Classic Doubles International, Inc., was founded in January of 1988 when a group of investors,
headed by Dean Jendsen, purchased a manufacturing plant in Japan from the Winchester division
of the Olin Corporation that manufactured the Winchester Model 101 and the Model 23. The
plant was purchased with the right to use the Winchester logo “Classic Doubles with an image of
an over/under shotgun in a broken open position.” The new owners produced and cataloged a
new version of the Model 101 over/under. They discontinued the Model 23 designation and
catalogued their new side-by-side shotgun as the Model 201. Classic Doubles International,
headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, suffered financial reverses and were forced to close the
manufacturing plant in Japan. Following the closure the complete inventory of finished Model
101 and Model 201 shotguns, approximately 2,500, were sold to Guns Unlimited located in
Omaha, Nebraska.
Ithaca Gun Company was founded in 1883 in Ithaca, New York, by William Henry Baker and
partners. The original company was sold in 1967 to what would become General Recreation, Inc.
The company was relocated to King Ferry, NY in 1987. Due to financial challenges, the Ithaca
Gun Company closed in June 2005 and its assets were sold at auction in November to Ithaca
Guns, USA, LLC, of Upper Sandusky, Ohio. In June 2007 the Ithaca Gun Company acquired the
assets of Ithaca Guns USA, LLC.
Winchester began in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1849 as the New Haven Arms Company.
Purchased by Olin Family’s Western Cartridge Company in 1931 Winchester became the
Winchester-Western Co. During World War II the company was acquired by the GIAT
Industries (Groupement des Industries de l’Armee de Terre, Army’s Industry Group) owner of
Browning Arms and Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Belgium. In the early 1980’s Winchester
headquarters moved from New Haven to Alton, IL and the Olin Corporation diversified its
interests in firearms through plants in Hingham, Massachusetts, and Japan. The former New
Haven headquarters became the U. S. Repeating Arms Company which manufactured
ammunition for Winchester firearms. In 1981 employees of the Winchester Corporation
purchased the gun-manufacturing division but difficult times during the 1980’s lead to its sale to
investors in 1987. Winchester now manufactures only in the United States under the name U.S.
Repeating Arms Company.
MS 140 - Firearms Catalogs ...
| McCracken Research Library
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