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The Winchester Repeating Arms Company

Winchester is a leading supplier of rifles and shotguns in the hunting market today. Their firearms are built to last and include a fantastic fit and finish. Each gun performs accurately every time, ensuring that the Winchester name continues to be aligned with the finest firearms on the market today.

Winchester History

The Winchester Repeating Arms Company has been in existence for a very long time. After the Civil War, Oliver Winchester renamed his company, then the New Haven Arms Company, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. The first Winchester rifle, Model 1866 was made at that time, firing .44 caliber rimfire cartridges and with a wooden forearm. Another popular model was the Model 1873, which introduced the first Winchester center fire cartridge. These rifle families were very famous and were known as the "Gun That Won the West". Several of their most original models have been revived in recent years as collector's pieces.

More Modern History

During World War I, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company produced the M1917 Enfield military rifles. Many of their outstanding rifles were used to fight this war. Later, during World War II, Winchester was the only civilian manufacturer of the M1 rifle and later became the manufacturer of the M14 rifle. By 1963, Winchester was purchased by the Olin-Matheson Chemical Corporation. They continued producing civilian rifles and shotguns under their ownership.

Winchester Today

In 1981, Winchester's firearms manufacturing business was sold off by Olin. They kept the Winchester branded ammunition business, however. During the years 1981 through 2006, Winchester guns were being made by the U.S. Repeating Arms Company. Since August of 2006, the Olin Corporation has been working with Browning to make Winchester rifles. Browning is based in Morgan, Utah and is a subsidiary of FN Herstal.

Winchester's Fame

Winchester rifles are some of the earliest repeating rifles, allowing the Winchester name to become synonymous with firearms that use a lever-action. The Winchester Models 1873 and 1894 are known as "The Gun that Won the West" since these models were so popular at their peak. They are often used as part of fictional Westerns and in many movies. Winchester continues it commitment to produce exceptional firearms for its customers, and has nearly 150 years of experience to back it up!