I apologize if this is the wrong forum but it seemed to fit here.

I have always been a fan of the Winchester Model 70 and have bought and sold several. I was recently told that post '64 rifles mfg in the New Haven plant that were stamped "Winchester Trademark Licensed from Olin Corp." were of lesser quality (or value) than the ones stamped just "Winchester Trademark". Has anyone heard of this and why would it make a difference?

Thank you.

OK. I have had a chance to compare two Winchester Model 70 Featherweights. One stamped Winchester - Trademark and the other stamped Winchester - Trademark Licensed for Olin Corp.

The Olin rifle has...

Black adhiesve (small amount) protruding from the lower tang area and affixed to the stock.

The right part bolt carriage is not blued(just unfinished steel).

There is not a ID stamp on the bbl that states "Classic Featherweight". I have others that state "Classic Sporter", "Safari Classic", "Classic Featherweight", etc.

The screws that anchor the floor plate are torx head not slotted.

The Olin rifle does sport a very nice piece of wood however.

Maybe not a big deal. I'm sure the Olinn Corp. rifle would function just fine in the field but to me, there is a quality difference. Not glaring or embarrassing, but noticable. There are a couple of other differences but they are slight.

Just my 2 cents worth...