SAD - Winchester closing it's doors
Author |
Message |
cobb
|
Post subject: SAD - Winchester closing it's doors Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:33 pm |
|
1911 tainted |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:47 pm Posts: 3045
|
|
|
|
|
Moby Clarke
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:06 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:09 pm Posts: 965 Location: North Minneapolis
|
_________________ It is about Liberty!
Political Correctness is a doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.
Chris
|
|
|
|
|
mobocracy
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:41 pm |
|
Forum Moderator |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:55 pm Posts: 986
|
At least they're going out of business for reasons organic to capitalism and not due to lawsuits or changes in the law. And it doesn't seem impossible that the name and designs will be made by somebody else again in the future.
|
|
|
|
|
cobb
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:56 pm |
|
1911 tainted |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:47 pm Posts: 3045
|
mobocracy wrote: At least they're going out of business for reasons organic to capitalism and not due to lawsuits or changes in the law.
I wouldn't rule out the lawsuits being the cause. If there are a lot of insurance claims with your insurance company, even though you never made a claim, the odds are that your premiums are going to go up. The firearm industry has been hit very hard with unjust lawsuits from every angle and even though Winchester wasn't directly involved, I would say that they too were deeply effected by them financially.
|
|
|
|
|
gunflint
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:32 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:00 am Posts: 1094 Location: Duluth
|
Is my 30-30 model 94 a collectors item now? It's a heck of a brush gun for deer.
_________________ "I wish it to be remembered that I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle" Sitting Bull
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Rothman
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:54 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:24 am Posts: 6767 Location: Twin Cities
|
As "Father Knows Best" explained very well on The High Road...
Quote: There haven't been any new Winchesters in a long, long time. Oliver Winchester's company, New Haven Repeating Arms, is long defunct. U.S. Repeating Arms, a subsidiary of Belgium-based Fabrique Nationale Herstal, is just a relatively recent (1981) licensee of the Winchester firearms brand name (which I believe is owned by Olin, the company that makes Winchester brand ammunition). If FNH gets out of the business of building Winchester brand firearms, some other licensee will pick up the torch. It's no different than, say, "Armalite" or "Springfield Armory" brand firearms. The current production firearms bearing those brand names are built by companies that have nothing to do with the original Armalite company or the U.S. government's Springfield Armory -- they just license the right to slap those brand names on their products.
The same is true of many other American firearms brands. For example, Eliphalet Remington founded the company that made the famous New Model Army revolver of Civil War fame (erroneously referred to in many cases as the "1858" Remington), and later the Rolling Block single shot rifles and many others. The Remington family has been out of the firearms business since before the turn of the 20th century, however. The firm went bankrupt in the 1880s, and the Remington brand name was purchased by others.
So don't fret. Whatever happens, you'll always be able to buy guns with "Winchester" stamped on them. The only question is who actually makes them, but that's always been in question.
_________________ * NRA, UT, MADFI certified Minnesota Permit to Carry instructor, and one of 66,513 law-abiding permit holders. Read my blog.
|
|
|
|
|
backinthegame
|
Post subject: Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:50 pm |
|
Journeyman Member |
|
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:06 pm Posts: 78
|
I think that the worst part is not what happens today, but:
Quote: More than 19,000 Winchester employees worked in New Haven during World War II, but after years of a softening firearms market, the plant now employs fewer than 200. All will lose their jobs when the plant closes.
Less than 200 employees. Pretty small operation for a legend.
_________________ Pakrat did not make my avatar.
|
|
|
|
|
Macx
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:14 am |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Thu Oct 13, 2005 12:37 pm Posts: 1757 Location: Whittier
|
Roger, over. Cisco Tango . ...
_________________ Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a
lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become
a law unto himself; it invites anarchy .” Olmstead v. U.S., 277 U.S. 438
|
|
|
|
|
mobocracy
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:39 am |
|
Forum Moderator |
|
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 6:55 pm Posts: 986
|
backinthegame wrote: I think that the worst part is not what happens today, but: Quote: More than 19,000 Winchester employees worked in New Haven during World War II, but after years of a softening firearms market, the plant now employs fewer than 200. All will lose their jobs when the plant closes. Less than 200 employees. Pretty small operation for a legend.
It's a little misleading to compare WW II employment of a small arms factory with current employment, especially when the company's peace-time product is a lever-action rifle.
|
|
|
|
|
backinthegame
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:36 pm |
|
Journeyman Member |
|
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2005 8:06 pm Posts: 78
|
mobocracy wrote: It's a little misleading to compare WW II employment of a small arms factory with current employment, especially when the company's peace-time product is a lever-action rifle.
It's still a slight drop, war or not.
_________________ Pakrat did not make my avatar.
|
|
|
|
|
ttousi
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:33 pm |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 11:20 am Posts: 3311 Location: St. Paul, MN.
|
My guess is the name/product won't lie dormant for long ....someone will purchase the rights.
_________________ http://is.gd/37LKr
|
|
|
|
|
BigRobT
|
Post subject: Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:40 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:25 am Posts: 1772 Location: North Central Texas (now)
|
I've not heard too many good things about Winchester in the recent years. It actually made me sad the hear what I had heard. A legend that was now junk. I purchased a Super X2 12 ga for deer hunting and I like it quite well. However, when looking at lever guns, the Marlin far exceeded the Winchester as far as quality, tightness, and overall gun store appearances. I'm sure some fine gun manufacturer will purchase the Winchester name and hopefully return it to it's glory.
|
|
|
|
|
grayskys
|
Post subject: Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:25 am |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:53 pm Posts: 1725
|
BigRobT wrote: I've not heard too many good things about Winchester in the recent years. It actually made me sad the hear what I had heard. A legend that was now junk. I purchased a Super X2 12 ga for deer hunting and I like it quite well. However, when looking at lever guns, the Marlin far exceeded the Winchester as far as quality, tightness, and overall gun store appearances. I'm sure some fine gun manufacturer will purchase the Winchester name and hopefully return it to it's glory.
I have a small collection of lever action riffles and they are all Marlin, they are what my grand father used and the quality is really great (not to mention the side eject so you could use a scope with it).
Winchester had the name though, every time I heard "lever action" I would think "Winchester" not "Marlin".
Maybe Marlin could buy the Winchester name?
|
|
|
|
|
BigRobT
|
Post subject: Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:06 pm |
|
Longtime Regular |
|
Joined: Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:25 am Posts: 1772 Location: North Central Texas (now)
|
grayskys wrote: Winchester had the name though, every time I heard "lever action" I would think "Winchester" not "Marlin".
Maybe Marlin could buy the Winchester name?
Now, THERE'S a thought!! Talking to a couple of the gunsmiths at Gander Mountain, Winchester has outsourced most of their parts to Japan. Quality control pretty much doesn't exist or their tolerances are way lax. My Marlin lever gun is far superior to the Winchester as far as tightness, overall feel, etc. Hence, the reason I bought the Marlin vs the Winchester.
(Maybe this is a Ford vs Chevy argument in disguise???)
|
|
|
|
|
cobb
|
Post subject: Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:12 pm |
|
1911 tainted |
|
Joined: Sun Aug 07, 2005 2:47 pm Posts: 3045
|
BigRobT wrote: grayskys wrote: Winchester had the name though, every time I heard "lever action" I would think "Winchester" not "Marlin".
Maybe Marlin could buy the Winchester name? Now, THERE'S a thought!! Talking to a couple of the gunsmiths at Gander Mountain, Winchester has outsourced most of their parts to Japan. Quality control pretty much doesn't exist or their tolerances are way lax. My Marlin lever gun is far superior to the Winchester as far as tightness, overall feel, etc. Hence, the reason I bought the Marlin vs the Winchester. (Maybe this is a Ford vs Chevy argument in disguise???)
There is no Ford vs Chevy here, my Marlins are flat out more accurate then my Winchesters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page 1 of 1
|
[ 15 posts ] |
|
This is a static archive the Twin Cities Carry forum, maintained as a public service by the current forum of record, The Minnesota Carry Forum.
All times are UTC - 6 hours
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 221 guests |
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum
|