The "Golden Era" from about 1900 to 1941 was the pinnacle of United States firearms manufacture for all brands. Many of the designs still in production were introduced during that time, and the quality was amazing. That said, guns from the 1950s are nearly as good, and are far more plentiful in the desirable models, plus you have some special models that were introduced in the 1950s, such as the .44 Magnum. In brand "C," some of the rarest of models were made during the 1950s.