I don't know but they just had the reputation. I saw a cat 20+ years ago purchase 100s of them and he could not give them away. Sidelocks that would easily catch the eye of a potential purchaser but once examined, they would pass. I was told it was similar steel of that used by Taiwan a decade earlier for tools? And Japan was given a blackeye before that.
Serbus,
Raimey
rse
If Japanese shogtuns had a black eye based on soft steel parts in the 60's and 70's, I must've missed it. I've owned several Ithaca-imported SKB's, Browning BSS, and Charles Daly--mostly Daly sxs rather than OU. (Which were Miroku-made guns, as was the BSS.) I didn't have any soft steel problems with any of them. And I don't recall any discussions here either of Japanese guns with that problem. Nor, for that matter, many problems of any kind. I do recall interviewing Abe Chaber, and he said that he replaced springs on quite a few Daly OU's. And it's not unusual for some Ithaca SKB sxs to develop small cracks in the stock right behind the receiver. Often as a result of the through bolt not being tight enough. Some SKB owners did have their stocks glass bedded for additional protection.
Re the Spanish guns, one of the least expensive ones sold in the States was the AyA Matador. I never much cared for the single triggers on those guns, which seemed to have a lot of creep. But I don't recall that soft steel parts were an issue.
Last edited by L. Brown; 01/22/21 12:40 PM.
