Love mine. Same age range as yours , bought new by my dad, has been used thoroughly and built like an ox. Never missed a beat, despite numerous strip and relubes it still has the original leather washer and delivering a very consistent 10.2/10.3 ft lbs in .22.
One of the best open sight plinkers I have, along with several vintage BSAs. Buy and enjoy...
...you will still be grinning in years to come.