Lew Horton Distributing closing

quinnjalan

NES Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
1,520
Likes
2,385
Location
Metro West in Commichusetts
Feedback: 12 / 0 / 0
Got this from Lew Horton Distributing this am.

September 25, 2019

Lew Horton Distributing will be winding down operations with a target closing date of December 31, 2019. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our dealers for the last 42 years of business.

The next few months will be business as usual for us. You will still be contacted by your salesman and receive email specials on a daily basis. If we do not have your email address on file, please get it to your salesman as there will be specials sent out daily.

Once again it has been a pleasure servicing your retail operation!

Thank you,

Lew Horton Distributing Co. Inc.

_________________________
800-446-7866
WWW.LEWHORTON.COM

©2019 Lew Horton Distributing | PO Box 5023, Westboro, MA 01581

Web Version Preferences Forward Unsubscribe

Powered by
GoDaddy Email Marketing ®
 
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?
 
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?
I bought (through my FFL) a few guns from them. Easy to deal with, good customer service and I could drive down there and pick up my orders. They also had/have good deals every now and again.
 
They also had Colt and S&W make up some special edition guns from time to time.
The ultimate being the Colt Boa - which serves the same role in a snake gun collector's safe as a 1916D does in a collection of mercury dimes.

Python barrel; Colt Trooper coil spring action (Python is leaf spring); barrel engraved BOA. I think 600 4" and 600 6" guns were made. Not sure about the number but it was a sub-1000 run of each barrel length, and no Lew Horton engraving on the gun.
 
Last edited:
seems like they've always been around. some of those s&w horton exclusives were cool, particularly the .44 sp revolver ones.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
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.
 
Towards the end of their brick & mortar, they moved from 135 in downtown Framingham to Rt. 9 to what is now a ski shop. Before that, wasn't it something like Danskin Trading or something like that? Can't recall.
 
Towards the end of their brick & mortar, they moved from 135 in downtown Framingham to Rt. 9 to what is now a ski shop. Before that, wasn't it something like Danskin Trading or something like that? Can't recall.
You are correct.
The move looked like some kind of attempt to become an Outdoor store with kayaks and stuff.
 
Back
Top Bottom