Winchester manufacturing

M

musicmatty

New member
I know without a doubt that the new Winchester firearms manufactured in the Country of Turkey are excellent quality and very reliable. I also had the good fortune of being able to compare a USA model 1300 defender to a new defender made in Turkey.. almost identical.

I’m not at all opposed to Winchester being owned by whoever… But that gun should be manufactured here in the USA out of tradition and respect to its heritage.

In the last three weeks I have purchased three used Winchester shotgun’s that were all made in New Haven Connecticut and I will continue to do so until Manufacturing of those Guns are brought back to the USA! Buy American hire American
 
Since Winchester is just a branding shell & Browning has no manufacturing capabilities, that's unlikely to happen.

The only factory in the US under FN parent ownership is the FN plant itself, and the reason the Winchester sourcing was moved overseas is that the FN plant has no room for it.

FN appears un-interested in expanding its existing facility, and I don't see any likelihood of them building an entirely new & separate facility to build Winchester-branded product in the US, so....
Denis
 
Winchester hasn't manufactured any guns since 1980 or so. They still make ammunition, but they sold the rights to Winchester firearms almost 40 years ago. Even though most of them were still produced in this country.

I have several of their rifles, I didn't care much for the 1300 even when it was made here. I'll probably never need another rifle for what is left of my hunting and shooting career. But as long as the quality and features are there I'd buy one made overseas.
 
Nope. Winchester doesn't even make ammunition any more.
It's merely the Winchester name slapped on products manufactured by (or for) Olin Corporation.

Winchester is nothing but a brand name.
 
Unfortunately true for so many familiar products and brand names today across the spectrum of consumer goods.

Clothing, electronics, tools, appliances, etc. made by the lowest-bidding contract manufacturers around the globe with the familiar brand slapped on and marketed/distributed by whoever currently owns the brand...
 
Across all industries companies have determined that regardless of what consumers may say ultimately we make decisions based on price. While many of us on this site might be willing to pay more for American made Winchesters the majority of folks who pick one up at Academy, Bass Pro or the LGS don't care.
 
FITASC said:
Maybe you should check and see just how much of an "American" car is actually made here......
Click to expand...
But then there's also the fact that a number of Jap cars are 'made' in the USA (not sure if it's assembled from Jap parts or actually made here).

For instance, Honda advertises that since 1982, something like 22 Million Honda and Acura automobiles were made in 12 plants in the US.
 
"...Winchester being owned by whoever..." Just a brand name that's currently owned by FN. So is Browning. FN has been marketing based on their names for eons.
"...Hodgdon doesn't make powder..." They do, but not IMR or Winchester powders. Hodgdon markets them.
It's gotten so it's very hard to follow who owns or distributes what any more. Most of the big names are owned by holding companies who don't care about QC or anything but market share and profits.
 
Winchester model 70’s are made in Portugal. Lever action rifles are made in Japan and the shotguns are indeed made in Turkey. Winchester (Olin) broke away from Winchester Firearms many, many years ago and as it is now, is damn good ammunition, mostly because of their powders that they use.
I don’t think I’d buy a Winny shotgun because of lack of quality. I don’t think I’d buy a lever gun because they simply want too much money for what you get. The model 70, however, is an EXTREMELY good quality rifle and I’d own one in a heartbeat!
 
Having spent a large part of my adult life involved in managing manufacturing companies, I can tell you that there are a lot of reasons why companies go under. Sure, higher costs have a lot to do with it, but if you look at Mercedes-Benz or BMW, you will find higher costs than US car makers. Sure, labor has a lot to do with it, but cost of labor in the USA is nothing compared to Scandinavian countries. Biggest nail in the coffin of US manufacturing is low quality and poor marketing decisions. People will pay more for a car if it is perceived as more reliable than another brand, but people will not pay more for a car just because of where it is made.

Same with firearms. People paid more for Winchesters for generations because of higher quality and reliable designs, but beginning in the 1950s perceived lower quality along with higher prices doomed them. US cars had the same problem. US appliances had the same problem. US manufacturing in general has the same problem. No dedication to quality and good design. Cheap is better, and still try to make as much as possible with crappy designs. And the consumer said if we are going to have crappy quality, we might as well pay the lowest price. Too bad US manufacturers never bought in to Deming's ideas.
 
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