I guess with the notice that winchester is closing down
the east coast plant and discontinuing the 94 etc. we
better flock to marlin or they will be gone also and
then we will only have the dreaded BLR. What is
your thoughts on this matter ; would love to hear
comments. Cheers Northcountry
Suppose Winchesters a lot like Colt.
They have a long an glorious history, they mean a lot to America, an theyre both controlled by morons.
Folks have begged both companies to at least offer limited editions in some really badly missed packages, but its like talkin to a chunk of concrete.
Hear that Winchester is closing cuz they didn't make enuff money for FN.
Well, biz that ignores their customers and still thrives are limited to food, energy, an wastewater treatment.
Sad day for us that Winchesters gone.
Marlins darn near as historic as Winchester. Much as I hate to admit it, Marlins r usually better guns for the money, this'll be doubly true real soon, once word gets out that Winchesters done, expect the prices there to go up real fast.
Time will tell, if anyone'll pick up Winchester now that FN dropped the ball.
Sure hope folks will.
Till then, the new Marlin xlrs sure have my interest.
It might not be as bad as it seems. Olin owns the Winchester name.
From the Indianapolis Star, 19-Jan-06:
"NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The traditional Winchester rifles carried by pioneers, movie stars and Wild West lawmen will be discontinued in March, a Belgian maker said Wednesday, confirming the end of an American icon that became known as "The Gun that Won the West."
Once the U.S. Repeating Arms plant closes March 31, the only new rifles carrying the Winchester name will be the modern, high-end models produced in Belgium, Japan and Portugal. The older models no longer will be produced.
"The name will continue, but not with those traditional products," said Robert Sauvage, a spokesman for the Herstal Group, the Belgian company that owns U.S. Repeating Arms and the right to the Winchester name. The U.S. Repeating Arms factory, capping 140 years of Winchester manufacturing in the New Haven plant, will close because of economic reasons.
Missouri-based Olin Corp. owns the Winchester brand name. In the late 1970s, after a massive strike by its machinists, Olin sold the plant to U.S. Repeating Arms and the right to use the Winchester name until next year."
Olin's been around forever. Maybe they will build a modern closer to their headquarters and with a more flexible work force.
We can hope....
We can debate for ever about unions.
Some facts r unarguable-unions do cost the owners more money; health insurance, pension, overtime, all are gonna cost. Course, without unions, you wind up with amazing exploitation by the owners.
Thing is, in todays world, enuff is never enuff.
You got boeing demanding their workers take less an less, while the ceo just got a $30 million dollar package. Now, I don't see why my family should go without just so some pasty faced geek can take home an outrageous check.
FN wanted more from Winchester, but they refused to reissue the .356/.375/.307.
They refused to reissue the model 64.
They refused to do even a short run of the model 53.
They took forever to release the 92.
They offered the 1895, but refused to offer the big 50s
Then, the work force gets blamed-JEEZ!!!
We'll have to wait an see, but for the traditrion, the significance,
we as Americans must demand that the historic Winchester trademark continue.
Well, I don't know what's so dreaded about the BLR as I really like mine. And I've been on sort of a spree lately so Marlin should be doing fine for awhile.
My BLR is a good one too... I support Marlin because their lever actions are better made than Winchester. I'll always buy a good product. Why should I rail about the closure of a gun plant whose products and research efforts have been going downhill for a long time? And MAK, you make some good points.
Marlins have been beating Winchester real bad on lever guns for quite awhile. Every year it seems Marlin comes up with some new twist on the lever gun that really makes alot of sense. I have a real affection for short "brush guns". Since the new XLR ammo came out Winchester left the market at the worst possible time! I predict that we will see a resurgence in the lever market because of this great new cartridge from Hornady. Who ever thougt we would see the day when you could think about the possibility of a 300 yard shot from the venerable 30-30?
I plan to dust my old 336 off and get it to the range with some new leverEvolution and get ready for next season. I can't tell you how excited I am about this stuff.
As far as Winchester, well I hope they will be back under American management. The Winchester catalog and the Browning catalog looked too much alike. Winchester lost its idenity and its connection to its customer base (FN does not understand the Winchester customer). Well lets just hope this turns out to be a new beginning for Winchester!
Winchester says the union contract and state subsidy agreement prevent any Winchesters being made before March 2008.
The union workers made between $16.00 and $32.00 an hour. If management gave them the proper machinery, tooling, and manufacturing process engineering, and the union leaders permitted it, they still should have been able to make quality rifles, sell them at a fair price and make 25% margin.
MArlin lever guns are just plain better than Winchesters. I did not want to see Winchester fail...........and I hate that the M70/ 94 & 1300 are no more. But I have no desire to own a Winchester 94. My Marlins have been solid, accurate and always had side eject. I just like them better.