herb wrote:Like many other classics, I think the 14's too fell along the way due to the rising cost of manufacturing.
For sure, for sure. Gun folks are notorious for ignoring interesting and innovative guns while they are being made, and then crying in their beer after they are withdrawn from production.
The "Old Stove Society" at the corner store loves to lament the passing of the "good old days," and the guns that were made back when they had to walk 10 miles to school up hill and 10 miles home up hill, as well.
After WW2, both Savage and Remington began looking at competing on price with new guns that were cheaper to manufacture. For Savage, these were the Nicholas Brewer designed Models 340 and 110. For Remington, it was the Model 721. Even Winchester had to give up making the fabled Model 70 and make a cheaper version, but with the same name. Everyone laments the passing of the old Model 70, but they would not have been withdrawn from production if enough people had bought them.
Guns like this one are so nice from the historical perspective, and also from the technical perspective. But as you point out, Herb, the workmanship of even the "every day" weapons was superior to many of the "upper end" weapons now.
