Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How has Winchester's Closing Affected Your Bottom Line?

When my good friend informed me that Winchester was closing its US factory I was dumbstruck and deeply saddened. It literally took me 3 days to snap out of my funk. My next reaction was to try to acquire the guns I had intended to buy over the next few years. Maybe my procrastination along with others caused USRAC to fail, but nevertheless I found myself calling nearly every dealer in PA. I didn't find all the guns I wanted, but I have at least rounded up those firemarms that I most desired. Perhaps most unbelievably was my wife's lack of resistance to my purchases. Nary a word has been said as I add a few more guns to the safe. I can't believe that I'm the only one who has scrambled to buy guns with the Winchester name on them since the announcement. Therefore, I thought it might be fun to submit the purchases I've made and see what others have bought as well. So here goes:
My first purchase was a Win M70 Featherweight LH in a .300 WSM.
Next I put a M70 Classic Compact in 7mm-08 on layaway for my 8-month old daughter. (Her 4 year old sister has the same gun, so it's only fair. Neither gun will be shot until they pull the trigger.)
I found a slightly used .357 Trails End M94 for Cowboy Silhouette. Originally I wanted the .357 in the Legacy because of the longer barrel, but no one seems to have one. A four day hesitation on my part cost me extra money as the quoted price rose $30 bucks from that Monday to Thursday.
I always wanted a 9410 Packer to complement the Traditional one I use for rabbits. I got one, but unfortunately it has the fixed chokes as opposed to the Invector System.
Finally, I just put a M70 Featherweight LH in 7mm WSM on layaway last night. I found it at a Gander Mountain along with another in .270 WSM. Since I have one of those, I only took the 7mm. It may very well wind up rebarreled in .325WSM someday.
All told, I will spent about $2850 in guns when they all come home, and I'm not necessarily done if the right offer comes along. WOW! Now I really wish Winchester didn't close its doors. I'm not welathy by any means, but I don't want to look back upon this time in the future and kick myself for not buying some of the guns I intended to buy.
Now, how about anyone else? How has your bottom line been affected?

I still don't own a Winchester Model 70 - and probably never will.

I hit the fart fan and moved on.

Though...I suppose there are those quirky types,who'd be bent on botteling the aroma......................

I like Winchesters. Other who dont probably wont change their minds there. I, however got a hold of a 7mm Mauser XTR Featherweight M70, 15 years old but still NIB recently. $600. Well, I didnt pay that. It was a gift. Now that they are closing, I guess it means a little more to have it. Some tell me never to shoot it. Maybe I shouldn't, but then why own it? You made some very nice purchases there. Winchesters have never let me down. I also own Rem, Tikka, Savage of various types. Some look better and shoot better than my Winchesters, however, Winchesters are still my favorite hands down. No need to think about a Sako or Weatherby when my M70 is right on the money. On opening day of deer season, there always seems to be a M70 or 94 in my hands. Thats me and apparantly you as well.

RAS

I forgot to congratulate you!
You did a good thing by getting guns NOW and also for your Girls!
It's not that I don't like Winchesters - I've got my Dad's Model 94 - and I'd love to have a nice Super Grade .375 H&H - but just don't need it.
I'm glad to see the Winchester Guys out 'saving' what's in the pipeline, though.
It's your DUTY!
Enjoy 'em!

Well somehow through the years I had never really got into Winchester's, I probably have owned just about every Rem Mdl 700 offered and nearly the same for Marlin. About 5 years back I decided to pick-up a Win. Timber Scout in 444 marlin, liked it so much, when they offered the 450 marlin, snagged one of them too. Then added the 9417 in 04. I thought I might give the Mdl. 70 a try, and pick-up a 223 wsm in mid 05, took a liking to it and ran across a really good deal on a 7mm wsm a month later. Then I decided I needed a 325 wsm in a featherwt classic, 619.00 at local dealer, but nearing X-mas and not sure of all wifes plans, figure I bought enough and better build gun fund up some. Yeap they annouce closing, big local gunshow coming up, I'll snag it there and save a few bucks, only ain't any 325's there, Head back to dealer where I fondled one, they sold 'em all, so I buy a 300 wsm for $110.00 more than they wanted before X-mas. Two days later I'm in a Gander Mtn. and they have a SS featherwt classic in 325 for $30.00 less than I paid for the blued 300.
Rifles,scopes,slings,ammo, about $1900.00 since they annouced the closing. I haven't spent as much as some, but I probably wouldn't have spent any if they weren't stopping production.

Nope. Nary a Winnie to be found in my safe.

While I'm sorry to see the company having difficult times, their demise is a non-issue to me. My sympathy goes to people who favored the Winchester products, not to the company itself.

Nothing here -- been a Ruger guy for CRF and now - if I had a stirrin for a winchester m70 type - I would go Hein if its to be an heirloom piece - if not - MRC.

How has Winchester's Closing Affected Your Bottom Line? .....

.... it hasn't. Let the investment loonies have their fun <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

My custom pre-64 M-70's value may have risen some, but that's it.


Okie John

it means the two i will have forever for sentimental reasons have increased $0 in net worth <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

other than that my remmys can keep breedin' till' the cows come home.....

woofer

It hasn't. I have enough solid custom rifles based on Model 70 actions to last for the rest of my hunting career, and I have enough Model 70 actions and doner rifles put away to build several more........

AD

Well, I was scrounging up some winchesters for my little future hunters before the news came out. I had collected 1 NIB 9422M in the yellowboy model about a year & a half ago for an amazing $350! That's sitting in the safe unfired with the hang tag still on it waiting for my oldest boy to get old enough to recieve it. I have one standard blued version for myself already. Then I started focusing on deer rifles. My dad bought me my first rifle which was a M70 fwt walnut & blued in 30-06 & I have come to really cherrish the rifle. So I started looking for the same for my 2 boys. Got one home a couple of months before the new haven news broke. Used but in excellent condition for $450, walnut & blued. Then early in Feb after I had known about the closing in New haven for a while & being pretty upset about it & stumbled across another M70 fwt in 30-06, this one was the "win-tuf" version, laminate featherweight, very pretty. It was used but in very nice shape & priced to sell at $435, I made an offer of 400 even & to my amazement the offer stuck. other than that I guess it hasn't effected my pocket book in any way out of the ordinary as I am usually always interested in buying some sort of gun that I think I need..... want, what ever.

was at a gun show this last weekend, about every 10th person was trying to sell win 94 30-30 for big bucks they all thought they had struck gold, not a old one in the lot, Ill admit i was looking.

I ran out and bought another Remington Model 700 before they are all snatched up by ex Winchester fans.............

I really like Winchesters and have probably used a Model 70 for more of my hunting than all the rest combined. However, if I want an investment I buy stocks not guns. The idea of not shooting any gun because of some collector value seems silly to me. If I can't shoot it someone else needs to own it.

Not much, I was trying to sell and nice 94AE but decided to just put it back in the safe. Always figured I'd keep the first year production left hand 338 Model 70 SS Classic, and my semi-custom Model 88 338-08 didn't have much of a chance being sold either.
Nothing Winchester offered lately got me excited, didn't need any of the left hand short mags and their shotguns never were much good after they dropped the Model 12.
So I guess the bottom line is I kept my 94.

the same day they made the announcement i was trying to pick up a takedown lever gun. of course, their announcement made that not possible.

so, i guess winchester's closing put me ahead by $656 + tax... so, picked up a glock 35 to soothe myself since i couldn't get a takedown - which came out to $549.65 (ahead by $106 +/-), and so i picked up 10 magazines, which put me down by about $44. so, my net: winchester's closing cost me nearly $700, or $44 depending which stance you take (of course, my stance is it cost me $44).

I purchased a M70 FWT SS in 25 WSSM. I always wanted one and when I heard they were closing I called Cabela's and they said they had two left in the country and the shipped one into their PA store where I picked it up. I got a good deal on it since they had their Cabelas bucks coupons out at the time.

I would never buy at the prices they are asking on the internet closing or no closing. The product is still only worth a certain amount no matter what name is on it.

Ras, I agree with you about Winchesters. I started hunting with a Model 88 that my dad bought for me when I was only 3 years old. Even at that age he felt I would be lefthanded, so he had the safety switched. I used that gun from 1980-92 before I started looking for left-hand bolts. For a number of years I used a Remington and then a Browning Stainless Stalker, both left-handed. They were good guns and I supported their companies by only purchasing guns from manufacturers who produced left-hand actions. Finally, in late 1996 I heard that Grice Gun Shop in PA had some of the first left-hand 70's. Needless to say, I made the trip to Clearfield the next day and bought a .270. I doubt I'll ever use another rifle other than a Winchester 70 unless I'd go somewhere that would be too rough on walnut and blued steel. I feel a real affinity to the Winchester and have tried to use those guns exclusively. That's not to say that there aren't other good guns out there, perhaps ones even better. But to me, hunting is carrying a Winchester rifle with blued stel and walnut. Maybe it's a connection to my dad and uncles who instilled in me that deer hunting was Winchester. They liked their Remington shotguns, but Winchester was the only rifle maker.