Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Its History & Development from 1865 to 1981

513 Pages·2004·42.407 MB·English

by  Herbert G. Houze

W I NCH EST ER
W
I
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REPEATING ARMS COMPANY
H
E
I H & D 1865 1981
TS ISTORY EVELOPMENT FROM TO
S
T
E
R

R
E
P
E
A
T
I
A
N
lthough the name Winchester is known complete picture of the fi rm’s complex development
worldwide and is still used generically for is presented. G
its rifl es and shotguns, a comprehensive Many commonly held beliefs about Winchester’s

history of the company has never been published. growth and operations, such as the orderly A
Herbert G. Houze, the former curator of corporate succession from the New Haven R
the Winchester Arms Museum, has Arms Company to the Winchester
M
written a complete account of the Repeating Arms Company or
Winchester Repeating Arms the reasons for its fi nancial S
Company’s development from collapse in 1930, are dispelled.
C
the founding of its predecessor, In addition, seven new models
O
the New Haven Arms Company of Winchester fi rearms are
in 1856, to the sale of the fi rm identifi ed and fully described. M
by Olin Corporation in 1981. Houze also sheds new light on the
P
Using corporate records and other development of more familiar models
sources that have come to light during and the men who designed them. A
the last decade, Houze reconstructs many aspects The entire spectrum of the Winchester Repeating N
of the Winchester Company’s history unknown to Arms Company’s history, its successes, as well as its Y
previous researchers. As a result, a new and far more failures, is presented here for the fi rst time.
W
HOUZE
ISBN: 0-87349-786-4 $34.99 U.S.
($52.99 CAN)
53499
C
P
U
HERBERT G. HOUZE

0 4608100786 6 9 780873497862
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WINCHESTER
REPEATING ARMS
COMPANY
Its History & Development from 1865 to 1981
HERBERT G. HOUZE
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© 1994 and 2004 by Herbert G. Houze
Published by
An imprint of F+W Publications, Inc.
Our toll-free number to place an order or obtain
a free catalog is [phone].
All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information
storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a
reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine
or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.
The tradename and trademark “WINCHESTER” is owned
by Olin Corporation and is used with Olin Corporationʼs
express permission. Neither the author, nor the publisher,
are sponsored by or associated with Olin Corporation.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2004094035
ISBN: 0-87349-786-4
Designed by Kara Grundman
Edited by Don Gulbrandsen
Printed in the United States of America
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DEDICATION
To my family, Alec, Andrew, Jennifer and Lynn, for their unending
patience and support during the time this book was being written.
AND
To Winchester enthusiasts everywhere.
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................5
Preface .............................................................................................................................................6
Introduction
THE ORIGINS OF THE WINCHESTER ARMS COMPANY .............................................................8
Chapter 1
OPERATIONS FROM 1865-1866 AND 1866-1871 .........................................................................29
Chapter 2
THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY’S SEARCH
FOR NEW MARKETS: 1872-1883 ..................................................................................................82
Chapter 3
THE WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY COMES OF
AGE: 1883-1900 ............................................................................................................................124
Chapter 4
THE NEW CENTURY: 1901-1913 .................................................................................................156
Chapter 5
WORLD WAR I: 1914-1919 ............................................................................................................179
Chapter 6
REORGANIZATION, COLLAPSE AND RESURRECTION 1919-1939 .........................................208
Chapter 7
WORLD WAR II: 1939-1945 ..........................................................................................................228
Chapter 8
RESURGENCE AND CHANGE: 1946-1960 ..................................................................................286
Chapter 9
THE FINAL DECADES: 1961-1981 ................................................................................................304
PART II
Preface .........................................................................................................................................345
Introduction ................................................................................................................................346
Chapter 10
THE BEGINNING OF THE ULRICH ERA ....................................................................................359
Chapter 11
A PERIOD OF CHANGE ...............................................................................................................402
Chapter 12
DECLINE AND RENAISSANCE: 1924-1936 .................................................................................439
Epilogue
ALDEN GEORGE ULRICH’S LEGACY: 1936-1981 .......................................................................496
Bibliography ...............................................................................................................................506
Index ............................................................................................................................................508
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Acknowledgments
During the course of writing this study, assistance and information was received from a great num-
ber of individuals. While I have tried to record the names of all those contributors, I fear that many
have been accidentally overlooked and, consequently, omitted from the list below. To them I offer
my sincere apologies, and to those mentioned, my profound thanks.
The principal debt of gratitude must be extended to Olin Corporation and the Buffalo Bill Historical
Center, the two largest repositories of the former Winchester Repeating Arms Company’s records.
Without their cooperation this book could not have been written. At Olin Corporation, I would like to
thank Melvin Neisloss, former secretary to the company; Bruce E. Burdick, senior counsel; Thomas
E. Hall, former curator of the Winchester Gun Museum; Thomas E. Henshaw; and John Walsh.
At the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, the following were of particular help: Dr. Paul Fees, senior
curator; Howard M. Madaus, the Robert W Woodruff Firearms Chair of the Cody Firearms Museum;
Christina Stopka, librarian; Frances Clymer, associate librarian; Joan Murra, library assistant;
Devendra Shrikande, photographer; and Lucille Warters, assistant photographer. In addition, I
would like to express my appreciation to the Historical Center for their granting me permission to
publish photographs and extracts of material in their collections.
Mention must also be made of the cooperation offered by the following institutions: the Baker
Library, Harvard University for providing extracts from the records of the R.G. Dun Company, and
to Dun & Bradstreet Company for permission to publish those extracts; the British Patent Offi ce;
and the National Archives of the United States.
Among the many private parties who provided invaluable information were Howard L. Blackmore,
John C. Davies, Charles Dupont, R.C. Romanella and the heirs of General Schurz.
Special thanks are also due to Dena Hollowell for transcribing my manuscript into readable form;
Lynn Houze and Ned Schwing for reading the completed text and offering valuable suggestions for
its improvement; and to Patricia Klug, Mary Sieber, as well as Ron Kowalke of Krause Publications
for transforming it into the present book.
Finally, I wish to thank the administrators of the Kinnucan Arms Chair of the Cody Firearms
Museum for their generous fi nancial assistance in partially underwriting the costs associated with
the photographs reproduced in this book.
Photograph Credits
With the exception of those illustrations noted as having been supplied by Olin Corporation, or
otherwise credited, all the photographs reproduced in this book were taken by Devendra Shrikande
and Lucille Warters.
5
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Preface to the Soft Cover Edition

For an author, preparing revisions for a previously published book is a source of considerable nervousness.
Questions fl ood the mind. How many glaring errors will be found? What was omitted in the original? How much
new information has come to light since the fi rst book was issued? And, the most troublesome thought of all:
how much of the text needs to be rewritten?
Countering all of these worries is the happy opportunity to improve the book and offer a better product to
the reading public.
Resisting the impulse to rewrite the entire book, the fi rst edition’s contents were evaluated as to their accu-
racy and completeness. Fortunately, they have withstood the test of time and only a few minor changes needed
to be made. For example, while recent research has completely corroborated Oliver F. Winchester’s activities
in developing and manufacturing new models during the 1865-1868 period, fi rst discussed in the 1994 edition, it
also revealed a mistake in that account. The series of iron frame carbines and muskets originally assigned the
model date of 1867, should be more correctly called the Model 1866 Iron Frame carbines and rifl es (pp. 60-62).
It has also become clear that the Year 17 Murata Sporting Rifl e previously described as having been made by
the Winchester company, was in fact the product of someone else’s hand. The Winchester company did, how-
ever, make the machinery used by the Japanese Government to produce the Year 17 Rifl e and an illustration of
that arm has been included in this edition (p. 112).
While most of the new information which has come to light since 1994 concerns the Winchester company’s
19th-century operations, recent examination of the concern’s 20th-century records have proved fruitful. It is
6
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now known that Thomas C. Johnson designed a bolt-action sporting rifl e during 1917 and 1918 that
was intended for introduction into the company’s product line in 1920. Identifi ed at various times in its
development phase as the G27C, Model E and “Imperial” rifl e, it was offi cially given the designation of
Model 51 in 1919 (page 201). Chambered for the .270 WCF, .30-06 and .35 Whelen cartridges, this mod-
el was designed for big game hunting not only in the United States, but also in Africa, Asia and India.
However, excessive production costs combined with limited sales projections caused the model to be
abandoned before it was publicly advertised.
Although some critics have described the fi rst edition of this book as a revisionist history since it
challenged and discredited a number of long-cherished myths concerning the Winchester company’s
operations, all of the challenged statements made in 1994 have been further corroborated over the
past 10 years. Since the volume of new evidence that has been uncovered over the last decade is far
too great to incorporate into this volume, readers should consult the following three works which dis-
cuss specifi c aspects of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company’s history: The Winchester Model 52:
Perfection in Design (Krause Publications: 1997); Winchester Bolt Action Military and Sporting Rifl e 1877-
1937 (Andrew Mowbray Publishers: 1998); and The Winchester Model 1876 “Centennial” Rifl e (Andrew
Mowbray Publishers: 2001). Finally, I want to express my sincerest appreciation to the following indi-
viduals and companies who provided assistance during the preparation of this edition: Doug Beneck,
Bonhams & Butterfi elds, Russell R. Dutcher, Paul Goodwin, Don Gulbrandsen, and my wife, Christine.
7
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INTRODUCTION
WW
THE ORIGINS OF THE WINCHESTER
ARMS COMPANY
A
lthough it is a matter of the purest
■
speculation, one must wonder whether Oliver F. Winchester
or not the name Winchester would be (Nov. 30, 1810 - Dec. 10, 1880)
so closely associated with fi rearms
Like his contemporary Samuel Colt, Oliver F.
today had the Volcanic Repeating Arms
Winchester’s earliest business ventures were not suc-
Company proved to be successful. For
cessful. Indeed, by the time he moved from Baltimore,
it was the circumstances of that com-
Maryland, to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1845, he was
pany’s failure which propelled Oliver F.
virtually penniless. His self-confi dence and energy had,
Winchester from being merely a com- however, not been adversely affected by the reversal
pany stockholder and corporate offi cer of his fortune, and over the next ten years he slowly
into an active participant in the arms recovered to become one of New Haven’s wealthiest
industry. Ultimately, this turn of events citizens.
was to lead to the formation of one of
the world’s largest and most respected
fi rearms manufacturing companies: the
Winchester Repeating Arms Company. guaranteed by mortgages issued against
the company’s assets. Based upon sur-
While the collapse of the Volcanic
viving corporate records, the primary
Repeating Arms Company has been gen-
lenders during this period were the fi rm’s
erally attributed to poor fi nancial man-
president, Nelson H. Gaston, and its vice
agement, aggravated by poor sales, the
president, Oliver F. Winchester, although
root cause was its over-capitalization in
other offi cers evidently contributed small
machinery during the concern’s set-up in
amounts at one time or another3.
18551. By spending the greater portion of
the monies it raised through stock sub- By late 1856, the situation had deterio-
scription on capital equipment, the fi rm rated to such an extent that the company
did not have suffi cient reserves to cover was borrowing money, not only to meet
its operating expenses when sales did payroll costs, but also merely to retire
not meet expectations. Consequently, it previous debt.4 While it is evident that
was forced to borrow money from its offi - Gaston and Winchester were prepared to
cers to meet these shortfalls beginning in subsidize the company until such a time
mid-18562. Unlike those funds generated as sales did increase, Gaston’s sudden
by stock sales, which were for all practi- death in December 18565 brought the mat-
cal purposes unsecured, the loans were ter to a head. Faced with the prospect of
8
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THE ORIGINS OF THE WINCHESTER ARMS COMPANY
having to lend the company approximate-
ly $24,000 to redeem Gaston’s advances,
The products of the Volcanic Repeating Arms
Winchester entered into an agreement
Company never achieved the success the fi rm had
with the executors of Gaston’s estate
hoped for, despite the receipt of glowing testimoni-
to force the bankruptcy of the Volcanic
als such as the following: “I consider the Volcanic
Repeating Arms Company themselves.6
Repeating Pistol the plus ultra of Repeating or
In this manner, their interests would be Revolving Arms, and far superior in many’ respects
protected even if an outside creditor fi led to Colt’s much extolled revolver.” (C.F.W Behm, -
a claim. Consequently, when two thirty- March 10, 1855)
day payment drafts issued to himself
and Gaston fell due on Jan. 10 and 13,
respectively, Winchester declined to lend
the Volcanic company the money needed
as the Volcanic company’s executors
to cover them7. When they were not hon-
and ordered them to prepare a list of all
ored, Winchester and Gaston’s executors
creditors, mortgage claims and assets14.
initiated legal proceedings to foreclose
Eli Whitney, Henry Munson and Charles
on their mortgages. The receipt of their
Ball were also appointed by the court
writs of attachment on Feb. 2 and 3, 18578,
at that time to appraise the company’s
was the catalyst which forced the direc-
property15.
tors of the Volcanic company to declare
their fi rm insolvent9. On March 13, Talcott and Morse pre-
sented their report, which indicated
On Feb. 4, in compliance with bankrupt-
that the former Volcanic Repeating
cy proceedings, the Volcanic Repeating
Arms Company’s total assets amounted
Arms Company transferred all their
to $57,714.53 against which the follow-
assets to two trustees, Samuel L. Talcott
ing mortgages totalling $65,632.06 were
and Gardner Morse, and petitioned the
held16:
Probate Court of New Haven, Connecticut
Oliver F. Winchester $30,673.80
for permission to liquidate the company’s Nelson H. Gaston $24,317.04
assets10. Immediately, Winchester began Tradesmens Bank of
protecting his claim and that of Gaston’s New Haven $10,641.22
estate (which he had by then assumed)
Judge Cyprian Willcox then instructed
by lending the company’s trustees such
Talcott and Morse to sell the assets of
funds as were necessary to redeem other
the company either by public or private
loans which were secured by mortgages
sale so that the mortgage claims could
or that could be recovered by legal
be paid17. On March 31, 1856, Talcott and
action involving the attachment of the
Morse carried out the court’s instruc-
company’s assets11. He also advanced
tions, and Oliver E Winchester purchased
the trustees the money needed to pay off
the right to redeem both his mortgage
the company’s obligations to Courtland
and that of Gaston’s for $80518. He also
Palmer, Horace Smith and Daniel B.
purchased 2,000 arms in the process of
Wesson, so that their patents were fully
being fi nished for $2,000, three lathes not
paid for and totally under the control
included in the mortgage claims for $475
of the trustees-12. As a result of this
and miscellaneous other items for $50019.
maneuver, Winchester became the sole
His agents, E. Benjamin and B.F. Parder,
mortgage holder of the former Volcanic
purchased an additional $628.25 worth
Repeating Arms Company, at a cost which
of material including 102 pistols at $5
ultimately amounted to $35,438.7413.
each20. As a result of these purchases and
On Feb. 18, the Probate Court approved two subsequent payments to Courtland
the appointment of Talcott and Morse Palmer, Winchester became the sole
9
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