Unfortunately Winchester fell into the same trap many other gun companise fell into years ago. They tried to make Crap and sell it to the "Common Man"  .

That seemed to be true in the '60s and '70s, but the latest incarnation of the company really cleaned up its act.  I bought three new M70s in recent years, and all were very good, some of the best factory rifles I've owned.  Accurate, nicely fitted and finished, with excellent barrels -- definitely superior to most of the Remingtons I've examined in the last decade.

If improving quality guarantees success, sales of US-made Winchesters should have soared.  That they did not is puzzling.  Perhaps the explanation is simply that the American public is fickle.

--Dan