JPK:

Yes, an oversimplification. Yeah, I think most are back-locks, but not overwhelmingly so. Especially in England, there was just too much "snob" resistance to the back-action, which was too strongly associated with Birmingham. This is also most likely why some "best" gun makers like Holland disguised their "best" back-action rifles by using bar-action lockplates with back-action lockwork - and the "bar-form back-action" sidelock was born.
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