U.S. Repeating Arms Announces Plans To Close Winchester Plant

Hartford Courant (Connecticut) ^ | 1/17/06 | n/a

[kiriath_jearim]

U.S. Repeating Arms Announces Plans To Close Winchester Plant

3:23 PM EST, January 17, 2006

Associated Press NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- U.S. Repeating Arms said Tuesday it will close its Winchester firearm factory, threatening the future of a rifle that pioneers toted into the Wild West and John Wayne hoisted onto the big screen.

"It's part of who we are as a nation just like it's part of who we are as a city. It's the gun that won the West," Mayor John DeStefano said. "What are we going to have, Winchester rifles manufactured in China? Is this what we're coming to?"

The announcement touched off a lobbying effort by city officials and union leaders who hoped to find someone to buy the plant before it closes March 31. If no buyer comes forward, it could spell the end for nearly all commercially produced Winchesters, said Everett Corey, a representative of the International Association of Machinists District 26.

"Winchester would be pretty much defunct," he said. "They're not going to produce them, other than a couple custom-type models."

The company has been plagued by slumping firearm sales. More than 19,000 worked there during World War II, but the plant employs fewer than 200 now.

"Several generations have worked at this place, a lot of fathers and brothers, sons, uncles and daughters," said Paul DeMennato, facility director at U.S. Repeating Arms. "A lot of marriages were people who met at Winchester."

U.S. Repeating Arms, which is owned by the Herstal Group, a Belgium company, has said for years that it was on the brink of closing the plant.

DeMennato said the company is negotiating the sale of its plant. The Winchester name is owned by Missouri-based Olin Corp., which had sold U.S. Repeating Arms the right to use the name until next year.

Olin had no immediate word on its plans for the Winchester name. DeMennato said he hopes the name will be sold along with the plant.

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On the Web:

U.S. Repeating Arms: http://www.usracmfg.com

Winchester firearms: http://www.winchesterguns.com

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[Atlas Sneezed]

More importantly, does it mean we'll see a tube magazine, lever action rifle in .358 Winchester sometime soon?

---

If there is a demand, they will probably produce sharp/soft tip bullets for it.

Right now Hornady offers 30-30, 35 REM, 44 Marlin, 45-70, 450 Marlin.

Given the failure of the 358 Win in the market (now only T/C chambers rifles for this), you probably won't see cartridges offered. However, you could use the 0.357/0.358" 200 gr. Leverevolution Hornady bullet loaded into the 358 Win case (a necked-up 308), to get that extra 500 FPS compared to the 35 Rem cartridge.

[OKSooner]

IMVHO, the .358 Winchester belongs at the top of the list of cartridges that didn't make it commercially. Thanks to the gun mags and writers who preach high velocity and flat shooting cartridges for that - all the other .308 derivatives are enjoying at least a modicum of success.

BTW, the Browning website shows the .358 available in the BLR:

http://www.browning.com/products/catalog/firearms/category.asp?value=003B

However, I don't want a BLR as it's not tube-fed. I'd prefer a Marlin 336 stainless. Dream on, I suppose.

[Range Rover]

I have always wanted a Winchester. Currently we only have a MkIV Enfield .303 which is a bit much for the woman to handle (she is rather small).

I see that they offer the Model 94 in many different flavors. Anyone willing to school a neophyte in the advantages of the different barrel lengths?(I see 20", 24" and 26" offered - I assume the longer, the more accurate at distance). Also would love to hear recommendations on chamberings. I see pistol rounds being offered for some.

The gun would be mostly used for deer but we do have the occasional coyote messing with our turkeys.

Any guidance appreciated.

[Vinnie]

I'd prefer a Marlin 336 stainless. Dream on, I suppose.

I saw a stainless 35 Rem Marlin at the last gun show. It had the shorter magazine like the 444, 45-70.
I want a 35 Rem, esp. now that the new Hornady ammo is out.

[Mamzelle]

The best-looking leading man, ever

[kiriath_jearim]

"Maybe the Winchester facility will go the way of the Springfield Armory in Springfield, MA. They made M1s there for years- produced somewhere between a million and a bazillion of them. "

****

Springfield Armory in MA was a govt-run arsenal. Winchester has always been a private company.

[nutmeg]

Connecticut ping!

Excerpt:

U.S. Repeating Arms said Tuesday it will close its Winchester firearm factory, threatening the future of a rifle that pioneers toted into the Wild West and John Wayne hoisted onto the big screen.

"It's part of who we are as a nation just like it's part of who we are as a city. It's the gun that won the West," Mayor John DeStefano said. "What are we going to have, Winchester rifles manufactured in China? Is this what we're coming to?"

Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.

[muir_redwoods]

"Connecticut has been anti-gun for 40 years and anti-business for 20...is this a surprise?"

At one time more than half the guns in this country came from CT. Colt, Ruger, Marlin, Winchester, Remington and then a bunch of marks from Norwich like Hopkins and Allen and the other names made in that factory supplied the growing firearms needs of this country. As far as the politics of the state, it is very blue but I've had a CT Concealed Carry Permit 10 years longer than the average Texan permit holder has been able to.

FWIW Stetson hats originated in Danbury CT a loooong time ago. We had cowboys covered two ways.

[fish hawk]

How do we know it's a Winchester, you can't tell by the picture. You could be a Liberal lying to us!! (joking)

[kAcknor]

"What are we going to have, Winchester rifles manufactured in China? Is this what we're coming to?"

While I'd like to see some company step in and buy the plant to keep it open, "Why?" keeps popping up.

Winchester, as a gun company, is like one of those Do-wop Rock n Roll groups from the 1950's. Living on past deeds and reputation, with no current hits or reason to exist other than the nostalgia of an aging population.

Winchester is in the same boat. No modern firearms line, everything they make has been redone by others, patents have long run out and the only reason they've been around this long is nostalgia for the name and product arising from Hollywood's past heyday with the classic western and a 1920's advertising champaign.

Everything the levergun can do is done today by the Mini-30, Mini-14 and ten million cheap imported SKS's.

Going to put on my Kevlar undies now, because the truth will always piss people off... ;)

[BurbankKarl]

Jimmy Stewart never rode up Brokeback Mtn

[fish hawk]

I have a Winchester 73. I bought it from a friend almost 50 years ago. I paid him $65.00. Have no idea what it is worth today. It is in good shape and workable, although I have never shot it. Just like looking at it. LOL

[fish hawk]

I've spread my money around. I have Remingtons for bird shooting but I do have two Winchester 101s. Both over/unders, one for trap and one for skeet. I don't think they make them anymore, I can't find them in the later gun books.

[colorcountry]

Well...I could be a lying liberal. In that case I conviced the deer to loving lay beside me as I petted it's purdy little head.

And NO that isn't a 1985 Winchester Model 70 Featherweight, it is a eeevil weapon of destruction with a killing mind of its own. I managed to wrestle it to submission and subdue it so it wouldn't harm anyone or anything....and the deer is thanking me for my good service.

[colorcountry]

Make that a 1984...

[Jack Black]

I posted this history and conjecture on the other thread on this:

For many years Winchester was owned by Olin Industries, and old line business, with strong family links. In the late 1970s the machinists went on a long and costly strike. At the end of the strike Olin sold the Winchester plant to a start-up. With it they also gave them the right to use the Winchester name until 2007. This company has been sold several time and eventually came under the ownership of Herstal, which is the corporate parent on FN. F.N. is the former Fabrique National, is located in Belgium. They have a deep affinity for Winchester, as Winchester was originally the firm that manufactured the designs of the great J.M. Browning.

At the same time that J.M.Browning was selling designs to Winchester (like the Model 1873, the 1886, the 1885, the 1892 lever actions) he was selling designs to F.N. in Europe. Most of these were released with the name "Browning" attached, as in the "Browning HiPower" the "Baby Browning" and a host of others. Thus there is a long genetic connection between F.N., Winchester and Browning. At this point all three are owned by Herstal.

Herstal obviously cares about Browning heritage (visit their site) and design. In fact they have spent years become the sole repository of Browning gunmaking DNA. It is a sad fact that they are in Belgium, not the USA. But they again John Moses himself saw fit to gift the Belgians with the use of his name. Good enough for him, good enough for us, I guess.

Move to the present. Herstal knows it's losing the Winchester name. The Olin family has continued to use both the name and the galloping cowboy logo on their totally seperate Ammunition business. In 2007 the Herstal license for the brand expires.

All new major Herstal firearms designs for many years have come out under the FN (police & military designs) brand or the Browning (hunting, civilian and historic) brand. Of course. They own these brands. You don't build up a brand you don't own. Compare the extensive clothing line of Browning vs. Winchester. Ask a 20 year old which brand they prefer.

I expect to see some of the Winchester guns continue to be manufactured by Herstal under the Browning brand. Which ones? Probably the lever actions. The bolt guns and shotguns, well Browning already has a their own versions of those. Maybe some high-end Winchester Mod 70s will be made in Belgium, like the Superposed is today.

As for the Winchester name, Olin has waited patiently to get it back. They may use it exclusively for their ammo and clothing business, or maybe they will license it to Uberti or some other old west clone maker. Or maybe, they buy a new factory and re-enter the gun business. But they don't own the newer Winchester designs, Herstal does.

The above is reasoned conjecture on my part. I do not work for any of the firms mentioned but have studied the history of the guns, founders and companies involved in their manufacture.

[OKSooner]

"I want a 35 Rem, esp. now that the new Hornady ammo is out."

Hmmmmm....

[El Gato]

I think it was Jimmy Stewart with the Winchester--John Wayne had a pistol.

In True Grit, he had both, twirling the winchester by the lever to cycle the action:

He also had one in Rio Bravo, from which I believe this shot is taken as well as in many other movies:

[Mamzelle]

I stand corrected. I never argue with anyone who can guide a horse with his teeth.