New Haven died in 1964. The sooner any Winchester maven gets that in his head, the happier he will be.
I looked at a few new M70's yesterday.Some were pretty cool..like a 375H&H with a standard barrel contour ( a rare variation in the pre 64 that will set you back 5 figures if you can find one). The stock was well executed,better than any std pre 64, the action was slick and the machine work looked really nicely done. Also a 338 WM EW with fluted SS barrel that was perfect in balance and weight for the chambering. We used to have to build custom to get a 338 of comparable weight/balance in the past. The rifle would make any elk hunter smile.
Sources (smiths) tell me these new actions are among the best ever made for a M70.I can say from a user's perspective the rifles are better built than most any NH Classic.Chances are they will shoot better ,too.
I would not worry about Portugese assembly; Europeans were making guns way before we were. If the Portugese were not good craftsmen then Leica would not build quality optics there.
If you are an old fart who can't live with a MOA trigger (like me) then fine;go Classic or pre 64 and quit bitching
Things are what they are and our lamentations won't change anything. We can't expect companies to make rifles if they are not making a profit. The world does not work that way. Shut up, spend the money for custom and get what you want.
But if that does not bother you then the new rifles from SC are a good deal.IME they shoot and function with little to no tinkering, are likely better made overall, and are a good product for what they cost.
As to that new cheap rifle on the horizon, what can we expect? Cheap accurate rifles dominate. I would not own one on a bet and Tika's, Salvages and similar crap make me wretch but there is no denying the market demands.
