King’s Outdoor World Blog

There is big news in the gun industry from Winchester. Here is what is going on according to the press release I just received.

U.S. Repeating Arms Company to Close
New Haven, Connecticut Facility

U.S. Repeating Arms Company, maker of Winchester brand rifles and shotguns will close its New Haven, Connecticut manufacturing facility. Many efforts were made to improve profitability at the manufacturing facility in New Haven, and the decision was made after exhausting all available options.

Effective March 31, 2006 the New Haven manufacturing facility will stop manufacturing the Winchester Model 70, Model 94 and Model 1300.

Winchester Firearms will continue to see and grow its current line of Select over & under shotguns, the new Super X3 autoloading shotgun, the new Super X autoloading rifle and Limited Edition rifles. The company also plans to introduce new models in the future. There will be no change in Customer Service.

This action is a realignment of resources to make Winchester Firearms a stronger, more viable organization. Winchester Firearms plans to continue the great Winchester legacy and is very excited about the future.

UPDATE (04/03/06) – HISTORIC WINCHESTER PLANT CLOSES DOORS . . . After 140 years on Winchester Avenue, U.S. Repeating Arms Co. officially closed the doors to its New Haven, Conn., factory Wednesday. With the plant’s closure, production of the iconic Winchester Model 94 and Model 70 rifles and the Model 1300 shotgun will cease. City and state officials have been meeting with potential buyers of the plant, but, so far, no one has expressed an interest. There were reports that Smith & Wesson and Savage Arms toured the plant, but both companies said a purchase is not likely, the New Haven Register reports. Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell vows to continue to fight for jobs at the plant. USRAC parent company Herstal Group of Belgium said in January it would close the factory to concentrate on growing its current line of other Winchester shotguns and rifles. Winchester guns had been manufactured in New Haven since 1866. During World War II, more than 19,000 people worked at the New Haven factory. Connecticut’s News Channel 8 last week featured a look back at the history of the plant and the guns it produced.

UPDATE: (05/15/06)
USRAC TO HELP CITY ATTRACT BUYERS FOR WINCHESTER PLANT . . . U.S. Repeating Arms Co., which recently closed its historic Winchester firearms plant in New Haven, Conn., will repay $850,000 in tax benefits and help attract buyers for the plant, Mayor John DeStefano announced last week. The city and USRAC have come to terms on a “stand still” agreement in which the company agreed not to immediately remove its equipment and inventory from the facility. “Without this agreement, U.S. Repeating Arms could have removed all of their equipment and inventory on March 31 and left town. Instead, along with meeting their financial commitments to the city, they are providing a reasonable time period in which to market the Winchester site and hopefully to find a successor firearms manufacturer,” DeStefano said.

Last week our Predator Editor Travis Osmond was on his way to the North Dakota Coyote Classic to do some seminars. Unfortunately due to the extremely slick roads and slow going through Wyoming, he ended up turning around and coming home.

I thought I would post some pics that Travis took out on the road to show the reason why he ended up turning around and coming back.

This photo is not very clear because it was taken through the truck windshield. This is after they turned around showing the traffic heading east of Rock Springs. You can see the lineup of semi-trucks and cars as far as the eye can see.