Lew Horton going away at end of the year.

[Gunhacker]

Interesting to read about their response to inquiries about older limited editions.
I'm wonderingly how folks get ahold of letters on LH letterhead.
I sent them an inquiry about a 24-3 w/3" barrel.

So far, no response....

Who did you send the inquiry to?

If he is still there, Earl Minot is the one that answers those type of confirmation requests, his email is [email protected]

That's how I received an email with a confirmation for my 24-3 3" bbl on LH letterhead as an attachment.

 

[6string]

Who did you send the inquiry to?

If he is still there, Earl Minot is the one that answers those type of confirmation requests, his email is [email protected]

That's how I received an email with a confirmation for my 24-3 3" bbl on LH letterhead as an attachment.

Thank you!
I had simply sent an email to their general contact address.

Much appreciated!
Jim

 

[andy52]

Previously they responded quickly to my inquiries too but last time I had to send it a second time.

Earl used to include the letter as a .pdf in his reply if you included your full name & address.

This last time he did not include the letter, just some details & the brochure scans I mentioned.

Someone said they started charging $25 but I don't know how you'd know that since he didn't say anything about that option & it's not stated on their website anywhere I could find.

Yes, it's a shame they're closing down.

.

You're right about the 25 bucks, I called them about 3 weeks ago and inquired about a letter for my 24-3 and the letter cost that amount.

 

[mackafoose]

I called them two days ago, 1-800-446-7866, ext 230 Someone actually answers the phone, I believe Earl. Verified the two guns I was inquiring about were theirs, had a great conversation, and two letters are on their way ($25 each)
Very sad that this company is closing

 

[ordnanceguy]

Guns, ammo and gun accessories sales are all down substantially so it is no surprise that there are casualties. Ellett Brothers declared bankruptcy this past summer.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/lounge...mpanies-goes-under.html?593138=#post140457779

There will be more of this sort of thing to come, I suspect.

 

[old bear]

It's sad when any honest and ethical company must shut its doors, no matter what the reason. Based on the current political climate I not overly surprised, and expect to see more limiting of places to purchase firearms.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I don't know if it is as much limiting purchases as the fact the market is pretty well saturated. Lots of people have inventory they can't move-just look at prices for AR's. Everyone and their brother has one now it seems and it seems like when someone speaks of a ban now, it's meh,,,,got mine, plenty of mags and lots of ammo. I mean they could shut down sales of everything today and I'd still be set for life vis a vis firearms. Face it, guns do NOT wear out in normal usage and there reaches a point where the market just can't sustain historic growth.
It am what it am

 

[glenwolde]

They seemed to have a positively uncanny ability to read the market.

Apparently not...

 

[ddixie884]

It is a cheap plastic disposable world. Blue steel and hand worked leather is sadly, mostly out of style. Plastic guns beat no guns at all, but they have very little soul. JMHO-YMMV.........

 

[Deckard427]

I currently have two S&W 9mm semi-autos. One is an M&P 2.0, and the other a 639. One, I could skid down the driveway, all the way to the road, without feeling a twinge of guilt. The other, not a mote of dust would dare land upon.

 

[2K7]

Please...please...please......

accurately solve the Model 624, 3 inch, .44 Special controversy for sure before you go! Was it bad metal or were the cylinder holes drilled too deep!

Just found out Lew Horton is going to close down. End of an era.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[black1970]

LH I fear won't be the last to close. We are seeing the beginning of an avalanche of closings of some of the major firearms distriibitors as well as a large number of gun shops. In my humble opinion what I am noticing is a shrinking of shooting sports, knife collecting, and car enthusiasts (hot rods) lately. Times and people are changing and the way I see it not for the better. Let's be honest here. The kids that are growing up now have little affection for guns, cars, and knives. The computer has taken over most of their spare time. Hunting is also going away. The teaching of history and civics is about gone. Some of you here will no doubt say it is not so. Wake up and look around. I see it almost every day. I truly believe this is all planned. It has happened before and will happen again because people do not learn from history. IN the meantime buy all the guns you can and ammo. Because when TSHTF the only things that will be worth anything will be beans, ammo, and firearms. Sorry if this is thread drift-rant over.

 

[Dogmann]

There needs to be a lew Horton firearms reference book!

 

[686PC]

Interesting, I never new they were a Massachusetts company. Here's a photo of their old downtown Framingham storefront in the 70's, which I stumbled upon online.

 

[Erocksmash]

I have a question....

With the unfortunate closing, how do you think this will affect values or Lew Horton branded guns ? I'm not fimilar with any special distributors that I would say closed it doors ?

 

[Warren Sear]

I really don't understand the desire to know if a gun was sold through a certain distributor or not. It is the same exact gun no matter the distributor.

When I bought it, I was told that this Model 24 was distributed through Lew Horton, but I could not possibly care less, and I would not have paid a penny more for it.

 

[cleans up]

I'm sad that less options in general will be out there, and less of the "cool" stuff that LH helped bring to market. I'm also certain they won't be the last. Sure the market has moved on but many of their varieties are still just plain cool.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I really don't understand the desire to know if a gun was sold through a certain distributor or not.
It is the same exact gun no matter the distributor.

It seems you don't understand.

Certain distributors, like Lew Horton, ordered quantities of handguns from S&W made to the specifications they wanted which made that model & configuration unique. That distributor had sole selling rights of it.

They ordered them that way because it was a configuration that S&W had not made, or was not currently making, & they felt there was a market for it.

Often, later on, S&W would produce that configuration as a standard production model & distribute them thru the different normal channels once the original requesting distributor's run was done.

So "No", they were not the exact same guns because often S&W never made that configuration again & even if they did the first issuance of it, from the original requesting distributor, is always considered the most prized.

.

 

[SLT223]

If nothing else, Earl would be a great asset to this place.

Would you happen to know Earl's last name?

 

[rbmac52]

I agree that the Lew Horton Distributing Company came up with some interesting variations of Smith & Wesson revolvers. I have a few myself.

However, these same exact guns were also available through other distributors because Lew Horton could not sell all that they ordered.

Thinking that a gun distributed through Lew Horton is somehow more valuable than the exact same gun distributed by another vendor is ludicrous. That's like saying a Ford Mustang sold by one dealer is more valuable than one sold by another.