So Winchester 94 is back and made in Japan

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bigkrackers

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So what do y'all think about the 94 being made in Japan and with a MSRP of over $1200? Is anyone chomping at the bit to get one?
 
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TCL

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I'll stick with the one I inherited from my great-grandfather. 1921 production, .32 Winchester Special, and it's beautiful.
 
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NWPilgrim

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That is crazy. I love the old Win 94, like the one we have from my Grandfather, but $1,200 is insane. Especially with a Made in Japan rollmark. For that you can get a nice bolt action, AR15 or almost M1A, or two SG Garands.
 
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ripnbst

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That is seriously downright laughable. Not to mention a slap in the face to make an American classic in Japan.
 
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sailskidrive

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Well...

I agree it would be nice to see it made here. But at least the Japanese are capable of high quality manufacturing processes unlike our communist friends across the Yellow Sea.
 
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Wyosmith

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$1200!
Should be able to buy 2 of them AND some ammo for that much. At $1200, the price is not high.......it's insulting.
 
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tedmac

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Well lets see, Corp taxes, trial lawyers law suits, Osha regs, who you have to hire, who you cant fire, enviormental laws and the coming of Obamacare. Huh I just cant figure out why U.S. Mfg is leaving.
 
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NWPilgrim

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Well lets see, Corp taxes, trial lawyers law suits, Osha regs, who you have to hire, who you cant fire, enviormental laws and the coming of Obamacare. Huh I just cant figure out why U.S. Mfg is leaving.
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True enough. But someone in marketing is smoking dried fish heads if they think there is much of a market for a $1,200 made in Japan Win 94. f it was made in Italy or Spain at least they could tie it in with Clint Eastwood or something (KIDDING). That is a lot of money for a lever action.
 
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tedmac

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Well I own a Gretsch Pro level guitar made in Japan and the thing is a work of art, so I wouldnt write off Japanese workmanship just yet.
 
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Charlie98

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I've owned a few Japan-made Browning levers (still have my model 71) and they were fantastic. They weren't $1200, though, either.

If you are talking a box-stock 94, nothing fancy, well... I don't think they are going to sell very many, and it will drive the price of the genuine ones up even further.
 
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chewie146

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Well, I think that the Japanese can keep it. Too bad not many can have one. I think that the lever action should just be American made if it's sold in America. That's opinion of course. The price on the other hand just makes me mad.
 
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NWPilgrim

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Nothing bad against Japanese workmanship. I love our Accord! BUT, a premium price for a legendary Western rifle is not happening on a Japanese rollmark. They have no tradition of civilian firearms ownership/use that a "everyman's" ranch rifle can be related to. Just the wrong combination.

If you are going to jack the price then you better have a good story to tell with it. Somehow, Remington, Savage, Ruger, Marlin, even COLT and a multitude of AR manufacturers are able to produce complex, quality rifles for $700-$1,000. Why can't the Win 94 be made in the SE or Texas for less than $1,200?
 
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Gunplummer

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About 15 years ago I worked with a couple of guys that were going to start trap or clays or some kind of shotgun sport. They wanted me in but I really don't care about shotguns. I believe six of them ordered special Brownings for this and I know one of them ordered two. Over the weekend I picked up a perfect Arisaka at a flea market. I was real happy and told them about it on Monday. The question was "What is an Arisaka?". I told them a Japanese Army rifle. Well I took some flak because of the "Crap from Japan " I bought. About a week later their shotguns came in. Large block letters on the side "MADE IN JAPAN". They paid between $1200 and $1400 each for those guns. They were beautiful pieces of work, but I never let them forget about what they said about my rifle.

If you really think about what goes into a rifle, it is amazing they can sell them that cheap. The steel, machining, heat treating, bluing, wood, wood working, the Wholesaler getting his cut, the retailer getting his cut......You can save only so much with volume production. Labor? I see "Bubba" a lot on this forum. Apparently it is O.K. for Bubba to manufacture a gun but not O.K. to let him work on it after you bought one. Gun manufacturing requires skilled labor, something lacking in America today.
 
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bobn

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and to think the cost of doing business in conn was too high. after all 94s sold for 500ish when they shut it down. hm, corporate greed at its best. bobn
 
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Lawyer Daggit

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Sadly we live in a global world.

Miroku made firearms are very good and fit and finish is probably going to be up there with pre 64 Winchester 94's.

It won't have the cachet of a well made 'New Haven' gun though.
 
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Jim243

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At $1200, the price is not high.......it's insulting
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The price is high, yes, but understandable. The value of the dollar has gone down so much in the past few years compared to the other country's curency that everything imported is costing more. The only one's that will give you face value for your dollars are the Chinese and you know where that's going, unemployment and to the poor house.

Every time our government tries to get the Chinese to revalue their curency we get the reply, "But we have a special sale for you, buy more and give us more of your bonds." And like dummys we do.

Jim

$1,200 in todays dollars is only $600.00 in 2007 dollars. That's how far the US dollar has dropped in Japanese Yen.

Japcurrency.jpg
 
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