I asked the exact same question back in January when I got their 2008 dealers packet from Browning. Of course the answer is simple and I understand it totally and agree with it. It all comes back to economics 101. But, I am nostalgic and a romantic myself, so I would like to see it back in 375... though if I ever bought one... I'd buy an orginal pre-64... price be damned. I wouldn't hunt with it anyway.... there are things I'd rather have than another rifle I'd hardly ever shoot.

Look at why New Haven and Winchester went under in the first place. Look at their production numbers. Look at how many guns they had in inventory when they made the announcement that they were going to close the doors (and look at what happened to demand and prices!).

Now, you gotta think about your customer and your market. Fact is, most of the folks going to Africa are bringing their American deer and elk rifles. By and large, the 30-06 still rules the roost over their much like it does here. Behind that, you'll find the 300 Win Mag, 338 Win Mag, 7 Mag, .270 and even the .308. Same as for deer over here. And to be honest, most PHs will tell you to bring your deer rifle with you. Something you are familiar and comfortable with. Winchester ain't really concerned about the 300-500 rifles or so a year they could sell to the medium-big bore crowd... they want to focus on restablishing a foothold in the American market. How do you do that? You make a good, quality firearm, in the US, at a decent price, in cartridges most in demand by todays consumers. Fact is, there just ain't many southern boys looking to hunt deer with .375 H&Hs or .220 Swifts.

Before you see Winchester bring out another .375 (though they may offer a super grade or custom shop type gun), you are going to see the 1894 come back out. Sales of lever guns have absolutely exploded since the 94 went bunk. Marlins are selling out at gun shops. Mossberg is even in the game now for 2008. Henry's are selling, and I think they are WAY WAY WAY overpriced... and mostly in useless calibers for hunters.

Now, when it comes to dangerous game, their are rules in play. A lot of outfitters will have a rifle you can use, but by and large if you are going on one of these hunts then the difference between $1300 for a CZ and $13,000 starting out for a Blazer or Kreighoff is about as hard a choice as super-sizing your Big Mac combo meal for another 39 cents.

I remember coming back from a successful offshore fishing trip with my grandfather and dad on paw-paws 28' Albemarle. Its a hell of a great fishing boat (or was, he gets a new one every two years its seems). We came back into the inlet, and the owner (not the captain, the owner) of a dang near new 68' Viking was at the fuel dock. My paw-paw asked him what it ran him price wise and what his fuel bill was. The guy pulled a $100 bill out his pocket, tore it in half and threw it in the water. He looked at paw-paw. Then he took another one, tore it in half, and threw it in the water. I was fixing to go swimming at this point. He then took a third $100 bill out, tore it in half and threw it in the water. He looked at paw-paw and said... if you can't afford to do that, then you can't afford one of these. It was a pretty condescending thing to do to him, considering the position he held at the time (the owner didn't know better). But it proves two things: 1) if you have to worry about the price, then you probably can't afford it 2) some people are stupid enough to spend $300 just to make a point and show off when a simple sentence with an appropriate adjective would have done the same. It also goes to show something that a lot of Americans (esp middle class Americans) are guilty of.... spending all of their safari money on a rifle, and not having enough left over to go hunting....