founded in 1866
New Haven, Connecticut
- 1855 the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company
– Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson partnership
– Norwich, Connecticut
– largest stockholder was Oliver Winchester - 1856 moved to New Haven
- 1856 Volcanic Repeating Arms Company went bankrupt
- 1857 Winchester and partner John M. Davies purchased the assets
– New Haven Arms Company - 1860 Benjamin Henry perfected the .44 Henry cartridge
- 1860 Henry rifle based loosely on the Volcanic to use the new ammunition
– manufactured by the New Haven Arms Company - 1866 reorganized as Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Model 1866
- Model 1873 the first Winchester center fire cartridge, the .44-40 WCF
“Gun That Won the West” - December 1880 Oliver Winchester died
- 1881 his son William Wirt Winchester died
– his widow , Sarah Winchester, built the Winchester Mystery House. - 1883-1898 John Browning worked with Winchester Repeating Arms Company
- Winchester had borrowed heavily to finance its massive expansion
- 1931 went into receivership
- December 22, 1931 bought at bankruptcy auction by the Olin family’s Western Cartridge Company
- 1944 reorganized as the Winchester-Western Division of Olin Industries
- World War II produced the M1 Garand rifle
- post-war first civilian manufacturer of the M14 rifle
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
