You do make a few interesting points.While you do make a pertinent observation about the ignorance that pervades most forums, you ignored a couple of things.hks2056 wrote:Since 1950 when rules for competition shooting were formalized, not a single world championship tournament has been won by any shooter using any H&H, Westley Richards, Purdey firearm or that of any fancy British gun makers. All of them have been won using firearms made in continental Europe. English gun houses produced best guns till First World War as they were pioneers in hunting shooting fire arms for recreation which had a large market in British dominions. Post first world war the continental gun makers of Germany, Belgium , Italy and of other countries started producing better weapons at cheaper rates. Science of metallurgy made rapid strides forward from Second World War onwards. Later on advent of computer controlled machines [CNC] created a level playing field in which dexterity and skill of gun worker became redundant. Now except for wooden butt making, which needs only the proficiency of a carpenter, all other parts of weapon could be produced on CNC machines to a far greater tolerance and precision which would have been possible had it been made by hand. The era of elite gun houses had ended. Most of trap or skeet shooting championships have been won in last two decades by using Perazzi shotgun and to a lesser extent by Berreta and other continental European brands. It is not that the championship shooters cannot afford to buy a contemporary Purdey or H&H because their shooting federations can buy it for them as they are rich e.g. China, Japan, USA etc. They do not use them for the simple reason that they are not the best. To say that Perazzi is a "truck'' is nothing but sheer ignorance. That is why I had mentioned in my earlier post that ignorance is bliss. IFG forum would have been a very boring portal had it not been for few ignorant members who take pride in broadcasting their ignorance to one and all. I fail to understand the irrational obsession with fancy names. It is a fact that everybody in this world is not very smart and knowledgeable. There are well informed intelligent people, yuppies, fools, ignorant, partly ignorant and cognoscenti coexisting in this world. If everybody in this world was intelligent, knowledgeable and smart then nobody would have ever made a loss in stock market because for every gain or profit made by a person there is some ignorant investor who has made the corresponding amount of loss. The wheels of commerce in this world are oiled by the sweat and blood of the ignorants, fools, and oblivious. The so called fancy gun houses of the yore know this reality. So they price their weapons exorbitantly because they know that only a fool or ignorant or yuppie with money to burn would walk in to their showroom to buy their firearm. On the other hand cognoscenti would quietly buy a Perazzi or Beretta.
1. Stock making is not an elevated carpenter's job.If you do not know the science behind stock making, you know little about shotguns and rifles.BTW, even stocks are made with CNC machines today.If you provide your measurements,Perazzi can make it available in a few hours,especially when you are close to a competition and are close enough to their mobile work stations.
2.While you make a few seemingly valid observations about the Berettas and Perazzis, you do an injustice to yourself by calling those who buy the London/Ferlach/Gardonne/Suhl Best guns as fools and ignorant. True, these days even the Best guns involve a lot of CNC machining and the cost savings are not passed on to the buyers. But, they are not just about endurance.They are also about encasing the art of gun making at its pinnacle and the pride of possession.If they are good enough to endure shooting for over a hundred years as working pieces of art, who would complain?
3.The argument about box locks being stronger than sidelocks is mostly a case of reverse snobbery than fact and there is little evidence to prove it. There are umpteen sidelock guns that had hundreds of thousands of rounds and yet are ready for some more. In case of the most potent rifle rounds, all it requires is beefing up the front action sidelock.
4. How many competition shooters can afford the Best guns? Do you honestly think that the Best gun makers are incapable of producing a competition gun? They can -but that may not be in a price bracket of your liking.Do you know the origins of the actions of the Berettas and Perazzis ?
5.Best guns cost a lot because of the skilled human effort involved and aesthetics like engraving does not come cheap.Often,the latter costs more than the mere gun. It's about choice.What do you want and what can you afford.
6.Do you know that the same Berettas and Perazzis offer high end guns that cost as much as the London Bests?Do you think those who buy these ones are also fools and ignoramuses?
There is a purpose why we come here-to share and learn.Calling names hardly befits us.
Best-
Vikram
sorry dint get it. 