Iconic rifle fights for survival

By Duncan Kennedy
BBC News, Los Angeles

The rifle was immortalised in movies like "Winchester 73"

Production of the gun that won the West is to close at the end of this week unless last-minute talks to save the company that makes it succeed.

The Winchester Rifle has been made for the past 150 years.

But now the company's owners want to move production abroad and update the Winchester's image.

From silver-screen stars John Wayne to James Stewart, the rifle has been unsheathed to fight everyone from Apache Indians to cattle rustlers.

Immortalised in movies like True Grit, Winchester 73 and most famously, the Gun that Won the West, its slender line soon elevated it to iconic status.

But its fast-firing lever action made it a favourite with real life frontiersmen like Buffalo Bill and the outlawed Jesse James.

Now though its parent company, Herstal, wants to close production with the loss of 200 jobs.

The company says it wants to keep the Winchester name, but make more modern and more profitable weapons elsewhere.

Unions are still in talks but they only have until Friday before the Winchester becomes just a fistful of memories.