The value of brand names as guides was probably true when the clientele of the top tier was mostly shooting men. It is doubtful if these days they are shooting folk.
Brand names can also act as barriers to new, dynamic companies achieving their righful status, and naturally they carry a premium not realisable in actual use.
Personally I would rather have a Dominion bearing the original maker's name, rather than the Holland stamped one for a premium. The name game is no longer the thing once you get to the point where you can judge good gunmaking.
