Forging is totally unnecessary for most firearms applications. Most designs are way more robust than necessary and gain nothing from a forging.
Forging is what is often called a near net shape process and many times it is bragged about for superior grain direction when that is not the real reason it is used. It is often used because there is less material to remove just like machining an investment casting.

Today most connecting rods are made by the sintered/powdered metal process and the rods are cracked to separate the cap from the rod body. Not as strong you say? Well not as strong as titanium rods either but I bet you don't own a set of titanium rods and never will. Some things are just not needed in our everyday world.

The sky high costs for things in Europe and the UK is due to added value taxes, local profit margins, excessive shipping costs and the smaller market. Shipping to the UK is about twice the shipping cost to Australia from the US. You can be sure that US manufacturers do not make cheap models just for import to Europe. Sometimes there are differences in style and tastes that translate into European models but I have never ran into anything like you claim.

American powders, bullets, cartridge cases, loading dies, presses etc etc etc are all much more expensive in Europe and it has nothing to do with anything except your own market issues. You get the same loading dies as everyone else.

Many European products are less expensive here than they are in Europe. I remember one of your citizens commenting about buying a couple of expensive German or Austrian rifle scopes in New York.
He came to the US for some other purpose but the savings on the two scopes nearly paid for his air fare.