CBASS I will not tell you that one Express is any different than another Express because they aren't. They are EXACTLY the same gun and in fact the Express was actually created in the late 80s for the big discount stores by Rems then owner DuPont. But they sold so many that soon smaller dealers and all the wholesalers began demanding them. BUT trust me on this, they are NOT a Special Purpose. But, they aren't marketed as a replacement too the SPS' while in fact they DO canabalize sales from Rems higher end gun sales. Like I said, I personally think that the Express series of guns ushered in a new era of poor quality acceptance for Remington, especially for their current "bottom line and all costs concerned" ownership. Sure it might have helped them through the 90s but at what cost? What good is a decade of greed if it costs you a centuries old company in the long run?

As for the other guns, I don't agree that ALL makers are building poor firearms. Sure Savage's finish is cheap and poor but their guns are more accurate and better now than ever before in their history! As for Ruger, I likewise don't see where their quality has diminished. Weatherby's quality isn't down either, I just think that Roy's marketing and Roy Jr.s style are/were two entirely different models. As for Kimber, their guns are EXCELLENT. It's their dealer support and employee mindset that I have problems with. Tikka is an GREAT rifle and using that one batch of bad steel as an excuse to dismiss ALL their guns is simply childish. Beretta DID handle that incident lastyear perhaps differently than we would "hope" an American manufacturer would have. But I think that incidence points too two things. First, Beretta is STILL a typically arrogant european corporation. Thats the way MANY such companies think and operate over there. Secondly, perhaps it's indicative of our overly litigious society here in modern day America. Out of the THOUSANDS of pieces of product that was produced only a few were found bad and performed other than as designed. In Europe (and elsewhere outside of the U.S.) thats understood as a possibility and sometimes accepted. No one was really hurt btw. I think we "sue somebody just because" American's were to quick to rush too judgement and wanted our fears and worries turned too monetary damages via the courts. Had I owned one of the handful of Sako/Tikka rifles effected by the recall and I had already had one blowup in my face and escaped with only a bruised ego, then I would only expect a new rifle as compensation from the company. NOT hauling them into court and playing, "What if???" as is today's norm.

Nuff said,
RA