Remington is capable of making quality so I dont get why the down turn. I recall the early AR10 being Remington barreled. The Stoner. I read the damn thing was target rifle accurate. Remington was asked by Stoner to produce barrels which would live up to their rifles. Their response was for Stoner to produce a rifle which would live up to the quality of Remington barrels.

I'm hoping that Remington manages to get past this hurdle. Because I really like their ammunition. When the local Field and Stream has Remington Shotgun Target ammo on sale I bought 4 flats of the 12 gage and 4 flats of the 20 gage at a price of 49.70 per flat. Note, there are 250 shells in one flat.

Now, some might say what's the big deal with Remington ammo. The big deal is the Hulls are the most consistent available. As a result the press will run tick tock tick tock without any hickups or bad crimps. NOT the case with Federal, even though it costs more the hulls have enough variation that it usually requires sorting for internal length and setting up the press for one sort of consistent length. Note, learned my lesson, I'll quit shooting before I will EVER purchase another box of Federal shotgun shells.

Then there are the pistol cases. I clean my fired brass using stainless steel pins and to prevent jamming I used to ream the flash holes to a 0.82 inch diameter. Ever try reaming the flash holes in 1000 cases? I can tell you based on real world experience it's mind numbing boring and you are just a finger width away from reaming your finger instead of the case. Note the used to in my statement, there is a reason why I don't ream my cases anymore. The reason is because Remington cases have flash holes that are consistently 0.82 inch in diameter, as in many thousands of cases and not one single incident of pins jamming in the flash holes. Now anytime I see Remington UMC on sale at some really good price I'll pick some up just for when I need some fresh once fired brass.

Thank you, Scooter123, for your observations.

No gun owner should find satisfaction if any gun/ammunition manufacturer fails, especially an old, major company like Remington, and no matter how much they may deserve it.

I hope they can get back on track.

quote:

Originally posted by Broadside:
Someone please correct me if I am wrong about the following.

I don't believe you're wrong. But Remington was on the slide before being bought by the Freedom group. Letting quality slide, cheapening everything. (crappy finish and plastic stocks) Putting out cheap "disposable guns" like the 710, and that 22 auto rifle. Or rebranding fairly crude Russian made guns and selling them. All driving the brand down, killing it's reputation.

Add in trying to do business in one of the least business friendly states in the country, one that's toxic to industry... moving most production out of NY far too late.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
If the VCs run it into the ground, then perhaps some skilled persons can purchase the company for a low cost. Perhaps this is a modern cycle, starting with the VC's draining all the capital they can.

Savage has been sold a few times, and currently the company is being run correctly and profitably.

That is the pattern and MO for modern companies these days, particular ones with brand name recognition.

Only the ignorant consumer and romantics are compelled to stick with brands out of loyalty, despite the crappy product pushed out. The reality, like you pointed out, the brand will disappear, somebody will buy it on the cheap, and slowly things will return to market place. Those things, may not be the same but, there's enough of those consumers and romantics, buying because of name recognition.

I'll be keeping my 870 and 300 Win Mag..perhaps they'll be collectors items.

quote:

Originally posted by Broadside:
Someone please correct me if I am wrong about the following.

Many of the old firearms manufactures have been bought out by a venture capital company that installs their own management team and then loans the manufacture money. The management team then hires "consultants" at exorbitant rates from the venture capital company that tell the manufacture that they have to cut cost which in reality means reduce quality.

So the firearms manufacturer rides along on it's brand name until people finally realize they are putting out crap. Then sales fall off and the manufacturer files for bankruptcy. The venture capital company then takes a tax write-off for the bad dept after raking in all the management fees.

In effect, what these venture capital companies are doing is sucking the value out of the brand name that was built up over many decades or in some cases more than a century.

This goes on more than most realize. It's truly striking (and discouraging) to see it done up close.

It takes about 5 to 10 years to destroy the company.

V.

It’s sad to see this my wife is from the area. He father and a lot of the people she knows worked at Remington Arms. My first trip out there in ‘94 I toured the plant with my FIL they ere down to o 1000 workers then. Many layoffs and transfers to he Alabama plant made the area a hard place to make a living. The huge plant building just a shell. I believe it’s the anti firearm political environment, along with the taxes pushed the company to the brink and over the edge.