USRAC/Winchester is quitting

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The Real Hawkeye said:
Ditto. Love my Classic Featherweight in .270 too. Much better fit and finish than anything I've seen from Ruger or Remington.
The finish on my FWT was nice, but the fit left something to be desired. I don't really care since I bought it to be a hunting rifle. I did have to work on the barrel channel and I'll eventually glass bed the bottom metal's inletting since it's currently too deep. Still, once I did some work on it, it turned into a nice shooting rifle. The FWTs are the only Winchester I'd own right now.

Chris
 
My gut feeling has been that Winchester has not been Winchester
since Olin Matheson took over in the 1960's.

It still hurts to see Winchester go the way of Harrington & Richardson
and so many other gun names I grew up with.
 
Winchester has been bankrupt and bought out a couple of times. Like somebody already said, some company will lease the name and start production. I just hope it's a U.S. company. USRAC relied on it's sister company Browning too much to cater to the specialty groups ( Trap, Skeet, ect. ). USRAC wasn't crap to begin with,... they never listened to what the public wanted, and obviously bankruptcy is going to be the result when you don't do that. They ignored the groups of shooters, ( Trap, skeet, sporting clays, rifle, ect. ) and went with " Oh well, one gun, and if they don't like it ,...oh well" attitude. I feel no mercy for them. When you have big shoots, such as ATA state shoots, you should have reps there pushing those guns, listening to the shooters and their feedback. They didn't care, and NOW they whine like EEyore, " Oh bother, Christopher Robin, come pin my nuts back on ". They won't find any sympathy from me... if they want sympathy, they can find it in the dictionary between Sh*t and syphyllis. If Oliver Winchester could have seen what USRAC did to his name, he would roll over in his grave. I am a Model 12 shooter so I DO like Winchesters....REAL Winchesters.
 
It makes me sick to think they are going. I have a 9422, A Win Garand, and a 95 and just ordered a new 94 and couldn't be happier. Maybe if I'd bought some earlier they would still be around. :(
 
mtnbkr said:
The FWTs are the only Winchester I'd own right now.

I like their O/U's. I know some people have had bad luck with them, but the ones I've played with are well put together.

Other than that, the Featherweight.

Some M70's might be nice if they weren't being used as a vehicle to foist redundant proprietary cartridges on hunters. Turned me off right away.

The 94 is arguably the worst lever gun on the market. How the mighty have fallen. CAS could have saved Winchester, but obviously the company WAS managed by monkeys.

As it stands, I'd choose a Marlin, American-made and a better gun with a better design and better quality for the same money. Or, I'd get an Uberti for vintage beauty, or a Puma. Note that Uberti sells more SAA's than Colt because Colt's guns are three to four times as expensive. But Uberti gets twice the money for a "Winchester" that Winchester does! If you've handled (fondled?) an Uberti lever gun, you know why.

If it didn't take so long, I'd think someone wanted to sink the company for a tax writeoff or something.
 
A big problem for me and a lot of other is how some models are offered in very limited calibers, most of which are the WSM and WSSM rounds. They pushed those rounds so hard that it hurt them quite a bit. A couple of guns I was looking at went something like this:

"Wow, that's a nice Winchester, can I get one in .223?"
"Yep...223 WSSM"
"No thanks."

They are cool rounds, but for shooting crows, a dollar a pop is a little much. All they could do now, is tool down and start making less models and drop the price DRASTICALLY, just like Savage did in the 1990s when they almost went under. Now look at Savage, they're thriving.

They should make the featherweight rifles in both finishes and DROP THAT PRICE. I know if the price went down I could find a reason to buy one, even though I don't neccessarily need one.
 
On the short mags---at one of the local dealers----EVERY Browning and Winchester on the rack is a short mag of some sort---I almost bought into the hype when they first came out---but now have no desire for one at all---good luck finding even a plain jane .223--.308--.270 or .30-06.

I can honestly say at least Browning has lost out on a sale due to that situation---and I took a Ruger home in a standard caliber.

The strange looking rifles(long barrel--short stock)--feeding problems---less rounds in the magazine---high cost--- and limited availability of the short mags is what put me off.
 
ATAShooter said:
Winchester has been bankrupt and bought out a couple of times. Like somebody already said, some company will lease the name and start production. I just hope it's a U.S. company. USRAC relied on it's sister company Browning too much to cater to the specialty groups ( Trap, Skeet, ect. ). USRAC wasn't crap to begin with,... they never listened to what the public wanted, and obviously bankruptcy is going to be the result when you don't do that. They ignored the groups of shooters, ( Trap, skeet, sporting clays, rifle, ect. ) and went with " Oh well, one gun, and if they don't like it ,...oh well" attitude. I feel no mercy for them. When you have big shoots, such as ATA state shoots, you should have reps there pushing those guns, listening to the shooters and their feedback. They didn't care, and NOW they whine like EEyore, " Oh bother, Christopher Robin, come pin my nuts back on ". They won't find any sympathy from me... if they want sympathy, they can find it in the dictionary between Sh*t and syphyllis. If Oliver Winchester could have seen what USRAC did to his name, he would roll over in his grave. I am a Model 12 shooter so I DO like Winchesters....REAL Winchesters.

I am glad the Republicans are not bailing out American companies that fail due to their own bad business practices. That last thing we need is for the govt to prop up companies that are hacking it even if it is a company with a name like this. The best thing they can do is remove some regulations to make it easier for new gun companies to start up in the US. I am sure someone will eventually make a Winchester brand or copy at some point.
 
Unfortunate

Anytime we lose a US company it is sad -- It's unfortunate that USRA couldn't be more responsive and capture a portion of the cowboy action market instead of leaving it to Uberti et all--
 
adaman04 said:
They are cool rounds, but for shooting crows, a dollar a pop is a little much.

You're not even factoring in the price of a new barrel for the barrel-burner!:)
 
Truly sad to hear that Winchester's on the block again however I have to agree with ATAShooter in that Winchester wasn't paying attention to average shooters. I know there is a difference between a shooter and a collector. A shooter values a firearm for what it's worth to him. A collector values a firearm by what it's worth to someone else. For collectors Winchester was a means to an end, for the rest of us other options were/ are simply a better value. Maybe the next owner could oblige us with a website that was worth a hoot!
 
its those damn liberals up there

this is the worst news ive ever heard. my dad talked to a guy in carters country gun store and colt might do the same and then start over:(:mad::(:mad: i love colt, its my name and both companies are a part of america.
 
I guess some of you guys like Winchester better than me...

As for the Model 70, it is a good gun and I guess a lot of people like them, but I personally don't think it is all that notable. Its just another bolt action rifle that does the same thing about 10 other brands would do.

I guess I am gonna get flamed for saying this, but we will all do fine without the Model 70.

As for the comment about the 94's produced in the 1950's being some of the best production guns around, that maybe true, but Winchester was a different company, with different owners back then too. Their current 94s are pretty low on my desirability list.
 
But Uberti gets twice the money for a "Winchester" that Winchester does! If you've handled (fondled?) an Uberti lever gun, you know why.
How long do you think it will be before Uberti starts putting out some really well made Model 94s? I have one of their '73s and one of their '66 Yellow Boys. Truely finely made weapons. Cost a bundle, but worth it. And no safeties other than originally designed to have.
 
Omaha-BeenGlockin said:
On the short mags---at one of the local dealers----EVERY Browning and Winchester on the rack is a short mag of some sort---I almost bought into the hype when they first came out---but now have no desire for one at all---good luck finding even a plain jane .223--.308--.270 or .30-06.

I can honestly say at least Browning has lost out on a sale due to that situation---and I took a Ruger home in a standard caliber.

The strange looking rifles(long barrel--short stock)--feeding problems---less rounds in the magazine---high cost--- and limited availability of the short mags is what put me off.
Very true. Winchester lost a sale from me recently because of that. I have been hankering for a Winchester Classic 70 Super Grade in .35 Whelen. Called the company and was told that the closest they have to that is one chambered for the new .325 WSM. No thanks.
 
How long do you think it will be before Uberti starts putting out some really well made Model 94s?

I am not sure they will do that. They might, but I am not sure how much appeal the 94 has to the cowboy crowd. The Ubertis are much nicer than any new Winchester... and if they do as good a job with the 94, they will cost more than people are used to paying.
 
I guess I am gonna get flamed for saying this, but we will all do fine without the Model 70.
I agree. The only bolt rifle they make that I'd buy again is the Featherweight (even with the warts mine had). I like it's styling, the way it fits me, and the weight. Nobody else makes a gun like that. The other 70s are just standard bolt guns.

Chris
 
Lone_Gunman said:
I am not sure they will do that. They might, but I am not sure how much appeal the 94 has to the cowboy crowd. The Ubertis are much nicer than any new Winchester... and if they do as good a job with the 94, they will cost more than people are used to paying.

Agreed. The Winchester 94 is a piss-poor rifle for cowboy action shooting. The main problem is the action length. Cowboy action uses pistol cartridges. The 94 action was designed for longer cartridges like the .30-30. It doesn't scale down well. The Uberti 1860, 1866 and 1873 replicas are all replicas of guns designed for pistol length cartridges. The toggle link action uses in those guns is also exceptionally smooth and fast, though much weaker than the 94 action. Since cowboy action shooting uses light loads, though, the relative weakness of the toggle link action is no disadvantage.

The Winchester 92 is a decent cowboy action rifle, but hasn't been built with the Winchester name on it in a long, long time. Instead, companies like Taurus and Rossi have been making them. Even Browning got into the act for a while with the Japanese (Miroku) built versions, which are of very high quality.

I think you could make some money in cowboy shooting with the Winchester brand, but it would come from selling Winchester branded recreations of the models 1873 and 1892, not the 94. I think a good Winchester branded double gun would also sell (remember the model 21?).
 
Father Knows Best said:
The Winchester 92 is a decent cowboy action rifle, but hasn't been built with the Winchester name on it in a long, long time.
Actually, I bought a newly manufactured Winchester 92 just a few years ago. It was made in Japan, but had the Winchester name on it. Very well made rifle with an excellent trigger. Only problem with it is that it's got a manual safety, which somewhat lessons the appeal. It's in .44 Mag, so it could make a fine close range deer/black bear/boar gun. Had it for a few years, but have never fired it. Maybe I'll keep it that way and see what kind of price it will bring after Winchester closes its doors. I even have the box it came in, with the paperwork and owner's manual.
 
The only Winchester in my safe is a double shotgun from the 50's... model 24 I think. Never wanted a Winchester rifle. (Ok maybe the 70 safari series)

Sad days ahead unless FN renegociates a better deal...

:cuss:
 
Winchester hasn't been Winchester in many years. What do you expect, trying to run a firearms plant in the socialist utopia of New England.
Lots of successful gun companies in New England. Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Bushmaster, and (I think) Springfield Armory come to mind. S&W is even in Massachusetts...
 
benEzra said:
Lots of successful gun companies in New England. Ruger, Smith & Wesson, Bushmaster, and (I think) Springfield Armory come to mind. S&W is even in Massachusetts...
Didn't we just go through an example of foreign management with S&W???
 
Winchester is Going out of busines March 1-2006

Winchester is going out of busines March 1 -2006
now watch every thing that says winchester Go sky high
in the price
this is what im doing every thing that says winchester
if i can buy it at a good price
im buying as much as i can

good investment
 
I was told winchester is out of busines march -1 -2006

lawson4 said:
USRAC (manufacturers of Winchester firearms) is closing as of April 2006. The company has been losing money for years and the owners (FN Herstal) finally decided it was bleeding them enough.
It was announced to us because we supply parts to them.

lawson4
I was told winchester is out of busines march-1 -2006

watch the prices of winchester merchandise sky rocket
in price
 
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