Bushmaster Rises from the Ashes with a New Name at a Familiar Place

A couple months back we turned you on to the demise of the Bushmaster factory at the hands of the Empire and the subsequent pink slipping of most of the company’s Windham, Maine facility.  Well, from the ashes, so roseth Bushmaster and it shall be called Windham Weaponry.  Let us explain:

When Remington i.e. The Freedom Group i.e. Cerberus Capital Management i.e. a New York City equity firm hoovered up Bushmaster in 2006 they basically took the head but left the brain, turning what was once it’s own idea mill into essentially a brand-name for Remington and in the aftermath, a group of investors captained by Richard Dyke—the unfortunately named, genius behind Bushmaster 1.0—saw the potential.  With a gun manufacturing facility sitting vacant and a town full of gunmakers (many of which had over 25 years of experience crafting American made, American owned rifles) all the pieces were there to buy the plant back from Remington and, well, basically just make another Bushmaster.

The new arms company will be called Windham Weaponry (as mentioned above).  Like Vintage Bushmaster, they will make rifles and plan to employ about half of the 73 employees laid-off in the plant purchase.  A press release alludes to additional hiring by the end of the year.  Production will begin this July and they anticipate the first shipments hitting the tubes come September.

Dyke communicated through the press release that when his noncompete with Bushmaster expired in April, it cleared the way for him to move on plans he made immediately after Bushmaster moved out of Maine, when an industrial town turned to him for shelter from the wrath of an unforgiving economy.  Dyke’s economic development director, Tom Bartrell, told reporters, “When Bushmaster went out, Mr. Dyke stepped up and said, ‘I will try my best to … bring something back to Windham and to the workers.  Stepping up like he did says something about his talents and drive.”

Indeed, Guns.com heart grew two sizes upon hearing that.  Good job Windham, Maine.  We’re looking forward to some rifles.