I'm no expert but I think they're ownership was mid 60's through the 70's. As for inferior, same designs as todays guns except for the many dashes since then which to me I think means correcting design problems (don't know this for a fact, some may call them refinements) and it's a preference for machined parts in the older models versus MIM parts in the newer models which are supposed to be as good as machined steel parts. In a nutshell it's a matter of opinion! The diehards will say they're all good and the haters will say they're bad!!

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♫ I need a new gun.... ♫