I have owned several early/late/short tang/long tang 71's and got a 1947 short tang made the same month I was born and it tips elk over just fine.........Does not kick very bad compared to the new zoomshooters and feeds me very well.......these are fine weapons and early or late is not a issue...........buy all the brass you think you will ever need and grab bullets when they come along, cast for fun shooting and shoot a lot......buy a real one rather then a Japanese knock off or bastard safety's on the attorney guns.....you will never look back and think you made a mistake.......Ron Oates/Montana Outfitters
