A bit off topic, but an interesting perspective on this passion of ours. He is part of something I wrote in a PM:
Winchester made 40,795 M70 rifles in 1954 (Rule, p57.) They made 3900 Between April 1 and May 3 of that year, the period when one of mine was made (Rule, p50.) According to a 1954 calendar, not counting weekends, that is 22 work days. I don't know if they were working weekends or how many shifts, but one eight-hour shift, five days a week is 177/day, 22/hour, a rifle every 2 minutes and 42 seconds. My point is they were cranking out M70's, not to mention other models of rifles and shotguns. I know we tend to speak of Pre '64's as "lovingly coddled," but those folks were trying to make a living, and I'm sure they didn't expect their work to be given the levels of forensic examination they now receive.
