Lew Horton Distributing closing

[Bigcat]

The store was the place to go years ago.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Maybe it isn't a sad occasion at all. Maybe the family is retiring and wants to relax with the remainder of their life. Most assume the closure isn't what they wanted.

I was sadder when Benny's closed - and I never liked going into Benny's. (But dammit they always had what I needed and the help there was above and beyond.)

Possibly a similar situation - lots of competition. Their model is outdated. Time to just roll up and move on.

 

[67ray]

Lew Horton will provide letters on their models much like the S&W Historical Center/Roy Jinks does. Shame if all that info goes away.

Anyone know if they would be willing to share, or "open source" their database? So there is some public record of manufacture/ship dates. Someone with an inside connection would help.

 

[fmyspray]

Lou Horton also missed the mark in terms of who they would sell to. They wanted full blown brick and mortar FFLs only. Kitchen table, 07 that does retail on the side, etc and they said no. The market has shifted pretty hard to kitchen table sellers on gunbroker combined with large online retailers. You need a local presence to do transfers, but sales are getting harder and harder. Lou Horton would only sell at elevated prices to the brick and mortar shops that were already under price/margin pressure. That was a doomed business model.

For those of us old enough to have shopped at the downtown Framingham store you could remember the 80's with the stacks of Colt, Norinco, Polytech rifles. Also high end shotguns and nice Lew Horton special edition Colt & S&W revolvers and pistols. I scored plenty of great collectible pieces at fair market price. You could still score some decent stuff at the route 9 store when they first moved. When they lost S&W, their wholesale side began declining. We sold dozens of their 3" Talo edition 1911's. Sorry to see them closing. Even recently they had Remington LHD edition 870 wood stocked riot shotguns, sold dozens of those too. End of a era.

 

[EJFudd]

The store was the place to go years ago.

It was. I'm also old enough to remember going out to Lew Horton Jr.'s Boston Rd Southborough distribution operation in the late-70's with a kitchen table FFL friend of mine to pick out my handguns right from the source. Those were good times.

 

[houdini]

It us so sad to see it close.

 

[Michael J]

Didn’t realize they’re in MA. Not sure what that says about them or me. 42 years is a good run.

Did they actually do anything besides lend their name to a million and a half “special edition” guns?

Yes. I worked for Lew for 20 years . He bought close outs and overstocks as well . His started the trend of special editions

 

[Michael J]

If you have a viable business like a firearms distributor, customization, etc, you don't willingly close. If you want an exit you sell. They have an established customer base, relationships with manufacturers, etc. If these are all healthy then the business has real value. The fact that they are closing says they don't have a viable long term business.

Lew is ready to retire . Nothing more than that

 

[Michael J]

You are correct.
The move looked like some kind of attempt to become an Outdoor store with kayaks and stuff.

We has fishing and canoes on Waverly St. We needed to get to route 9 as downtown Framingham had changed

 

[Michael J]

Applied there for years ago in Westboro. Place was old and not well maintained. Surprised they lasted as long as they did.

They were in the gun business . The warehouse served them well

 

[Michael J]

Lou Horton also missed the mark in terms of who they would sell to. They wanted full blown brick and mortar FFLs only. Kitchen table, 07 that does retail on the side, etc and they said no. The market has shifted pretty hard to kitchen table sellers on gunbroker combined with large online retailers. You need a local presence to do transfers, but sales are getting harder and harder. Lou Horton would only sell at elevated prices to the brick and mortar shops that were already under price/margin pressure. That was a doomed business model.

This is how Lew ( correct spelling ) wanted his business . I’m sure you’d do yours the way you want as well

 

[Winchester73]

Yes. I worked for Lew for 20 years . He bought close outs and overstocks as well . His started the trend of special editions

Did he sell any Mausers? Asking for a friend......

 

[42!]

We has fishing and canoes on Waverly St. We needed to get to route 9 as downtown Framingham had changed

Just what it look like to me, cutting way back on gun/hunting and even fishing in favor of the outdoorsy trend like a lot of other places at that time. But I was still young then.

 

[not new guy]

Yes. I worked for Lew for 20 years . He bought close outs and overstocks as well . His started the trend of special editions

Do you have a Boa?

 

[shootymacshootface]

I had my first look at a Desert Eagle hand cannon at Hortons. I also remember looking at a Jericho with 2 barrels. One was a 9mm, and the other was a 40A&E. Does anyone remember that gun or caliber? That was way before the 40S&W came out.

 

[drgrant]

Well the details are between Smith and Wesson and Lew Horton. My local dealer told me that Smith pulled the product line from them. Something about prices, but I have no first hand knowledge.

I'm going to guess they got caught pumping too much hot air into some product prices during scarcity events like sandy hook, etc. Lots of dealers were being jerked around by mids during things like sand hookmaster Obamascare 1/2, etc. Eventually dealers get pissed enough to bitch to the manufacturers.... Mids can get away with that trash in some circumstances, but in others that kind of business will blow up in their face.....

-Mike

 

[Michael J]

Did he sell any Mausers? Asking for a friend......

Sure did

 

[Michael J]

Do you have a Boa?

Unfortunately I do not.

 

[Michael J]

Do you have a Boa?

Unfortunately I do not

 

[Michael J]

Did he sell any Mausers? Asking for a friend......

Sure did. I remember getting in a pile of unissued M48 Yugoslavian Mausers. Wish I had bought some!

 

[Michael J]

Did he sell any Mausers? Asking for a friend......

Sure did . I remember getting in a huge pile of Yugoslavian M48’s that were unissued. Wish I had bought some!

 

[Michael J]

Lew Horton will provide letters on their models much like the S&W Historical Center/Roy Jinks does. Shame if all that info goes away.

Anyone know if they would be willing to share, or "open source" their database? So there is some public record of manufacture/ship dates. Someone with an inside connection would help.

I’m not sure how that will all be handled now. I will ask the guy at Lew Horton Distributing if he will continue to document special LHD guns and if so share some contact info