Mehul:
Now that I am at Coffee break will answer you.
Daydreams, Ignorance, Illusions of knowledge, that is what some people get spending too much time on Internet forums.
My B/S, try a simple test, take any lightweight SXS with double triggers and English stock any working gun will do. (Similar working to most fine guns except quality)
Shoot skeet my kind
200+ rounds over the weekend. With the Broad sighting plane, and double triggers see what you hit on skeet doubles. Try on trap also. See how much your shoulders hurt, when the light gun with English stock recoils on you. When you shoulder heals in a week+ go to phase 2 of my test.
Take a Beretta/Browning O/U Single trigger Skeet gun same
200+ rounds. Use Browning if Beretta is not Kosher for you. You count your score and be the judge. Ask your shoulders too which gun is better!!!
Coming to snobbery let me recall a few incidents.
1984 Roits this big Snob neighbor of ours, borrowed my Uncle's Remington 870 Pump to secure his family.
He had so little faith in his Matched pair of Best Grade Woodwards.
1992 was invited over at a company sponsored estate shoot in the UK, Snobs, Big name guns, all the works etc. Noticed one thing, how easy were the driven Pheasant to shoot "shot mostly on the rise", and how much back patting and "nice shot"/ "wah-ji-wah" was going on. How greedy and A** kissing the game keepers and the paid hosts were, a total put up show. Yes I did shoot a few "Snob grade" smokepoles at this staged event. However, I hunted with a borrowed Browning Citori. My Peasant class gun shot better than most so called snobs with sub-par shooting skills.
So no need to waste money on a piece of "functional jewelry"/"Snob grade smokepoles".
I will spend my money on Ammo and range fees to develop my skills.
RE: Scion versus Rolls-Royce, Toyota makers of Scion is the best automotive group in the world, set to be # 1 soon.
Rolls Royce/Jaguars etc. British names that have been bought/sold/in-receivership/out-of-receivership, Blah-Blah etc.
Re:Voting with wallets: How many people own $120,000 Purdeys, I don't know of any. But I know 100's of people at our gun club who own $1500-3000+ range Berettas and other utilitarian guns.
Maybe in your world of Internet forums dreamers vote with their dreams for these 120K guns, not too many seem to have $120K Wallets to vote for the "Snob Grade Purdeys"!!
Ultimately shooting is just one of my so called many hobbies. I don't spend inordinate amount of time on internet forums and idle theory, so that I can appear to be knowledgeable to ignorant people who don't know any better. (Reflect on this one)
Gotta go now am at work, because in life neither guns nor hobbies pays for my House/SUV's/Education of Kids/Retirement funds etc.etc.--work pays!!
Have fun!!
Satpal