Was in two gunshops over the last few days. Sad to say, nothing I saw got the money in my pocket "jumping", as the China Doll likes to say. The larger shop had bunches of econo-rifles in the rack. I didn't pick up one. I did look over a couple of used leverguns and an H&R trapdoor carbine. I know many of those rifles are good shooters, but they just don't move me. In particular, the stocks with molded-in trigger guards look flimsey, and the one example I owned briefly, a Ruger American rimfire, actually arrived at my dealer with the guard broken off in transit. Ruger replaced the stock quickly, but it's easy to imagine that happening in the field. At least ones with separate plastic "bottom metal" are easy to repair, and there are metal aftermarket parts for some others like Tikkas and Howa Minis.
As to the Mossberg, one YouTube video pointed out that the right-side rail is very thin and bumping it while out of the stock could easily bend it enough to render the rifle inoperative. A good knock with it assembled might do the same thing. The Patriot is IMO, the best-looking one they've ever made, which is something I suppose. I just can't see myself buying one for serious work; range toy, truck gun, disposable varminter, -possibly.
