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The State of the Shooting Industry: With a few standout exceptions, American gun makers seem to be innovating less and copying
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Syndicate
The Gun Nuts
in your Inbox
March 01, 2006
The State of the Shooting Industry: With a few standout exceptions, American gun makers seem to be innovating less and copying
By David E. Petzal and Philip Bourjaily
One of the great shocks in our online gun survey was the complete ascendancy of Remington rifles and shotguns over everything else—particularly Winchester guns. The reason for this was made clear at the 2006 SHOT Show, where Remington unveiled the Model 105 Cti shotgun, a truly new design with a titanium and graphite receiver. It had everyone gibbering to themselves, so great a gun it is.
Winchester, on the other hand, was offering a bargain-price Russian-made .22 bolt-action, the Wildcat. A good, sound rifle, and a great value, but an old gun in every sense of the word. (It even looks like the Moisin-Nagant military rifle, which dates to the First World War.)
Browning, Winchester’s Siamese twin, introduced the T-Bolt .22, a re-done (and not nearly as nice) version of a rifle that was discontinued in the 1960s. The new T-bolt is a perfectly good little rifle, properly priced, and there’s no reason to get angry at it.
But you have to wonder: Why can’t some gunmakers innovate more? The Europeans seem to be far ahead of us in this respect. Tradition is great, but when that’s all you have to sell you find yourself out of business. Just ask Winchester.
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Comments (2)
Dear sir,This is to thank you no.1 for this blog sight,no.2 I truley enjoy your straight forward, tell it like it is, no bull sh-t style. Keep telling like it is and I will keep reading.
I do not know why they do not. However, they do not listen to the consumer. In most cases their websites are not friendly, if you want to contact them.Here is a wish list for ANY gun maker:A semi-auto in heavier calibers, .338 and above.Is it impossible to have a one piece stick on a semi-auto?If Savage can come up with a workable trigger which is adjustable and still positive, canno there be one for the semi-auto?Offer a hinged floorplate and a drop out mag.Is there a logical reason why no semi-auto offers fluted barrels in stainless steel?How about a lighter semi-auto?Way out is this one. Why not a triangular barrel? The triangle is the strongest shape. Would less vibration result?The BOSS does work. However, why would I purchase a magnum with the barrel over 2 inches shorter to add the BOSS? The reduction negates the reason for the maggie, velocity.In the bullet department, does anyone remember the Old Herters company. They offered a bullet with a waist. It was called the Zippido Wasp. The waist reduces bearing surface and increases velocity, while decreasing wear on the barrel. They worked for me.Could it be the foreign ownership of some companies playing games? Look at S&W, for example. They went down hill fast under the Brits. Once back under the control of a US company, the .460 and .500 came out.OK. I have vented. I'm done now.
Regarding innovation; I could not agree more. As a older guy who has been shooting and hunting since the '30's, I have owned MANY U.S. firearm's and pretty much liked 'em all. However, I now hunt mostly with a Blaser R93, which is to my mind hugely innovative, and superior in all ways to most anything made in the US. I modestly consider myself a pretty fair hand with a rifle. I have a real love affair with this gun. However, given the longevity of the Winchester 94 down the years, I doubt if most Americans are about to change their allegence to the past. Tom Warner
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Dear sir,This is to thank you no.1 for this blog sight,no.2 I truley enjoy your straight forward, tell it like it is, no bull sh-t style. Keep telling like it is and I will keep reading.
I do not know why they do not. However, they do not listen to the consumer. In most cases their websites are not friendly, if you want to contact them.Here is a wish list for ANY gun maker:A semi-auto in heavier calibers, .338 and above.Is it impossible to have a one piece stick on a semi-auto?If Savage can come up with a workable trigger which is adjustable and still positive, canno there be one for the semi-auto?Offer a hinged floorplate and a drop out mag.Is there a logical reason why no semi-auto offers fluted barrels in stainless steel?How about a lighter semi-auto?Way out is this one. Why not a triangular barrel? The triangle is the strongest shape. Would less vibration result?The BOSS does work. However, why would I purchase a magnum with the barrel over 2 inches shorter to add the BOSS? The reduction negates the reason for the maggie, velocity.In the bullet department, does anyone remember the Old Herters company. They offered a bullet with a waist. It was called the Zippido Wasp. The waist reduces bearing surface and increases velocity, while decreasing wear on the barrel. They worked for me.Could it be the foreign ownership of some companies playing games? Look at S&W, for example. They went down hill fast under the Brits. Once back under the control of a US company, the .460 and .500 came out.OK. I have vented. I'm done now.
Regarding innovation; I could not agree more. As a older guy who has been shooting and hunting since the '30's, I have owned MANY U.S. firearm's and pretty much liked 'em all. However, I now hunt mostly with a Blaser R93, which is to my mind hugely innovative, and superior in all ways to most anything made in the US. I modestly consider myself a pretty fair hand with a rifle. I have a real love affair with this gun. However, given the longevity of the Winchester 94 down the years, I doubt if most Americans are about to change their allegence to the past. Tom Warner
Post a Comment