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| Above, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company in the 1950s. |
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company factory buildings in New Haven, Connecticut were demolished last year.
Here's a video of the demolition of the last buildings:
During its heyday, the Winchester company was a big firearm manufacturer in the area.
Here's some historical photos of the plant:
The Cartridge That Made History! video by Ron Spomer Outdoors.
Summary:
Few cartridges have shaped American hunting like the .30-30 Winchester. Introduced in the late 1800s, it quickly became one of the most popular deer hunting cartridges ever created.
In this episode of Cartridge of the Week, Ron Spomer explores the history, design, and real-world performance of the .30-30 Win and why it has remained a favorite for generations of hunters.
We cover:
How the .30-30 changed sporting rifles
Its role in the rise of lever-action hunting rifles
Ballistics and practical hunting performance
Why it still works so well today
Some cartridges fade away. Others become legends.
History of the 30-30, It Isn't Going Anywhere, We're Just Looking At Where It Came From video by The House of Browning.
Summary:
We're taking a look at how the last days of the black powder era gave rise to the American .30 caliber and led to one of the most popular hunting cartridges in North America.
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| Above, Winchester rifle and shotgun cleaning kits. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I have about five Hoppe's gun cleaning kits that I have bought over the years. Some are for pistols, rifles and shotguns.
I've noticed that the newer kits I have purchased have more cheaply made rod end accessories. They have broken while inside gun barrels. Usually, I can get them out of the barrels with a wire clothes hangar (apologies to Joan Crawford). I had one break inside a Winchester Model 62A .22 rifle the other day. I couldn't get it out with a hangar. So, reluctantly, I shot it out. Luckily, the rod end accessory wasn't wedged in.
I have some Winchester cleaning kits and those are far better made. I bought them in Lake Havasu a couple of years ago as they were on sale. I finished the cleaning job with the Winchester rifle cleaning kit.
In the future, I'll stick with the Winchester kits and just use the Hoppe's gun oil and cleaning solvent.
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| Above, my three pre-1964 Winchesters. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Prior to 2019, the only Winchester I owned was a Model 62A .22 cal. pump rifle. I inherited it from my maternal grandfather. It was made in 1947.
Since then, I have bought two more pre-1964 Winchesters. The first was a 1962 Winchester 94 .30-30 rifle. The second was a Winchester Model 12 shot gun in 12 gauge made in 1919.
Collectors of vintage Winchesters seek them out as they were manufactured better (in their view).
MSN posted a slideshow article with 5 reasons why pre-1964 Winchesters still hold their magic.
They begin it with:
Firearm enthusiasts often speak about the legendary status of older rifles with a sense of reverence and nostalgia. The term pre-64 Winchesters specifically refers to model 70 rifles manufactured before the company changed its production methods in 1964. These vintage pieces represent a high point in American gun making that many believe has never been equaled since that time. Collectors and hunters alike pursue these firearms because they embody a level of industrial art that modern mass production rarely achieves today. Understanding why these specific rifles command such high prices reveals much about the history of manufacturing.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, Pancho Villa on horseback. |
Armed with Winchesters and Mausers, Pancho Villa raided a U.S. border town.
American Rifleman has posted the story.
It begins with:
Many Americans live in small communities. It has been that way since the country was born. For generations, small-town folks have lived pleasant, usually quiet lives. For the most part, when excitement comes to such places, the reality is rarely a pleasant one.
That was the situation in the border community of Columbus, N.M., in March 1916. New Mexico had only recently become a state on Jan. 6, 1912. The border with Mexico is just 3 miles from Columbus, and the locals were quite familiar with America’s troubled southern neighbor. The Mexican Revolution began in late 1910, and by 1916, many Mexicans had fled the violence in their own country by crossing into America. In those days, crossing the border was easy, and shops in Columbus had many Mexican customers. Life wasn’t easy in Columbus in those days, but it wasn’t easy anywhere else, either. Even so, the good people on both sides of the border could never imagine the events that would occur on the night of March 9, 1916.
To read more, go here.
It seems not too long ago that the United States celebrated the Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the nation's founding.
This year, we're starting to celebrate the 250th year anniversary. To commemorate the anniversary, Winchester has introduced their special ammunition packaging.
According to Shooting Sports USA (NRA):
The United States turns 250 this year and Winchester showed up to SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas last week with a tribute you can hold and display. The company’s USA 250th Anniversary Commemorative Ammunition series isn’t just a label swap. It’s a set of five keepsake packages that pull from the company’s vault of art to celebrate the workers who built the nation and the shooters who carried its story forward.
On first view at SHOT Show, the boxes looked and felt premium. One sample had a reinforced build and magnets tucked into the lid so it snapped shut with a satisfying click. It’s the kind of functional upgrade that makes you want to open it again, then keep it on the shelf.
Winchester first teased the lineup in 2025, but this was the moment to see the production art up close. Colors pop without shouting. Line work feels lifted from poster archives, then tuned for modern print. The result is ammo packaging that reads like a mini gallery show and doubles as a time capsule for the quarter-millennial celebration rolling through 2026.
Before we know it, we'll be celebrating the nation's 300th anniversary. I doubt not too many of us will be around then, though.
To read more, go here.
Winchester has introduced a new line of ammunition for lever-action rifles and carbines.
It is called American Lever Range.
Hook & Barrel reported:
The Winchester legacy continues with American Lever Range ammunition designed and optimized for use in lever action rifles and carbines.
The all-new American Lever Range line of ammunition ensures the guns that won the West continue to win on the range. Each entire cartridge is optimized for smooth running in lever guns with bullet profiles that ensure fast cycling and reliable feeding from a tube magazine.
Plus, American Lever Range ammo uses clean-burning propellants to increase barrel life and cut down on action fouling.
To read more, go here.
The Mind Behind the Weapon: The Winchester Model 1894 and the Inventor Who Armed the Frontier, video by Engineers of War.
Summary:
The story of John Moses Browning and the Winchester Model 1894.
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| Above, Billy the Kid's grave in Fort Sumner, New Mexico in 2024. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Billy the Kid's Winchester: The Mystery of His Lost Rifle video by Ghosts of the Frontier.
Summary:
What happened to Billy the Kid's favorite Winchester rifle after Pat Garrett shot him in 1881? This video investigates the mysterious disappearance and sudden reappearance of one of the Old West's most famous weapons.
On April 28, 1881, William H. Bonney—better known as Billy the Kid—made his legendary escape from the Lincoln County Courthouse in Lincoln, New Mexico. After killing Deputies James Bell and Bob Olinger, he grabbed a Winchester Model 1873 rifle from the courthouse armory before fleeing. Just 77 days later, Sheriff Pat Garrett tracked him to Pete Maxwell's ranch in Fort Sumner and shot him dead in Maxwell's darkened bedroom.
According to historical records, Garrett recovered Billy's Winchester that night. But then the rifle vanished from the historical record for over a century. Unlike other Billy the Kid artifacts with clear documentation, this Winchester left almost no paper trail during the crucial years after the outlaw's death.
In 2021, a Winchester 1873 (serial number 20181, manufactured in 1876) sold at Bonhams Auction House for $300,000, claiming to be Billy's rifle. The provenance states Pat Garrett gave it to cattle baron Joseph C. Lea, who had it displayed at the New Mexico Military Institute from 1898-1925. But the earliest documented evidence is a notarized statement from 1897—sixteen years after Billy's death.
This video examines the evidence for and against this rifle's authenticity, exploring the gaps in the chain of custody, the proliferation of Winchester rifles in 1880s New Mexico, and why the documentation only becomes solid decades after Billy the Kid became a legend.
"13 Myths About The Wild West's Most Famous Rifle You Still Believe" by Gunsmoke & Gold.
Summary:
Think the Wild West’s most legendary firearm — the Winchester rifle — is exactly what Hollywood told you? Think again.
In this cinematic deep dive, we uncover the 13 biggest myths about the Winchester, the lever-action rifle once hailed as “The Gun That Won the West.” From the legend of the 15-shot Winchester 1873, to the belief that every cowboy, outlaw, and lawman carried one, to the claim it singlehandedly tamed the frontier, we’re busting the myths that refuse to die.
This isn’t Hollywood.
This is the real story of the Wild West’s most famous rifle — how the Winchester 1873 and its successors were built, who truly used them on the American frontier, and why the name “Winchester” became bigger than history itself.
The Winchester wasn’t just a gun. It was a symbol — a frontier rifle built on myths, marketing, and movie magic. And in this video, we break down all 13 of those Winchester myths to uncover the truth behind the legend that shaped the West.
Here's a video about cutting down a Winchester Model 94.
Here, [Guns Magazine's] "Special Assignments Editor Roy Huntington shares how he cut down and modified his Winchester Model 94 to make it more versatile. Watch the video, then download the 2019 DIY GUNS Special Edition to read Roy's detailed article on how to do it yourself."
He cut his down to 16 1/4". Carbines have barrels at 20".
No, I am not planning to cut down my Winchester 94 Carbine.
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| Above, the main entrance to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
While in Cody, Wyoming, we went to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Inside, the Center has five museums for people to see.
The Cody Firearms Museum is housed there and it is alone worth the visit. There, one can see many kinds of firearms of various vintages and manufacturers with Winchester the primary manufacturer. The museum "houses the most comprehensive assemblage of American firearms in the world."
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| Above, yours truly at the Buffalo Bill Cody statue. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky. |
I went through the firearms museum twice. The admission ticket is good for two days and we went there on two consecutive days.
If you happen to find yourself in Cody, make it a point to visit the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Here's some photos:
When I posted about the Winchester Arms Collectors Association's 50th Cody show, I said, "I drove 900 miles to attend the gun show and all I got was this t-shirt."
Well, that's not entirely correct.
I also did get a commemorative 50th anniversary button and an association pin.
Here they are:
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| Above, my 1962 Winchester 94. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
One of the top (if not THE top) firearm restorers, Turnbull Restoration, posted a history of John Browning's Winchester 94 (or 1894) rifle.
I saw many Winchester 1894 rifles and carbines at the Winchester Arms Collectors Association's gun show in Cody, Wyoming last Friday of various ages.
The article is titled, "Winchester Model 1894 History and Legacy".
The article begins with:
There are few things in American history more enduring than the lever-action rifle. It’s hard to picture the late 19th-century frontier without one slung over a saddle or tucked behind a door. And of all the lever-actions ever made, none earned quite the reputation—or built the legacy—that the Winchester Model 1894 did.
This rifle, designed by John Moses Browning, wasn’t just a product of its time. It was a product that helped define its time.
To read more, go here.
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| Above, yours truly at the WACA show in Cody. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky. |
Today, Mitch Geriminsky and I attended the Winchester Arms Collectors Show in Cody, Wyoming.
We took a taxi to and from the show.
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| Above, the gun show was held at Cody's Riley Arena. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
There were plenty of guns to look at, primarily Winchesters, along with art, knives, ammo and antiques. I was disappointed that there wasn't much of Winchester advertising memorabilia there. But I enjoyed the show anyway, which was the 50th anniversary show.
If one were attending with the intent on buying, they would be shocked at the prices if they don't have deep pockets. I am sure some deals could be made, but most were overpriced. They were definitely not priced to sell.
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| Above, some Winchester lever-action rifles. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
I did come away with a t-shirt. I enjoyed looking at the guns, though.
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| Above, I drove 900 miles to attend the gun show and all I got was this t-shirt. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky. |
Today's the day for the annual Cody Winchester Arms Collectors Show.
It opens today at 9:00 at Cody's Riley Arena.
Here's a video of the 2023 show:
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| Above, my 1962 Winchester 94 in .30-30 caliber. Photo by Armand Vaquer. |
Those who follow this blog know that I am a big fan of the Winchester 94 lever-action rifle. I bought a pre-64 model six years ago and it is my favorite firearm.
The NRA posted an article on its history and disassembly back in 2021 in their online version of American Rifleman.
It starts with:
In November 1894, Winchester introduced its new Model 94 lever-action rifle with the following prophetic words: “We believe that no repeating rifle system ever made will appeal to the eye and understanding of the rifleman as this will and that use will continue to warrant first impressions.” Winchester’s new rifle quickly became the preferred firearm of Western settlers, prospectors, law enforcement officers, hunters and ranchers who appreciated its power, reliability, light weight and compact dimensions.
Today, more than 100 years and 5,500,000 rifles later, the Winchester Model 94 remains a bestseller for those same reasons. Like so many other successful rifles and shotguns, the Winchester Model 94 rifle was designed by John M. Browning who sold his Model 94 patent (No. 524702 of August 1894) to Winchester.
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| Above, designer John Moses Browning. |
