3. English 'best' guns were -- and are -- built for a man whose hands have quite literally never seen dirt. Most of their shooting in the golden age was purely for sport. Hence the emphasis on how light and dainty they were/are. This is probably less so with the Germans and their superb guild guns, as even the aristocracy had a rich hunting-for-the-table lifestyle heritage.
Oh do I have a big problem with that statement. English built guns made their mark during the muzzleloading period and have progressed since then. Even our American Indian preferred the English built 'Trade' gun over all others and was the beginning of the divide between the Birmingham and London makers who would not participate because they, the London makers, considered it a 'Blood Trade' and the Birmingham makers 'Blood Houses'
