I got my arm twisted so many times for months by a hunting buddy that I finally bought a couple of Swift Premier 4-12's, kicking and screaming all the way, and I only bought them to get him off my back. He well knew I ALWAYS bought the best glass, and they were not on my list at all. I stuck the silver one on my Marlin 17VS 17HMR just so I could say I mounted one, and put the black version of the same on the shelf assuming it was just going to be a dust collector. The Marlin I had done all the tricks to, bought the best for it before the first round down the barrel for it to be the tackdriver it has well proved that it is. So putting the Swift on it was a joke to me, a temporary deal only until the hunting pard got off my back. I had another 17HMR that far outshot it I put the big glass on, so it was my number one Hummer. Well, 10 years later next month the Swift still resides on the Marlin, and I have no plans of ever taking it off. This rifle is capable of way more than a 12X can deliver, but for night and jump shooting it gets it done in spades every time. I have untold thousands of rounds through it, sold the other one so it is now my #1 Hummer (my #1 RF for that matter).
Have no idea about the older and newer Swift models, but the two cheap ones I bought are worth far more than I paid for them.