Windham Weaponry: Bushmaster Reborn
Bushmaster Firearms International has long since ceased to be a separate entity, in spirit if not legally. The company has been folded into Remington and the Bushmaster name is now just one of Remington's many brand names. Today it was announced that Bushmaster founder Richard Dyke has formed a new company called Windham Weaponry. The new company has purchased Bushmaster's former manufacturing plant in Windham, Maine and will employ nearly half of Bushmaster's laid-off employees. The company plans to ship its first rifles in September.
This is great news for the laid-off workers and their families.
If any of the new Windham Weaponry employees are reading the blog, please get in touch with me.
[ Many thanks to everyone who sent this in. ]
Congratulations to all the folks who got their jobs back!
My new Windham’s brass hits my deflector and knocks the finish off, unlike my ’02 bushmaster. What’s going on????
I just purchased a new Windham, no complaints
I have one of the last of the Windham ME made Bushmasters (an M4 A3). Regardless of what some persnickety types say, this is a wonderful product. Build quality is high with a solid bolt carrier group and excellent gas key staking. It is accurate, reliable, finish is flawless, parts fit tight and proper. Castle nut wasn’t staked (typical of Bushmasters) but it only took a few seconds to do that. I’m very happy with this rifle and am very impressed with the workmanship. I hope the Ilion product is as good but only time will tell. I like the new lifetime transferrable warranty and reasonable MSRP from Windham Weaponry. I wish the folks at Windham every success with their new company. Keep up the good work!
I lived in Maine(off and on)from 1980 until I retired in 1987. After that I bought a home in Maine and lived there for the next 20 years.
I remember Bushmaster Firearms/Quality Parts when it was in Portland,Maine and you could actually walk thru their building,thru the bins of parts, and pick what you needed. The orgainization was GREAT even back then. They eventually moved to Windam and I became friends with the CFO which was a great guy,a shooter,a hunter,and a man that I condidered a friend.
I was at the facility in Windam quite a few times. They always treated me with mutual respect and helped me with the building of numerious weapons for my friends . Unfortunately that facility was greatly controlled and most could not get past the front desk. However, I did on several ocassions. The facility was always clean,safe,and very professionally staffed. At the time I was modifying their mags to make them a hunting mag of 5 shots only. They helped with this, and I finally came up with a 5 shot mag that you could insert with the bolt closed BUT would not hold 6 rds. I still have some of these mags that I use to this day.
I have owned quite a few Bushmaster Firearms over the years. I still own them and hunt with them(killed a yote with my 24″ two days ago). I wish the new facility all the best. I will wait ’til I can get a couple of the WW firearms and will not buy another Remington/Bushmaster. The best of luck to you and your crew Mr. Dyk. Next time in Maine I will come over to pay my respects. —- SAWMAN
Bushmasters had the second best logo next to Colt. My Bushmaster V Match carbine is sub MOA and has never I repeat never malfunctioned. I carry this one duty and trust my and others lives and never would carry a weapon I did not trust.
I wish windham weaponry all the sucess of the former bushmaster.
@VTMNM What is a High grade Weapon to you?. People like you drive me nutts. Elitists. You gave 0 details as to why these firearms you have shot from WW were junk, provided you shot any at all. What I’m gathering is that you have a grudge against bushmaster for whatever reason and want to take it out on WW because they have a crew consisting of old bushmaster employees. Being a car enthusiast for many years and working with all makes and models. I can tell you spending top dollar is a gimmick more then spending less. Ever hear the old saying “Less is more”?. Like with cars. You can spend a over a hundred thousand for a 4-500 hp car, or. You can spend 1500-5000 and buy something that’s “Sub-Par” and blow the guy with the “Superior product” out of the water for far less money, all it costs is some time. Don’t be so quick to judge. I dont care what your shooting or Driving / building, eating. Everything has its issues. And the beauty of the AR is is ability to interchange parts. Something not working? Replace it. Plain and simple. There is no “Perfect”.
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What makes them low-grade?
Interesting that you have “handled” so many of these rifles and yet seem to know nothing about them. Some of the points that make an AR high quality can not be determined by “handling” the weapon. These include barrel material (WW uses 4150… an excepted superior material), barrel lining (WW chrome lines the barrel), M4 feed ramps (WW has M4 feed ramps), barrel twist rate (WW offers both 1:9 and 1:7)… the list goes on. On top of that, WW actually offers a lifetime warranty with their rifles, which is transferable to all future owners of the rifle. This is unheard of by any other manufacturer and tells me that they have some faith in their product.
I actually purchased one of these rifles about a month ago and have since “educated” myself on AR’s. Without getting into all of the nitty gritty about what makes for a high quality AR, I’ve been impressed with the WW rifle. It’s apparent that WW is coming out with arms swinging and inovating as Bushmaster truely used to (before being purchased by Remmington)
To top it off, WW has priced their rifles to sell… At about $600 less than Colt (the accepted high standard for AR’s). My assumption is that WW is going to build their reputation in the industry and then you’re going to see this price sky rocket.
In short, WW is not just another AR manufacturer.
HAHA gotta love the posts from people who think they know something but havent got a clue…… yes STICK that means you. Let me set the record strait for people who actually want to know the truth. The building was never shut down in fact the original building is where the new plant is already pumping out some great guns. Indoor sound proofing….. oh poor sticky stick. The indoor shooting system was hardly heard at all, there were no issues and whoever gave you the millions number….. not even close. It was the outdoor shooting range at the pit that anyone took issue with. And the talk to build something at Grondins pit was to keep the few complainers happy. Truth be told there was more complaints about the noisy rock crushing all the time than the periodic shooting….. There are many other posts I find amusing but Ill leave it at this….My guess is WW will be selling more, and far superior guns than the Cerberus/Freedom group owned, Remington housed, bushmaster named, NY based….. struggling gun company in less than 5 years……. just sayin
Second the Puppy Police comment.
Maine is the great outdoors hunting state east of the rockies. You have to go to Alaska for moose hunting like you can get in Maine. And the gun laws are quite reasonable.
So far as noise complaints go, I bet that a place in TX – or anywhere else – as populated as Windham – would get lots of complaints over firing high powered weapons in town. Our gun rights do not include the right to disturb our neighbors in populated areas.
Maine has plenty of room for open gun ranges, where no one complains.
Finally, Maine has highly intelligent and competent workers. Perhaps its the cold winters, but Maine people tend to work harder and better than those in most other places in the US. Unfortunately, we keep getting screwed by giant corporations that buy our businesses and move the jobs to China, or someplace else outside of Maine.
PS – if this company is successful, Obama will be pleased.
Texas Sheepdawg,
Why do you assume that Maine is not a gun friendly state?
It might surprise you to find out just how gun friendly Maine is.
The true North East states are very pro gun, most of us have shall issue concealed carry laws and one of our states has been a constitutional carry state for several years.
So please do not judge us by our neighbors, if MA, CT & NY want to be difficult for gun owners thats there problem not ours.
Dick sold the company thinking the company would keep going. Not end up getting gutted for it’s name, with all it’s talent laid off. Dick saw a good deal and picked up the manufacturing with its laid off workers, put a deal together, and is another ‘going concern’ in Maine. In this economy he is building a new company, putting people to work and making American weaponry, (take that Obama) how could he possibly do better.
Hopefully, Windham Weaponry can make BETTER products than the old Bushmaster…stop with the 4140 1:9 BATCH test junk…use MILSPEC metal (MIL-B-11595E), 1:7, INDIVIDUALLY HP’d and MP’d…and THEN you’ll have something…otherwise, why not just buy mystery junk from DPMS, M1S, Shurluk, instead?
It’s bad enough that everyone and their next door neighbor’s grandmother is making AR’s and parts, the LAST thing we need is yet another MEDIOCRE to LOW GRADE AR manufacturer….we already have UTG….they got “junk” covered.
@ Charles 222; your comment is silly. No one is restricting you from leaving or staying. State lines are open for travel. Workers are free to go where they want to make a new life. You have the right to PURSUE happiness. And if they don’t want to leave Maine, then fine. We have millions of folks who would love to pick up where Maine workers left off. Southern States welcome new industry more every year. You can choose to end up like Michigan or California or you can pursue your dreams in a state where you can live and work without the government strangling your rights and liberties. If you have a thirst for the pursuit of happiness, you will follow your dreams. If that means stepping out of your comfort zone, I guess it’s up to you. I left TN after 14 years of scraping and struggling to just get by, came to Texas and ten years later I am very successful and happy. And richer. It is spooky stepping out of your comfort zone, but if you don’t try, you will most likely miss out, and you will just linger and continue to stagnate. But it’s all up to the individual. Just how much confidence do you have in your own survival skills and how much faith do you have that God will bless you? Don’t tell me the answer. Get the answers from the man in the mirror.
I don’t get it. First he sells Bushmaster, then he turns around and reopens undera different name? Why sell in the first place? And from what I’ve read above comments, move to a “gun friendly” state! Go to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming or Montana. They would be more than happy to have the company relocate.
And isn’t there usually a “clause”? where the owner can’t own a similar business for 3 years?
Another thing to keep in mind is don’t get way too many investors involved, otherwise they end up grabbing control of the company and kick out the owner, look at Dan Wesson Arms, Wildey Arms, Amt Corp. and others.
If you are going to make another (yawn) AR-15 clone, pick up some unusual calibers such as:
10mm Auto
10mm Magnum
357 Sig
17 Remington
7mm TCU
357 Magnum (use Coonan mags)
44 Auto Mag.
45 Win. Mag.
50 Action (use Desert Eagle mags)
475 Wildey Mag.
401 Win. Self-loading
351 Win. Self-loading (more powerful than 357 Magnum, a 180 gr. soft point at 1800 fps, 357 Mag. can only hit 1500fps out of a rifle with a 180gr. bullet)
440 CorBon
458 Socom
50 Bewulf
475-50 Bewulf (wildcat)
Because moving your company to a state where most of the people you laid off couldn’t possibly contemplate moving to is what is known as a ‘dick move’. :p
Why does it seem that firearms companies,(major names), gravitate to locations and states that are anti-firearms? Texas would welcome these manufacturers with open arms…..no pun intended. I would love to wake up in the morning knowing I was going to go to work and build firearms, especially the AR Platform.
Well ‘Texas sheepdog’, i think that Texas heat has cooked your sensibilities. Did u know Maine’s motto is ‘vacationland’? &I can tell you from 1st hand experience,almost every1 I know owns one type of firearm or another. &its quite easy to get your ccw permit here as well. Hunting is a way of life here in Maine &every season is in its extreme. Unlike Texas,we don’t have to worry about being bombarded by illegals &therefore id say the desire to own a firearm is definately more ‘friendly.’ Lol! &I can guarantee it’ll make a man out of you to work outside for a whole winter here,to make a living. And,I’m sure next to Texans, Mainers will be some of the last ones crying the creedo about, “prying my gun from my cold dead fingers…” when ‘they’ try and take away our 2nd ammendment rights in our country as a whole. -I’m sorry your negativity (& ignorance) is surely based on envy that we get to have a great company building great firearms,& you don’t.
All I have to add is YAHOO!
They should make ACR caliber conversion kits! They’d make a killing.
I remember hearing Bushmaster got turned down for a few Govt contracts because of quality control issues.
If this is true, was it before they were bought out by Remington or after?
Dick Dyke sold the Bushmaster business but retained ownership of the property and leased it to Remington\freedom group. Most of the original workers, assembly, sales etc… have moved on, however a lot of original key players have stayed and have been working on starting this up. They will be making a complete line of ARs (along with other goodies) with the same quality that was in the windham plant- People are correct when they say a lot of other manufacturers are out there, but very few has had the same success that Bushmaster has had- having said that, these people that stayed on, made Bushmaster what it had become today. If dick is on board, I believe it will be very successful.
Hopefully Windham Weaponry can make its own name without being associated with the current incarnation of Bushmaster Firearms, it would be sad to see a company full of talented and dedicated employees have live down Remington’s mishandling of the Marlin and Bushmaster brands.
FYI everyone the building was shut down due to the town of Windham… this was because of their firearms testing they had going on and even though they spent millions to make it the most sound proof indoor range there where still people around town that where angry about a “noise” disruption. The town of Windham is full of rich anti-gun people… makes me sad.
“Bushmaster made news in August, when R.J. Grondin & Sons proposed building an enclosed firing range at its quarry in Windham for weapons testing by Bushmaster. The proposal followed months of complaints by residents about noise from high-power weapons testing at the quarry.”
http://www.pressherald.com/news/bushmaster-closing-windham-plant_2010-12-11.html
Having worked for Bushmaster for 3 years I can answer some questions. Dick Dyke already owned the buildings and was leasing them to Bushmaster after he sold the company to the Freedom Group. He has the connections to start up a new firearms bussiness and be competitive from the get go. Believe me when I say their new product will be as well made as the Bushmaster AR15 if not better. The people at this new plant will put their knowledge of the AR platform into creating a superior firearm that will outshine the competition.
This is great news. I’ll support them. And they will be just as popular as DPMS in no time. And I hope they continue making the 450 Bushmasters. Awesome weapon.
i love bushmaster its my favorite gun ar-15 rocks
I’m glad to see the plant reopen but I wonder how successful they’ll be. There’s a lot of competition out there and they’ll be an unknown despite having a trained and experienced workforce.
If their prices are competitive with their competition (Del-ton, Stag, etc) and I don’t hear anything negative about them then I may give them a try. I have a Bushmaster that is a good AR but I would not pay Colt, BCM, etc prices for a Bushmaster or an AR from a new company.
wow Bush master love it can’t wait to see some guns my boy and I will be checking them out he tells me his favorite gun is a remington…He will love this site…As I willthanks for bringing this site back…
So what does this mean for the average firearm enthusiast? A new manufacturer?
Hopefully their logo will not be as ugly as Bushmaster’s.
Congratulations to all the folks who got their jobs back!
I’m really hoping that Windham brings back the Arm Pistol. That’s something that died out before its time.
I don’t get it. I’m guessing he sold the Bushmaster name and plant to the Freedom Group, they then closed it down to capitalize on their economies of scale, and now he bought the old building and is opening it up again? Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to just not sell it and the name to begin with?
Wait … Dick Dyke founded Bushmaster?
Bring an updated M17s to market!!! How about a Gwinn model…..
This is awesome news indeed.
Back when my last company was sold, a coworker (who had sold a few businesses herself) told me something that has stuck with me:
“No one is happy with the results a year after they sell their business.”
That has held true for every one I have seen. They might be glad they have the money, but they aren’t happy with anything else about it.
This is amazing news. I love to hear about new business ventures that get started in the US. All I can say is that I am anxiously awaiting their first product so that I can show my support for a new American company by purchasing one of its products. Just make sure it does not suck and we’re good!
Definitely exciting news! Its great that they were able to get their hands on their old plant and employees! Have you seen any previews of their rifles?
- Greg
That’s what happens when you sell your company, people! Buyer’s want the name and the rights, they don’t want the workers or interpersonal relationships. Sometimes they don’t even want the machines and equipment, and all of that goes to auction, since they don’t know it’s condition.
I wish Windham Weapons all the best of luck in this tough business environment.