Don't get me wrong, I like Ideals. I have a 16g No. 2.
But I have no illusions: It's not a Purdey. Hell, it's not even a Westley droplock.
It's a neat gun, but the basic design is not at the same level. Just look at the safety on an Ideal: It's a total afterthought that makes the gun awkward to use. It's almost as bad as a Greener side safety (but not as bad as the safety on Darnes).
If someone wants to pay €20,000 for an Ideal, go for it. People pay more for L.C. Smiths, and those guns are not even at the top for American stuff.
Also, there's nothing special about Ideals or Darnes. I've owned them. I've handled some real fancy ones. A nice English gun is better and easier to use, and so are nice Belgian and French sidelocks (and most of their nicer boxlocks).
The only mystique those guns have is why some people insist they're so special.
OWD
