Increased production and sales beyond the capacity of the ATF to inspect, regulate, etc. is a good thing in my mind.
However, I think the strong increases in production have taken their toll on what used to be finely crafted, high quality functioning weapons from some manufacturers.
I’ve noticed things that shouldn’t have left shops like Smith & Wesson on more than one revolver (bad turn rings, missing parts), and from Colt on their semi-autos(no tension extractors, roughed up slide surfaces).
All of this on guns that were ranging from $800+ to over $1000. It’s made me now do more than a quick check on the weapon when actually buying it.
There’s a video a dealer made of a new Marlin 39A vs an old one. The new one had poor edges, loose fitting stock, and cycled rough. The current big boys are running it like a widget business. Get them out the door and don’t worry. Used to be matching numbers on bolt and receiver meant they were custom fit for best results.
Yes you are right. Mr. GG2 field strips a weapon right on the counter before buying.