Salopian,
What would make the W&S hinge pin any different from any other hinge pin? I have never heard of any gun being known to have a faulty hinge pin. (I have heard of "soft" hinge pins, pins that were not round due to over zealous filing, and pins that were harder than the lumps causing excessive wear, all of these thing being created by less than professional refinishing techniques). Very curious.
Dustin
most hinge pins are usually harder than the barrel lumps - any action that is hardened usually also includes the pin. I have never come across or heard of any manufacturer who removes the hingepin for case hardening and then replaces it. The only time you will regularly come across a softer hingepin is when it has been replaced after excessive wear, or sometimes on a monoblock action when the lumps etc are of a different grade steel to the barrels.
Jonty