Yes, it's marked "Winchester" - but it's made in Japan by Miroku, complete with a tang safety and most likely a rebounding hammer.

Here's the S.H.O.T. video, from the Winchester website:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymu_K...layer_embedded

Soooo, at least, it looks like there'll be factory .348 ammo/brass available, huh ?

.

No thanks, I'll stick with my Browning 71 and original Win 71. I hate that rebounding hammer.

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ken
Accumulator of:
S&W revolvers
Winchester levers
Remington 700s (older ones)

I wouldn't think that current Model 71 owners of any persuasion is Winchester's targeted (no pun intended) market.

I'm sure it appeals to the folks who've never owned one, and surely wish for one - especially a new one.

If it comes in @ around $1500 as I expect it will, that's what a gennie beater goes for today - with a "like-new" specimen costing at least $2K if not more.

It'll be nice to see Winchester ammo/brass available again - probably more affordable than the smaller custom house brands now selling for $75 box/20.

The rebounding hammer is a 15-30 min fix - I've done two (mine) Winchester/Miroku Model 86 EL's.

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Oh yeah? I need that done to my Winchester 94 .444 Timber carbine. No other way it came but with that rebounding hammer. I would love to find out how to do it!!

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ken
Accumulator of:
S&W revolvers
Winchester levers
Remington 700s (older ones)

http://www.winchesterguns.com/produc...87&family=025C

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There was a discussion of this on another board, some one there said they had handled one at the SHOT show and, according them, no rebounding hammer.
Terry

I'm as nostalgic as the next guy, but I have to wonder: Is Winchester bringing back this gun/cartridge, as a result of Marlin introducing the 338 Marlin Express? They are pretty similar, in terms of power and performance, with an edge to the 348WCF and the heavier bullets it can launch.

The rifle that pretty much replaced the original M71 in the Winchester line-up was the M88 in .358 Win. as it was able to be easily scoped. As much as I've dearly wanted a M71 for decades, there's still nothing it can do any better than a BLR in .358. Of course, if you're simply wanting a donor rifle for your .450 Alaskan, I wouldn't argue with that.

I have also read somewhere that the new ones do not have the rebounding hammer, but they do have the tang safety. I've ordered one but I don't know how long it's going to take to come in. I was told late Summer, early Fall but when I ordered my 1886 Saddle Ring Carbine back in 92, it took almost a year for it to come in.

Being made in Japan never seem to stop a lot of people from buying Brownings so I don't see how that would be an issue with the 71. I, however, will not be buying either. Not because it's not American, but because I refuse to buy a gun made in a country that will not allow it's own citizens to exercise their rights to own guns. But I'm sure it's well made nevertheless.

Rack the action on both a Winchester original 71 and then a Miroku 71 and it becomes instantly apparent that the Browning is way smoother. This is probably due to the Japanese guns being manufactured on precise CNC machine tools, and not to mention modern steels.

I have had a Win 71 short tang, now have a Win long tang and a Browning Carbine (unfired) and have my name on a Miroku 71 but the events in Japan have made delivery impossible to predict.

The purists here will hate me for saying the new 71's are smoother and IMHO better built than their ancestors. How accurate do you think machine tools of the 30's were ? The crosshatched hammer and long tang are certainly desireable features on the vintage rifles but give me the Japanese version to operate any day !

I'm new here, from Canada and my names Paul

Any lever I buy has to be the real deal.....probably why I don't have but a few, but they're
good'erns!" Good to know 348 brass and ammo will be more readily available again.

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In general the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one class of citizens and giving it to another class of citizens. Voltaire

There is no right way to do a wrong thing

NRA Benefactor, 2008

this is an old thread but I am compelled to revive it, don't be foolish, buying a new Japanese made firearm, no matter HOW PRECISION made it is, is a POOR INVESTMENT. If you want to see what you'll end up with, just look at a 15 year old Toyota or Honda car.

I've seen these Japanese made Winchester clone rifles with a Browning name at gun shows, brand new in box with 800-900 dollar price tags on them, they sit with no buyers.

if you buy one made in Japan, you will lose money on it when you sell it

if you buy an original at a good price, it will go up in value

it's like comparing a new 20 dollar bill, to a 20 dollar gold piece made pre-1933

they both have a 20 dollar face value, but the gold piece is now worth $1700- it's weight in gold

the smart money is on an original. I just bought an original 71 for only $950, and an original 1886 33 wcf for only $1050. What happened was speculators cornered the supply of these old levers and pushed the price up 2x 4x what it really should be. They are getting tired of sitting on them, so the prices have come back down to what they originally paid or only slightly more. It's a buyers market on vintage lever guns now.

add to it, if you keep walking down the road of buying new foreign made goods, it will only continue to undermine this already unstable USA economy. I can't describe the feeling inside I get, when I pick up an American designed gun and see Made in Japan on it. I don't know what else to say other than it's not a re-assuring feeling. Americans in New Haven and elsewhere in USA should be making those guns, and we should be exporting them to other countries with pride.

Not the other way around.

I realize this is somewhat off topic here, but still may interest those who are interested in a .348 new or used. Both these links are to quality ammo loaded for the .348 and costing well under what most seem to think is a typical price.

HSM 348 Winchester 200 gr. Flat Point, New

348 Win 200 gr SP (20 Rounds)

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That is honor, and there are way too many people in this
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