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Edwin Pugsley
1885-1975
Ed Pugsley was born to a wealthy family in Santa Barbara, California. Taking after his father, a civil engineer, Pugsley would earn degrees from Yale and MIT. Following his studies Pugsley went to work for Winchester about 1911. Under Winchester’s apprentice program Pugsley would work under Fred Root in the Gauge Room, Machine Shop, Assembling Shop, Follow Up Shop, and finally the Gun Office of William Thiel.
In 1916 Pugsley was appointed Industrial Engineer of the Gun Department. Less than a year later he would be promoted to engineer of the plant where he founded the Manufacturing Engineering Department.
Between 1922 and 1928 Pugsley was put in charge of marketing a series of retail stores launched by Winchester. Pugsley returned to manufacturing concerns in 1928 as Superintendent of the plant. He would later rise to Vice President of Winchester.
Notable engineering contributions include modifications to the Model 87 Winder Musket and extensive work developing the M2 rifle prototype and M1 .30 caliber carbine. After the death of T. C. Johnson in 1934, Pugsley would complete a number Johnson’s unfinished designs.
Edwin Pugsley was a lifelong collector of firearms. During his time as a Winchester executive Pugsley would found the Winchester Arms Collection, donating many of his personal firearms. That collection can now be found in the Cody Firearms Museum.