The thing that turns me off about the Swift is the semi-rim. I never understood why it wasn't designed as a rimless 473.
That said, I've inherited one, a Model 70 pre-64 and after I shimmed the action and barrel to float the tube, it shows some real potential. It was a safe queen before that.
I alluded to this earlier, but here goes.
The prototype for the .220 Swift was developed in 1934–35 by Grosvenor Wotkyns who necked down the .250-3000 Savage.
Winchester didn’t think the web of that brass was capable of propelling a 48 grain bullet @ 4140 fps. Plus the fact they would have to buy the brass from Savage.
Winchester made all the brass for the 6mm Lee Navy for the government and any others. So Winchester had all this brass laying around and tooling already in place.
Due to the semi-rim of the Lee Navy the web was a lot thicker than savage brass making it able to handle the specs they wanted for the Swift. So Winchester made the Swift pushing a 48 grain bullet @ 4140 fps using surplus and new 6mm Lee Navy brass necked down which they owned.
Then it backfired in 1937 when Grosvenor Wotkyns, J. E. Gebby and J. B. Smith introduced a more versatile round the 22 Varminter commonly known today as the 22.250.
Wotkyns Original Swift design eventually won the battle.
