Hello Guys
I wrote a bit of an essay on this, but sort of got beaten to the drop by Jerry, who has covered some of my ideas.
Basically I think you have to look at who was "innovating", who was copying who and why. I don't think the difference is in terms of craftsmanship, its purely a style thing, and the English middle order makers are long gone, leaving only high end makers catering to the very wealthy.
The high end English makers of the period in which the English style developed copied the middle order guys because the bulk of rifles were ordered by Govt. Officials, Military and Colonials who were not aristocrats or wealthy, but gave makers a lot of feedback on producing a rifle that would be carried by a hunter on foot who covered a lot of country and shot a lot from a standing position. Think 1890 to 1914, pre common telescopic sight days, this crowd also didn't really ever favour aperture sights either. Basically a very practical answer to a particular need. Copied by the high end guys who had customers asking.
In the US the classic period in Bolt rifles may have been a little later. By then the "need" was different, transport was readily used and shooting (including "varminting") was more important than hunting (big game). Aperture sights and very shortly afterwards scopes, heavier rifles and higher combs gave a better result for these situations - and a new fashion or style developed.
