bUSHVELD,

Re dovetail barrels you perhaps ought to read what Greener had to say about them. No doubt mcKintosh was a respected authority but I veer towards Greener on technical aspects.

"Best" is a non definition.

Former Purdey production manager Owen wrote that today's guns have, due to CNC machining, superior steels to those used in the "golden age". As I recall best involves the best materials and workmanship a maker can employ etc. Should we then say that today's guns are "bester"?

A John Dickson is not stocked to the fences. Only a fool would assert that that feature deprives it of best status. That would not be surprising, some so called experts discounted Round Actions in general because they are not sidelocks.