Winchester

Oliver Fisher Winchester was a passionate and innovative man who saw the future of firearms and created an industrial empire around the lever-action rifle. No gun manufacturer in all of history has captured the public imagination more than Winchester. Their rifles and ammunition are world-famous for their perfect workmanship, their design and reliability, their heritage and their allure. It was the Winchester that was dubbed “the rifle that won the West.” In 1857, he acquired a majority interest in the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company from two creative gentlemen named Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson. Winchester continued to refine firearms design with inventors such as Benjamin Tyler Henry and Nelson King, and on May 22, 1866, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company was born. With the opening of the American West to the colonies and the continuing military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, the demand for Winchester firearms and ammunition continued to be strong. The Winchester Model 1892 lever-action pistol quickly became the most sought-after gun among movie makers. Revolvers chambered in 38-40 Win., 44-40 Win. and 45 Colt were also highly sought-after. The Western action film has undergone a revival over the past few decades. Original studio productions such as “Silverado,” “Unforgiven,” and “Open Range,” along with remakes of classics such as “3:10 Yuma” and “True Grit,” still have the ability to distract and captivate audiences. They take us back to the Old West: when a Winchester rifle or carbine was your trusty ally.