400,

Your point is good in that the Germans showed little interest in the large bores. My experience with German DR's is with small and medium bores.

Granted there was no German analog to Purdey, Holland & Holland, Boss, or Woodward. I think it is fair to say that they had no entrants in the high-end sidelock category at all.

However, even accepting the default at the very high end, I still think that class-for-class they display comparable workmanship. They made a lot of damn-fine boxlocks in small and medium bores.

Of course, this is all subjective. How do we compare them "class-for-class?" I can't wind the clock back to 1912 and identify two boxlocks of comparable price and then examine them for fit and finish. So what I assume to be "class-for-class" might not be so at all!

Still I think they are tarred with too broad a brush!

Best regards,
Curl