I own a 1956 made M94 Carbine (Best quality bar-none)
A 1967 made commemorative rifle (worst quality)
And a 1983 made Trapper model, (okay, in that 'they tried' to reverse the downslope in quality, somewhat)
Most obvious after firing all three models is the shell-lifter, machined, good quality steel in the 1956 carbine, sheet steel folded crap in the 1967 rifle, and looks to be a cast piece of metal in the 1983 AE Trapper.
The 1967 rilfe's shell lifter gave up the ghost after less than 200 rounds.
There are other aesthetically pleasing aspects, such as the wonderful blueing finish on the carbine. Also the action is smoother on this one as well.
The 1983 made Trapper, has some cheap pot metal parts, that the rubbed off blueing exposes, and you can see the difference inside the working parts. But it is more reliable in feeding/firing/ejecting, than the 1967 rifle, by far.
The 1956 made carbine has flawless, wood to metal fit, and deep dark, uniform blueing on all steel parts.(No cheap alloys present)
Nothing comes close to the smooth operation, of my 1956 made Winchester Carbine.
My two cents........
PS: My friend Silverback owns a 1978 made XTR Big Bore in .375 Winchester, and so far his appears to be trouble-free in operation.