Winchester is shutting it doors

[Colorado Osprey]

End of an era as Winchester rifle plant prepares to close

By MATT APUZZO
Associated Press Writer

January 17, 2006, 4:52 PM EST

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- U.S. Repeating Arms Co. Inc. said Tuesday it will close its Winchester firearm factory, threatening the future of a rifle that was once called "The Gun that Won the West."

"It's part of who we are as a nation just like it's part of who we are as a city," Mayor John DeStefano said.

The announcement touched off a lobbying effort by city officials and union leaders who hoped to find a buyer for 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 people worked there during World War II, but the plant employs fewer than 200 now. All will lose their jobs when the plant closes.

The Winchester model 1873 lever action rifle was popular among American frontiersmen at the end of the 19th century for its reliability. John Wayne made the Winchester rifle a signature of his movies and Chuck Connors posed menacingly with his Winchester on the poster for the television series "The Rifleman."

"Marlin made lever-action rifles but nobody ever had a Marlin in films or TV series. They were always Winchesters," said Ned Schwing, a firearms historian.

Perhaps the company's greatest unofficial spokesman was President Teddy Roosevelt, who used the 1895 model on his famous 1909 African safari, which historians credited with boosting the sale of Winchester sporting rifles.

Since the plant opened in 1866, tens of millions of Winchester rifles have been produced, the bulk of which came between the late 1800s and the end of World War II, said firearms historian R.L. Wilson, who has written books about Winchester. More than six million copies of the Winchester Model 94, the company's most popular rifle, have been produced.

"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.

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 plant's sale. Missouri-based Olin Corp. owns the Winchester brand name. In the late 1970s, after a massive strike by its machinists, Olin sold the plant to U.S. Repeating Arms along with the right to use the Winchester 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. Nobody at Herstal's headquarters in Belgium could be reached Tuesday afternoon.
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[roman gnome]

That is just sad.

[redleg1one]

Agreed!!!!

[ruger]

It doesnt sound like many Winchesters are actually produced at that plant.

from http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/17/win...nn_mostpopular

"Once the U.S. Repeating Arms plant in New Haven, Connecticut, closes on March 31, the only new rifles carrying the famous Winchester name will be the modern, high-end models produced in Belgium, Japan and Portugal. The older models, including the famous Winchester Model 94, will be scrapped.

The name will continue, but not with those traditional products," said Robert Sauvage, a spokesman for the Herstal Group..."

Sounds like Winchesters will still be made...just not the models that don't sell.

-Ruger

[The1andOnlyKC]

That sucks :!:

[ronin223]

When I hear the word 'Winchester' I really don't think shotguns nor bolt action rifles (even though the model 70 is famous) I more think of the THE WINCHTER RIFLE, the lever action 94, and strangly that is the model which will be discontinued. Very sad.

Kinda seen it coming though, When it comes to lever actions, demand has increased with cowboy action shooting, and if you ask these guys which lever actions they like, most say marlin, some puma, few say winchester (in fact used winchesters go for less than the marlins). When it comes to shotguns most people think browning, remington, beretta, not winchester. Also in bolt guns, most people think remington, no winchester.

Guess I got to go out and get a Winchester 94 trapper compact before they become collector items.

[Gman]

I had a Winchester 1200 shotgun, but never a lever gun. Really never had a use for one.

I bet Marlin isn't feeling so bad about the news.

[Marlin]

Sad news for sure but, I'm a little surprised that Marlin didn't put them in the dirt a long time ago. I have owned both, and the Marlin is just a better built lever gun, it just looks and feels more durable. The winchester kind of look and felt like a toy, at least to Me. YMMV

[7idl]

IMHO, the only thing winchester worthwhile nowadays is ammo. ymmv

[Asha'man]

I've never really had any experience with Winchester guns, so I have no firsthand opinion on that. Sucks that such a huge name is going under, though.

Are they still going to make ammo? Thank god for WWB 9mm at Walmart.

Brian