I'm sure that there is an element of that. A lot of this comes from a time when DG ammo was also scarce and very expensive and salaries low, so it was not easy for a novice to become so familiar with their DG rifle. Plus when there is a choice of 2 or perhaps 3 gun shops in the entire country and very few DG calibre rifles to choose from, then you go with what you can afford and also what has the best reputation. You ask around the experience guys and when they tell you of failures, you seek out what is considered reliable and hop you don't get a lemon. Sometimes the choice boiled down to which rifle came with 30 or so rounds of ammunition as you weren't certain when you might be able to get hold of more. This was not a time when DG rifles could be had for $1000 or less and you could buy as much ammo as you liked and shoot it off until you ran out and went the Walmart to buy some more... The price of choosing an unsuitable rifle might mean failing your apprenticeship exam and having to wait another year to retake it, all the while earning a pittance and hopefully having saved enough for another more reliable rifle in the meantime. I expect that many would have been very happy to find good CZ rifles available.