I don't particularly like American guns but a Lefever, a Fox or a Parker seems to be 10,000 times the gun.
The problem is, from both a gunsmith's and a shooter's point of view, the Elsie's lockup will still be solid & tight long, long after the others have become loose.
I'll admit that the foregoing is an opinion, but it's a factual opinion based upon many years of experience and many double gun refurbishments.
I'll also freely admit that I sympathize with your feelings about the engraving. The Elsie engraving looks cartoonish in the extreme but so does most early US factory engraving, for examples see many Marlin and Winchester arms of the early years. And I'll agree that the lines of most Elsies are somewhat awkward and angular when compared to many UK guns, even the least expensive ones.
But their lockup/durability is QUITE stout and long-lasting when compared to their competition of the time. When the shooter hears & feels the SNAP of the Smith's top-lever locking up, why, the sound of the competitions's lockup seems more than a little aenemic......
JMO, regards, Joe
