"But by your logic the worst thing you could own is a London Best Sidelock."

not the worst, but a Dickson Round Action and the Stefano Zanotti improved sidelock give a way out of the impasse.

As for liking things English, I lived there for 14 years, started my hunting career there, first with a Greener GP and then an Empire. Most of my crowd shot with used Cogswells and sort of looked down at the Greener as being a little "too country" which was their way of calling me a peasant I guess.

I remember W&S 700s at our local gunshop, Whaley's at Hornsey road, being offered at 156 pounds when the Remington 1100 was 120 and the Darne Halifax 110 pounds. Mrs Whaley used to shoot Skeet with an 1100 for its low recoil..