Thread: parker hale or brno?

There is a couple of aspects to the why old brnos\PH are better than plastic fantastic's question. One is design as both of these rifles use a mauser type action. This is one of the stonger actions ever designed with a extra rear lug as well as the two front lugs and good gas control if a case ruptures. They are also a controlled feed rather than a push feed action which has certain advantages. Modern actions skip most of these features mainly because it's harder\more expensive to manufacture.

There is also the fact that metallurgy has changed over the years. In years past when they didn't have fancy alloys they used to use case hardening. This results in a bolt with a soft core but a very hard skin. As well as being very strong this also meant that the two hardened surfaces (hardened bolt and action) had very little friction and feels as smooth as glass. Handling a WWII mauser action will show this immediate difference.

A modern mauser would cost something like 5k to make today.