I have no idea about how the materials compare, but the integral trigger guard of a Ruger American Rimfire I bought was broken in shipping by our pals at UPS, so it can happen. The box wasn’t breached, but the bolt was loose and bouncing around inside. A lot of early alloy guards were painted and looked like it, plus the paint wore pretty quickly. Machined aluminum like Howa uses is plenty strong and the anodizing or cerakoting looks good.
My son has a Hunter in 6.5 and likes it very well. I shot it and it was pretty lively on the bench, not unpleasant, just what you’d expect from a light rifle. The magazine works perfectly and fits flush. I think they’re good rifles at a good price.
If your budget is tight, get the Hunter and spend the money you save on better optics. Unless you really need to lighten it, I’d think a bit before pulling the filler out of the stock. It’s there to make it quieter, and maybe to strengthen it a bit in places.
