WINCHESTER ? WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM ?

[BigMoose]

1. Think of Winchester as a hermit crab. It exists but only as IP. Olin, a giant chemical company (chlorine), bought Winchester then sold it to the Winchester employees as USRA. USRA went bankrupt, but Olin still owns the name "Winchester".

2. There is no Winchester around to make rifles. The New Haven plant closed in '06. Think of Winchester as a hermit crab, it crawls over to different gun makers and finds a home for each contract: "Winchester" rifles are made by FNH in South Carolina and Portugal or in France by GIAT or by Miroku in Japan.

3. There is nothing to advertise. The guns, made overseas, are sold at SHOT by the Sales Garys of FNH to Bass Pro and other giant boxes by the container.

A little more info.

Olin does make chemicals yes, but they make a lot of Brass. A LOT of Brass, and Ammo.
Olin started as the Western Cartridge Company in East Alton IL.

Olin got a hold of Winchester because one of the VPs was a gun nut in the 40s.
Olin/WCC started marketing their Ammo under the Winchester brand. They also set up a more ammo plants under the Winchester name.

In the 80s, Olin had Winchester sell its firearms business, but Winchester kept making ammo.
Indeed it is not uncommon to find older USGI ammo with both WCC and WRA headstamps. Even though they were the same company. Two different headstamps were to mark which ammo plant the cartridge came from.

But eventually all the other ammo plants but the East Alton plant shut down.

So now we have the weird situation. The REAL Winchester, that just makes ammo, with WCC Headstamps for Uncle Sam, and some commercial. Other commercial ammo is marked WW or just Winchester.
While it does have firearms IP, it still is a real company, it just makes ammo now.

 

[Ingomike]

Winchester is nothing but a shell of its former itself. The name Winchester is nothing but a marketing name upon which they peddle often all manner of inferior firearms and accessories to an unsuspecting public. They put the name on everything and anything to make a buck. What used to be a great manufacturer and innovator in firearms often using designs invented by JMB or other even modern inventors of like caliber has not existed for scores and scores of years. Sad but true. IMHO!

So, purple not needed…

 

[DadSmith]

Has anyone seen a new Model 70 lately at a lgs? I haven't seen one in years around my area. Maybe I'm just going at the wrong time?

 

[yotehunt]

This thread got me thinking about my 1959 model 70. Havent touched it in years.

 

[two70]

Winchester is nothing but a shell of its former itself. The name Winchester is nothing but a marketing name upon which they peddle often all manner of inferior firearms and accessories to an unsuspecting public. They put the name on everything and anything to make a buck. What used to be a great manufacturer and innovator in firearms often using designs invented by JMB or other even modern inventors of like caliber has not existed for scores and scores of years. Sad but true. IMHO!

Inferior firearms? If anything, they build most of their firearms to a higher quality standard (with a higher corresponding price) than the consumers want and don't put out enough of the cheap crap that the firearms community gobbles up so readily. Winchester occupies the middle ground on price and quality for many products and that's just not a very successful place to be. Few companies can stay in the middle ground for long now days without either substantially raising the price or significantly lowering the quality.

 

[yotehunt]

Anything I see Winchester today is Savage without the savage name.

 

[Greffy]

Marlin anyone? Except for Ruger, most US gun brands are mostly all marketing fronts. The heritage gun industry names are pretty much only history now IMO. Sad that.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Winchester died for me in 1964. Quality, bean counters, cheesey triggers, safeties etc ruined the Winchester levers for me. Yes, Japan quality is good but still have cheesey triggers and safeties and of course foreign. The masses have said they want cheaper look alike levers so Henry is here. America give up on selling value and craftsmanship so there’s that. JMO

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Sales Garys release 3 new Winchester .22s for SHOT. They look Turk but don't know where the hermit crabs are scuttling off to this year.

Winchester: new year, new country.

2023 New Firearms of Winchester Repeating Arms -

The list of new 2023 Winchester Repeating Arms products includes two new options of their Wildcat rimfire rifle and the rimfire Xpert rifle.

www.thefirearmblog.com

 

[HoughMade]

The only Winchester in our safe is a 1951 Model '94 in 30-30. I'm thinkin' that is definitely 'Murican.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

 

[Leadeye]

I guess I'll just keep collecting and shooting the real thing. I like the SRC versions.

 

[hotcupofbro]

Who makes a quality stand in for a classic winchester these days as far as quality and reliability? I have been looking for a good lever in 44. I always ogle the old winchesters at the shows, but have never convinced myself to take the plunge. Worth it for a 70 year old rifle or is there something more modern in the same range?

 

[Leadeye]

Who makes a quality stand in for a classic winchester these days as far as quality and reliability? I have been looking for a good lever in 44. I always ogle the old winchesters at the shows, but have never convinced myself to take the plunge. Worth it for a 70 year old rifle or is there something more modern in the same range?

It's hard to beat Uberti if you are looking at 1866 or 1873 model. I shoot 44-40 in both and they perform well.

 

[hotcupofbro]

It's hard to beat Uberti if you are looking at 1866 or 1873 model. I shoot 44-40 in both and they perform well.

I see they are owned by Benelli. Quality to match?

 

[Leadeye]

I see they are owned by Benelli. Quality to match?

The Uberti repros I have are accurate, function well and look good. Here is an 1866 and an 1873.

 

[hotcupofbro]

The Uberti repros I have are accurate, function well and look good. Here is an 1866 and an 1873.

View attachment 247401

Those are hot. I'll have to keep an eye out for them at the next couple of shows. Thanks for the rec.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

The only Winchester in our safe is a 1951 Model '94 in 30-30. I'm thinkin' that is definitely 'Murican.

Same here. A pre 64 30-30 and a .22 Mag Winchester lever something that I cannot remember. 'Merica.

 

[Andy NWI]

The only Winchester we have been wanting is a Garand, but seeing all of these beautiful lever guns makes me want one in 357. Might as well get a 1897 and Model 12 while I'm at it

 

[Mongo59]

The only Winchester we have been wanting is a Garand, but seeing all of these beautiful lever guns makes me want one in 357. Might as well get a 1897 and Model 12 while I'm at it

I have been collecting, er, accumulating those for years. I have 15-20 model 12's and 8-10 1897's and love them all.

I still have a Model 25 (non-takedown M 12) and a bunch of Model 24 double barrels and a handful of the 74's, 69's and 52's and a few others for good measure. I am never disappointed when I shoot any of them. They are worth the money but I take my time and get them at good prices especially if there is something wrong with them. Start now, he who dies with the most toys wins...