Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Winchester; what I would like to see.

Thumbing though an old issue of American Rifleman; I wonder if Tom Selleck could afford to buy out Winchester?
Why do I just have a feeling he could pump some change & some new life into Winchester?

Seems like a good fit.

It would be a good fit, but I really doubt if it will happen.

m

I believe Hollywood types are protecting their careers. Very few speak up for gun rights. Fewer yet support the troops. Until this changes I don't support them.

I hear you, but if I'm not mistaken, Selleck is an exception.

I doubt it would really happen, but would be interesting.

He turns 61 years old tomorrow(Sunday)

mike

Will never happen.

Sellick doesn't know a thing about running a business. USRA has been run into the ground and would be a lousy investment for anyone, unless you really know of some niche where they can make money and how to do it.

What would be possible would be for some of the "boutique" gunmakers like Kimber, Dakota, and so forth to pick it up, and make the M70's and M94's. (I don't suspect anyone cares about the M1300 shotgun... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />.) I don't imagine they would want the Connecticut plant, but they might want the name and the ability to market the "mystique".

I never thought I'd live to see the demise of the most famous name in firearms... "Winchester"... butttttttttttt... now, SADLY, we're looking at it.

I feel an ever-deeping sadness come over me as I remember so many "American labels" that have "disappeared" in the past several years... labels that at one time, NO ONE even gave THOUGHT to the possibility of that company failing... and disappearing.

With Winchester, a whole era of American history is "disappearing" as well.

�Lo siento mucho... as� es la vida! ("I'm very sorry... such is life!") <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

I'm predicting Beretta will buy the Winchester name. They already own Uberti, among others. Model 1873's with the Winchester name stamped on them would really sell. The Italians may suck at world war but they can make some nice guns.

regarding selleck and "protecting his carreer" -

He is a board member for the NRA. Not sure how outspoken a person can be.

Jim

I knew he was a member, did not know about him being a board member. I would like to see him take Charley Hestons role.

The name and "mystique" are still owned by Olin. U.S. Repeating Arms was a licensee who, apparently, owned the manufacturing plant and who, in turn, was owned by Herstal Group ( http://hoovers.com/u.s.-repeating-arms/--ID__104530--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml) and it appears to be privately held.

In the overall scheme of things, there are four things of value in this situation.

1st is the land in Mass. Probably worth a good deal of money.
2nd is the mfg facility.......100+ year old equipment that has been used and not maintained by an indiferent investor. Probably not worth much more than salvage value
3rd are the patents. Worth a lot, but probably held by investors who license them to anyone with the bucks to pay them....doubt you can "own" them.
4th the name....owned by Olin and worth everything else combined.

If I were Beretta or Rugar I would talk to Olin about exclusive licensing of the name. I would establish a modern facility with new state of the art equipment, and I would begin building the guns according to standards that U.S. Repeating Arms seems to have forgot in their pursuit of the bottom line. And the first thing I would do is pull them from Wal-mart and Sears and make them professional dealer items only. A small plant can maintain a good margin if the items are desireable enough and high enough quality. To keep them in Wallyworld means you have to make them in China as fast and as cheap as they can be made.

FWIW, I talked to one of my loan sources today and there is some noises in the money markets/VC folks in California about doing just that. Abandon the Mass plant, build a new one, license (or buy)the name back, and build in small batches, high quality firearms that are worth the investment.

I would rather see that than see a bunch of $89.99 specials sitting next to $3.00 t-shirts in wal mart.

One of the best posts on this subject was by Matt Williams of the company that was making the milled extractors and floor plated for Winchester.

His comment on a vise being the most modern piece of equipment in the Winchester plant was telling. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but I think the impression is clear.

Also his take, as a successful small businessman, on just what it takes to make a profit with machined products in America today was insightful and spot on.

I think someone could turn Winchester around, but they would have to have some insight into the market. Mule Deer has validated the point of view that the people who ran Winchester AND the workers were NOT gun people - not shooters or hunters. They just manufactured a product with little knowledge into the minds of their customers.

Doesn't take a particular geographic region to do that. Kimbers are made in Yonkers, NY of all places!

Roy Weatherby was a marketeer. By getting movie stars,and politicians endorsments,and creating the weatherby award, he was able to set a mark. Today, doing that would be the equivilent to bribary, extortion and not being politically correct. Although the same stratedgy might work in another country.

MMarketello - re your comment that maybe Tom Selleck would pump some money into the Winchester company. Saw a brief piece of an interview with him on tv the other day. The way he was crying about a lack of work it makes me wonder how solvent he is.

TS recently put a number of his guns up for auction. Personally I hope he does well and continues in the NRA. He's well spoken and level headed. Too bad he couldn't partner with USFA and keep the same plant for Winchester like USFA did with the old Colt plant. It would be a perfect fit of good marketing and experience.


www.usfirearms.com

The way he was crying about a lack of work it makes me wonder how solvent he is.
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Ya, I'm sure any public conservative has it tough in Hollywood these days. I think over the last ten years, Arnold, Willis & Selleck probablly only get roles they create for themselves.
The rest keep it hidden in the closet.