New Winchesters...Made In Japan?

[lgm270]

I saw a newspaper blurb that Winchesters would  henceforth be manufactured in Japan.  Has anyone heard anything about this?

I hate the idea of the famous Winchester being manufactured by non-Americans, but the Japanese do good work.

[Graybeard]

The guns bearing the Winchester name that are being and that likely might in the future be made in Japan have never ever been made anywhere else other than Japan.

There has not actually been a Winchester Arms Co. in a lot of years. It died when Olin closed the doors on the plant many years ago. A group of investors bought the plant and leased rights to use the Winchester name and logo on guns they supplied. Most came from Japan with some limited production in America at the old plant. Only the Model 94, 70 and their cheap pump and semiauto guns were made here during the US Repeating Arms era. It kept a couple hundred folks in work.

They sold out a long time ago to the French government and then to the Belgians I think. The same folks own Browning also.

Now the use of the Winchester name ends this year I think and it will not be renewed so I don't think you'll see any guns with the Winchester name on them coming from anywhere unless and until such time as Olin again licenses someone to use it.

[tscott]

I have a Japanese Mark V, and a Remington Mtn (original). I like them both, favoring the Weatherby... Perhaps the Japanese can improve on the 94.... that I gave to my nephew years ago. It makes me sad that we can no longer produce my all time favorite... The Savage model 99 (f, circa 55' .300). The last attempt at the 99 in 1999, was of poor quality, and floped at $1600... Wouldn't it be nice if Remington (20 miles up the road),
took note of all this, and kicked it up a notch!

[lilabner]

There is some history on this, but I don't recall the details. Didn't the Japanese recently build some model 1886 Winchesters? Aren't they building the old High Wall single shots? Their workmanship and quality control are world class. I inherited an original '86 Winchester with a build date of 1893. The workmanship on it is superb - nothing like what USRA is putting out.  If the Japanese can match original Winchester quality, I think their rifles would be worthy of the Winchester name.

[Lawful Larry]

They way I heard the story wa that the factory in the northeast that made the model 70, the '94 and the 1300 shotgun will stop making them and close their doors.  The guns with the Winchester name coming from Miroku in Japan will not be effected.  

They claimed they were loosing money on the model 70, '94 and the 1300.  I think the union put another business out of business with their demands.

[jvs]

They claimed they were loosing money on the model 70, '94 and the 1300.  I think the union put another business out of business with their demands.

The way I see it is that the workers on the Shop Floor want just as much security in their lives as the Big Shots do.  The whole time production was moved overseas to lower costs, the Higher-ups still drew their Salary AND Bonuses, with a Golden Parachute to boot.  They will get theirs regardless of what anyone else gets.

What surprises me is that the domestic Winchester plant lasted this long.  It wasn't the Union that did this, it is the THEORY of Global Economics.  Sooner or later this Country will have no Product.  To the rest of the World we are nothing but a bunch of Consumers, with no Company Pension or other Benefits.  

Blaming the Union is the easy way out.  Squeezing every Nickel out of the Consumer is the reason.  PERIOD.

[longwinters]

JVS you are right on.  I see it in the auto industry and in the Ulility companies, of which I am a part of.  All that matters is the stock price and that the people at the top get theirs.  Then when things get tough it is always easy to blame the unions. Corruption starts in Gov and then trickles down into the major businesses etc... Eventually there will be only the rich and then everyone else.

Long

[poncaguy]

I hate to see it...........my Winchester Super Shadow 270 WSM Wal Mart cheapie is my most accurate bolt rifle............