The end of an era

[gridlore]

Winchester Rifles to Be Discontinued

The traditional Winchester rifles carried by pioneers, movie stars and Wild West lawmen will be discontinued in March, a Belgian manufacturer 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 famous Winchester name will be the modern, high-end models produced in Belgium, Japan and Portugal. The older models, including the famous Winchester Model 94, will be scrapped.

"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.

Herstal announced Tuesday that the U.S. Repeating Arms factory in New Haven would soon close, capping 140 years of Winchester manufacturing in the city.

Damn.

Comments

Crap...

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

...meant to get around to getting one of those eventually. Looks like I'd better hurry.

Re: Crap...

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

If I didn't have to sell my soul to get my new teeth, I'd be getting one myself.

[kshandra]

That's just heartbreaking.

[cmdr-zoom.livejournal.com]

Well, you used to work for Mrs. Winchester; what do you think she'd say?

[gridlore.livejournal.com]

She was never involved with the company, being a good upper-crust woman of the 19th Century. Since she believed she was being haunted by the rifle's victims, she'd probably say "finally!"