Mark, I agree with you and will add another speculation; the Continental use of set triggers is also associated with the eventual use of crossbows in target shooting rather than warfare, in the 17th & 18th centuries after the introduction of firearms. The English, OTOH, didn't use the crossbow at all but rather had always relied upon the longbow and so had no tradition of using triggers of any sort prior to the introduction of firearms. IMO that circumstance, combined with their concentration upon bird shooting with shotguns instead of big game (none in England) with rifles, made it unlikely that many UK shooters would prefer the set mechanism. The islanders did, at one time, use their longbows in much the same manner as the Europeans' crossbows, to shoot at the popinjay targets and such. This is the sport that later morphed into what we know as Schuetzen but it had fallen into disfavor in the islands by the time firearms came to dominate warfare. On the Continent, however, the sport continued to grow, and people were seeking ways to better their equipment and score higher on the targets. It's difficult for us to appreciate just how much effect this may have had, but it's a fact that the crossbow was a major influence on European sport, even to the point where at least one church, in Brussels I believe, is dedicated to their sporting use. And of course as firearms become more popular in Europe, they were adapted to the European style of target shooting which was gradually changing into shorter-range and more-structured competition. Think of all the Zimmerschuetzens brought back from the various wars, and how these set-triggered rifles didn't even exist in other parts of the world!
When we add to this the fact that Northern Europe had a long tradition of armsmaking, with many fine arms craftsmen making some very finely-finished arms, the efforts of most of the early British makers appear somewhat basic and undeveloped by comparison. Don't forget that during much of the Christian Era, Belgium and surrounding areas were the arms suppliers to the rest of Europe and even the islands. The presence of iron ore and water power helped to make Northern Europe into the cradle of gunmaking, and it's natural and logical that their shooters would be somewhat more advanced and sophisticated in the use of, and preference for, set triggers. Just a few thoughts.
Regards, Joe
