed back in 1981. I haven't seen any slow down in firearms produced. Under their current management, I don't see that as a possibility.
Posts: 475 | Location: Oklahoma City | Registered: 15 March 2003
Winchester was originally a hobby of John Olin... to the best of my knowledge the company NEVER turned a profit in its history. When John Olin died it was sold by the Olin family. In the last three years or so it has finally turned a pofit. I doubt USRAC is going anywhere, though I hear the WSSM's are in deep trouble (duh... what stupid cartridges!).
I've learned to keep my ears closed in gun shops... I just run in get whatever it is that their geographical convenience necessitates that I pick up and get out.
There must be some school they send these guys to where they learn specifically how to ward off new customers with a genereal "grumpy old codger" attitude, and where everything they thought they learned in the '50s was gospel and could never change.
I've often wondered why some of the gun folklore doesn't die... i.e.: if with a gun butt sitting in the bend of your arm, and assuming your index finger can reach the triger, then that's the LOP you need.
Well, just let some guy ask about LOP at your local gun shop and listen to the typical response, and you'll see how these myths continue to live on.
quote:Originally posted by Brad: Winchester was originally a hobby of John Olin... to the best of my knowledge the company NEVER turned a profit in its history. When John Olin died it was sold by the Olin family. In the last three years or so it has finally turned a pofit. I doubt USRAC is going anywhere, though I hear the WSSM's are in deep trouble (duh... what stupid cartridges!).
BA
This is incorrect. Olin, or rather his father, owned Western Cartridge prior to purchasing Winchester in bankruptcy court in 1932. They turned a fair profit, particularly during WWII, until around 1960.
Posts: 475 | Location: Oklahoma City | Registered: 15 March 2003
quote:Originally posted by Just Some Guy: Originally posted by Brad: Winchester was originally a hobby of John Olin... to the best of my knowledge the company NEVER turned a profit in its history.
I think that more accurately reflects the life the Model 21.
quote:Originally posted by Just Some Guy: Originally posted by Brad: Winchester was originally a hobby of John Olin... to the best of my knowledge the company NEVER turned a profit in its history.
I think that more accurately reflects the life the Model 21.
Right. The Model 21 wasn't very highly thought of until Olin's involvement (field grade versions with plain, uncheckered wood, for instance).
Posts: 475 | Location: Oklahoma City | Registered: 15 March 2003
I understand Browning/Winchester, as it's known in France, is responsible for marketing their products here in "Old Europe". They're terrible at marketing if the presence of Browing and Winchester products in gunshops is any indication.
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AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim.
Posts: 7046 | Location: Rambouillet, France | Registered: 25 June 2004
U.S. Repeating Arms Corp. makes the Winchester guns, while Winchester (Olin) makes the ammo & components, permitting USRA to use the Winchester name on the guns.
"Bitte, trinks du nicht das Wasser. Dahin haben die Kuhen gesheissen."
Posts: 4386 | Location: New Woodstock, Madison County, Central NY | Registered: 04 January 2005
Well, I think all can rest at ease that such an event won't be occurring anytime soon.
I'm figuring I'd have about the first line of communication if such an event were to occur, since we have contracts for three years out.
Furthermore, everyone at the Winchester booth seemed to be extremely pleased with the turnout and orders that were placed during the shot show. This of course is coming from the head of purchasing, senior design engineer, and head of the custom shop.
More rumor from the uninformed.
When I say that of course, I'm not meaning you "Savage 99", just your sources.
Williams Machine Works
Posts: 1021 | Location: Prineville, OR 97754 | Registered: 14 July 2002
quote:Originally posted by triggerguard1: Well, I think all can rest at ease that such an event won't be occurring anytime soon.
I'm figuring I'd have about the first line of communication if such an event were to occur, since we have contracts for three years out.
Furthermore, everyone at the Winchester booth seemed to be extremely pleased with the turnout and orders that were placed during the shot show. This of course is coming from the head of purchasing, senior design engineer, and head of the custom shop.
More rumor from the uninformed.
When I say that of course, I'm not meaning you "Savage 99", just your sources.
posted Feb 2, 10:16 PM Let me claify. This was about Winchesters service organization. It was from a person in the know.
