As I understand it, the Mantons were much responsible for raising the bar of gun original quality. The apprentices responded to the challenge and a whole generation of master gunmakers met a new standard of workmanship that resulted in the "best gun." H&H, and many other masters that arrived later, met the challenge and upheld the standard. Much of H&H's production seems to have been Scott built prior to the 1890's. The real issue, as pointed out by PM, is quality control. If the master at the helm of production for any gunmaker, manufacturer or simply vendor, upheld and demanded "best" workmanship from both in-workers and out-workers, the result was "best" guns. Most names sold at least a few "best" guns and a few sold mostly "best" guns. The issue, then, was getting the commissions for "best" guns and the money needed for their production. "Best" guns were, are, and likely will continue to be one of the penultimate luxuary items of the world. They were, are, and will continue to be very costly.
