Let's not forget the diddle factor.
I started my hunting (shooting in UK) career in the UK in the 60s. A new London best then cost 1500 pounds.
Today, with the advent of CNC machines and other cost cutting technology the price of a London best has topped 100 000 pounds because people are willing to pay the price and buy a name.
The prices went up but the engineering is the same. The fair comparison here is not with American guns, since the most iconic American shotguns are either pumps or autos. A more realistic comparison would be with the Italian improvements in engineering of the same types, ie the Holland sidelock and the boxlock. Judging from an engineering point of view the Italians have improved on the English originals, they did not blindly copy them as do others. Zanotti introduced the rebounding lock and improved lump design on the sidelock. Beretta have re-engineered the boxlock in their 626 model making it far superior to the Anson-Deeley. But to appreciate the improvement you would have to look inside the guns, and most people do not. They get stuck on the name and that is where the diddle factor comes into play.
Was it Bob Brister who wrote that if you have not been diddled by an Englishmand you haven't lived?
