The best answer I can give is that most all firearms companies are now run by accountants instead of engineers. Maximize profits by reducing costs and let the buyer beware.
After 35 years as a cfo in manufacturing I’ll share my point of view. I never witnessed an accountant saying you have to replace this or that part with plastic or a stamping etc. I have been in many discussions where a item such as a model 70 Winchester was losing sales volume to a competitors rar, axis, etc. ie the consumer is going for the lower cost item. Marketing types which in my experience are often mba laden engineers that moved to marketing because they weren’t very good engineers hate this and start wanting a cost reduced rifle to sell. The design folks again engineers set out to provide this. I cam tell you that today’s engineering schools have convinced budding engineers that there is nothing they can’t do with a piece of cheap moulded plastic and a plastic or pot metal fastener and they can supply reams of statistical data to support their position, never mind the fact that the prototype doesn’t feed or the magazine won’t stay inserted in the gun etc. so before you jump on the old cliche regarding the accountants, I’ll counter there is nothing worse than a engineer with a mba and a half a— understanding of statistics , not to mention engineers that grew up in their parents basement and couldn’t tell a socket wrench from a pair of slip joint channel lock pliers.. I often think the insurance commercial of the kid on the phone telling his dad he has a flat and says “I know what a lug wrench is dad” before turning to his friend and asking “ is this a lug wrench” to his friend who reply’s “maybe” that’s probably two engineering mba students coming home from spring break.
