Windham Weaponry, the Maine-based AR manufacturer, is closing its doors. An announcement on the company website reads:
It is with deep regret that we announce the closing of Windham Weaponry. Our website/online retail ordering system remained active through Tuesday night, Sept 12. We will do our best to ship all orders. No credit card will be charged until the order is shipped.
Twelve years ago, when we started Windham Weaponry, our shareholders and longtime employees were excited to continue the traditions and spirit of Bushmaster Firearms, after the new owners decided to leave Maine.
We built WW into a company we could be proud of providing outstanding customer service, high quality products, as well as a great place for our dedicated employees to work.
The last few years have been a very challenging time for the firearms industry, and we have struggled to keep the WW dream alive for as long as possible. Unfortunately, we have not been able to meet our loan obligations with the bank after they worked with us as much as they could.
There was a glimmer of hope when we were negotiating with an investor to help keep WW alive and healthy, but that just fell through.
We have begun discussions with Keenan Auction Company to determine the best course of action for a full liquidation, which should happen within the next month or so.
Our shareholders and employees truly appreciate your loyal support all of these years.
HISTORY
In 2006, investors bought Bushmaster, the company’s previous rifle brand.
Freedom Group, Inc. closed its Bushmaster Firearms International manufacturing facility located in Windham, Maine, effective March 31, 2011. The company relocated manufacturing of all Bushmaster products to other Freedom Group facilities.
The original Bushmaster owner, Richard Dyke, was left with both a dilemma and an opportunity. Almost to the day of the 2011 move, Dyke’s non-compete clause expired. He still owned the property where Bushmaster had been built and knew all the workers — who were laid off in the move. Dyke made a decision to get back in the game and put an email out to many of his former employees and friends asking if they had interest in joining him for a new project.
With their support, Dyke gathered the financing in two days and started bringing people back into their long-time Windham manufacturing home. Within three months, the first productions models of the new Windham Weaponry line had been perfected and delivered.
In less than a year and a half, Windham Weaponry had brought back almost 70 employees and booked impressive sales numbers.
OUR REVIEWS
Gun Tests reviewed several Bushmaster/Windham Weaponry rifles over the years, with the latest being the Windham Weaponry VEX-SSModel R20FSSFTSKV 223 Rem./5.56mm. We did not recommend that rifle, saying, “Don’t Buy. While handy and well balanced, the Windham’s lack of accuracy and multiple failures to function prevented it from being a player in this very competitive test. We never felt confident that we could rely on the rifle to deliver a precise shot on target.”
We also reviewed a multi-caliber takedown offering in 2016, the Windham Weaponry RMCS-4 5.56mm NATO/9mm Luger/300AAC/7.62x39mm. It earned an A- grade.
