Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sad Day for Winchester Model 70 fans

It is sad to see it moving. However I wouldnt give up my 2 FN M70's, they both shoot and they are well made. I have another FWT 22-250 on order, just hope I get it before the move takes place.

They've been assembling Browning Hi-powers in portugal for years. Didnt seem to bother anybody...

Just have to buy Remingtons I guess.

Let's see here we have the pre-64 designation and now, are we going to have a pre-13 designation? Maybe some dates in between?

Question:
Where are Browning firearms manufactured?

Answer:
Browning firearms have been traditionally made in locations world-wide. John M. Browning's first rifle, the Single Shot, was made in Ogden, Utah. The next guns carrying the Browning name were manufactured in Belgium. This continued for many decades. This was the result of John M. Browning's lasting relationship with Fabrique Nationale, in Herstal, Belgium.

Most Browning guns were made in Belgium by F.N. until the mid '70s when some production was shifted to Miroku in Japan. Today's Browning firearms are made in either Belgium, Portugal, Japan or in the United States.

With some exceptions this is the breakout:

Browning Firearms Manufacturers


Belgium (Custom)
The Superposed is still manufactured at the Browning Custom Shop in Li�ge, Belgium. Guns at this facility are not really manufactured -- they are meticulously crafted. And much -- a huge amount -- of the work is hand work. To learn more about guns made at this special little custom gun factory go to our Browning Custom Gun Shop page right here on Browning.com. Owning one of these guns, like a custom Superposed, is not a purchase. It is an event of a lifetime. These are exclusive guns that you and your family will consider treasures for generations. Other guns produced in this facility are current production of other models that are custom fitted, tuned and highly embellished.


Made in Belgium, Made in Belgium (assembled in Portugal) or Made in Portugal
Several current Browning firearms are made in Belgium with assembly work done in Portugal. As parts production has shifted from plant to plant over the years some guns feature the barrel roll stating Made In Portugal. All these firearms would have parts and components sourced from other sister facilities, but with the bulk of work done in Portugal. The Belgium facilities have been part of the Browning tradition for over 100 years. The Viana, Portugal plant has been a primary Browning facility for over 30 years.

Falling in these broad categories for place of manufacturing are the Silver shotgun, Maxus shotgun (barrel roll shows made in Portugal), Hi-Power Pistol, FN Pistols, BAR Mark II Safari Rifle, BAR Shorttrac and Longtrac rifles and Gold 12 and 20 ga. shotguns.




Italy
The BDA 380 Autoloading pistol.

Japan
Citori, Cynergy, BLR Lightweight, BLR Lightweight '81, A-Bolt II, X-Bolt, BT-99, BL-22 Rifle, Auto-22 Rifle, T-Bolt, BPS (all), and Gold 10 ga. (production for these firearms have been at the Miroku factory in Japan starting with the BT-99 in the late 1960s. In 1970 the over and under Citori (made by Miroku) would gradually replace John M. Browning�s Superposed model as the the key product in the Browning line. In about 1973 the Browning Pump Shotgun (BPS) began production at the Miroku factory, and in 1976 the legendary Auto-5 shotgun would move from Belgium factories to Miroku, in Japan. The others followed as they were introduced.

United States
Buck Mark 22 Pistols, Buck Mark 22 rifles and 1911-22. The facility for these firearms in just south of here in Salt Lake City.

Other United States Facilities.
In addition, Browning has extensive facilities in Morgan, Utah and in Arnold, Missouri. The Morgan, Utah address has been a tradition of Browning for well over half a century. Starting with the original "Route 1 Morgan Utah," and now listed as "One Browning Place, Morgan, Utah." "One Browning Place" is actually the road leading to our sprawling facility. Our offices here handle all the business functions of the company and are the home to our primary research and development division (R&D). Our Morgan offices are just about 15 minutes up a canyon from Ogden, Utah where John M. Browning was born and where he designed all his revolutionary rifles, shotguns and pistols. If you own a Browning, it was most likely designed by John M. Browning or right here in Morgan -- and shot and tested just a few yards from where this information was written. (We can hear the test firing all day from all our offices -- music to the ears!). Customer Service, Advertising, Website functions, accounting, sales, etc., are all performed in our rural setting not far from the town of Morgan.

We also have sister R&D departments at each factory and at the world famous Fabrique Nationale factory in Liege, Belgium. This brings to bear a combined expertise for design and quality manufacturing that is unequaled in the world.

Our Arnold, Missouri facility is our primary warehouse and distribution center. If you own a Browning it was handled by one of the men and women who prepare and ship Browning firearms and other products all across the U.S. and to Canada. Arnold, Missouri is also where our Service Center resides. If you have ever sent in a Browning firearm to us for service or restoration, one of our expert gunsmiths or technicians working in Arnold did the job.

The Tradition of World-Wide Production.
The tradition of making/manufacturing Browning sporting firearms overseas was started with John M. Browning's Auto-5 semi-automatic shotgun design being produced by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium at the turn of the last Century. Production on many of the models made in Belgium shifted to Miroku in Japan in the mid-70's due to significant cost increases in Belgium production. As is common in this day, some components are sourced from the most appropriate locations. For example, much of the walnut used on guns made in the Miroku factory is sourced from walnut tree groves in California.

We at Browning consider ourselves a worldwide company. It is a tradition started by John Moses Browning himself. We are proud of this tradition of producing the world's best firearms at the world's best factories -- wherever they be.

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Yeah, it's a great big world. Matters not here. I own a couple of custom pre-64's and a NH 416 Rem. All fine rifles and all I need from Winchester in a bolt gun.

Pretty soon the collector guys will be scrambling for "SC-made M70's"....the guys raised on Classics will call them "junk" and raise the NH banner.....and the Pre 64 people will still be looking over their spectacles,and down their noses,at all of them.

Too funny! LOL!

Interesting that the biggest POS that Browning sells is made in the US...

I guess I'm going to start losing my reactionary status... I'll take a wait and see approach. Every Browning product I've handled has been nicely made (outside of my buddy's Buckmark)... I don't really like the A-Bolt that another buddy has, but he certainly hasn't had any problems with it... and he's hunted the heck out of it.

I think you nailed it Bob!

My first laugh and smile of the day!!!!

Thanks,

some of us are aware that we have this problem and see the virtue of the custom rifle and the folly of the multiple factory rifles but still can't seem to do anything about it ...

My buddy has a buckmark that has never had an issue, of course he is like me and can't leave anything alone so it looks nothing like a buckmark and is probably the most accurate 22 pistol I have shot. Not taking away from your issues, but I have learned that anything that is made by man or machine can have issues, no matter how good the design, and occasionally you can have some that work perfect, no matter how bad the design.

Portugal's current unemployment rate is nearly twice that of the US. Their Manufacturing wage index has fallen 50% in the last 5 years. In addition Obama care will be going into effect in 2013, which according to my calculations, will add and expense just over $3.00 per hour for US Manufacturing labor.

Their labor costs are down, ours are going up, and Portugal has under utilized fixes assets that will help them meet the addition Oobie scare demand.

Once these factors equalize, we could see some of those production factors move back in this direction.

Yeah, my first response was that it is being motivated by the Federal Government's interference in some way shape or form...or the State of South Carolina... but I doubt the latter...

gotta be the Feds and the Obummer Administration..

My Buckmark is also the most accurate 22 pistol I have ever shot. I have never heard anyone accuse a Buckmark of being junk until this thread.

Most winchester and browning semi-auto shotgun and rifle have been assembled in portugal and they are a quality product.

Its sad to see a legend like the mod 70 moving away but as long as they keep the quality up it wouldn't stop me from buying another one.

I would not doubt it one bit.. With the dumbazz Obamacare now ensconced in the US there will be other companies moving production/assembly out of the US and moving it to countries w/o the fines/costs associated with that pos law. (THANK YOU, RINO ROBERTS, YOU POS)

I know personally of three companies (smaller, yet over the 50 employee mark) that are freezing growth, laying off employees to get under the cap and/or reducing hours of labor to under 30/week to avoid the dumbazz Obamacare (THANK YOU, RINO ROBERTS, YOU POS)..


Right now, I liken RR to Hanoi Jane)...

Any company that doesn't constantly look for ways to control/reduce their cost of goods sold, won't be around very long.

And if the US govt continues on its anti business path, it will only get worse.

That was my first thought also. This likely has a lot to do with Obamacare being implemented in 2013, expect more to come.

Watch the prices soar now...