The 150 was introduced in 1963.
The 300 came out about 1968, and had a longer barrel, shorter cocking lever, an improved trigger (don't know details of this), and a slightly revised stock with more vertical grip and stippling in lieu of the 150's checkering.
The 300S appeared in 1972, with deeper stock, barrel again shortened, barrel sleeve weight changed to a "stepped" profile, trigger again revised, cocking lever again shortened (now with the familiar top-release button), and of course the significantly changed woodwork.
You will see quite a few 300/300S transitional guns with odd combinations of features. I've seen several with the old stock and new cocking lever in particular.
I very much agree that the angular 300S stock is less elegant in profile as the earlier guns, but the fore end is significantly narrower and very friendly for smaller hands. The extra depth is a solid improvement for a steady offhand hold, too. |