:-D Winchester has gone down the crapper more than any other American gunmaker. They always seem to come back in some new incarnation. That said, of the two model 70s I purchased last year, I have no complaints. The cheap Black Shadow Package I picked up on closeout at Wally-Word is exactly what one should expect from a bottom line rifle. Shoots OK, looks like crap, starts rusting the minute the weatherman forcasts rain. Pretty good for a $300. rifle with scope, though. The other, a Classic Safari Express, is worth every eighty five thousand pennies I paid for it, and probably double that compared to some others I looked at. The fit and finish is excellent, the bluing is beautifull, and the gun just screams
"Big Game Hunting Rifle"!