U.S. Repeating Arms Company
The U.S. Repeating Arms Company was an American manufacturer of firearms. It was established in April 1857 and operated as an independent company until 1989, when it went bankrupt and was taken over by Fabrique Nationale Herstal. The company traced its origins to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, which was famous for making Winchester rifles.
History
In 1866, Oliver Winchester reorganized the New Haven Arms Company and changed its name to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. In 1931, the Western Cartridge Company purchased Winchester Repeating Arms and subsequently merged with it to form the Winchester-Western Company.In 1981, the U.S. Repeating Arms Company was established by Winchester employees to purchase the rights to manufacture Winchester-branded rifles and shotguns in New Haven, Connecticut, under license from Olin. Production of ammunition and cartridge components under the Winchester Ammunition Inc. name were retained by Olin and not licensed to USRAC.
In 1989, after the bankruptcy of USRAC, it was taken over by Fabrique Nationale Herstal, a Belgium-based international group producing firearms.
In early 2006, it was announced that the factory in New Haven would close. Production of several Winchester rifles would cease worldwide, while some models would be continued at factories outside the United States. This later changed, as according to the FN website, Winchester-branded guns are still being produced by FN in both the U.S. and Belgium.