Fella's;
Let's consider the "Winchester" model 70 type guns available today with the Mauser type action. First, there's the Holy Grail pre-64 model 70's. Then there's the USRAC Classics. But wait! There's three more, aren't there? The one nobody seems to think of in this category, the Montana Rifle Company MRC offerings, the now defunct Dakota guns, and lastly the current production FN Winchesters.
I know that the USRAC guns, and the FN's, incorporate some detail changes from the pre-64's primarily in the gas-handling area if there's a blown case. I've also never had a pre-64 and one of the others side-by-side to do a comparison. Do the Dakota and MRC guns incorporate these updates or not?
In fact, both Dakota and MRC have led me to believe that their actions are faithful reproductions of the actual Winchester product. Is that so? If any of these guns aren't in fact Winchester model 70 type actions, what are the substantial differences among them?
Lastly, I know the Winchester collector purists don't consider the USRAC guns to be Winchesters, let alone the FN's, MRC's, and Dakota's. However, what I'm talking about here is not to be taken from the collector's standpoint, but rather from the practical hunter's view. From the hypothetical viewpoint of a guy who can afford any of the candidates, has them all available to him for sale, and is wondering what the differences are.
900F
Let's consider the "Winchester" model 70 type guns available today with the Mauser type action. First, there's the Holy Grail pre-64 model 70's. Then there's the USRAC Classics. But wait! There's three more, aren't there? The one nobody seems to think of in this category, the Montana Rifle Company MRC offerings, the now defunct Dakota guns, and lastly the current production FN Winchesters.
I know that the USRAC guns, and the FN's, incorporate some detail changes from the pre-64's primarily in the gas-handling area if there's a blown case. I've also never had a pre-64 and one of the others side-by-side to do a comparison. Do the Dakota and MRC guns incorporate these updates or not?
In fact, both Dakota and MRC have led me to believe that their actions are faithful reproductions of the actual Winchester product. Is that so? If any of these guns aren't in fact Winchester model 70 type actions, what are the substantial differences among them?
Lastly, I know the Winchester collector purists don't consider the USRAC guns to be Winchesters, let alone the FN's, MRC's, and Dakota's. However, what I'm talking about here is not to be taken from the collector's standpoint, but rather from the practical hunter's view. From the hypothetical viewpoint of a guy who can afford any of the candidates, has them all available to him for sale, and is wondering what the differences are.
900F