Yes, the old guns WERE perfect.
Not a scratch, not a scrape, not a ding, not a dent, not a flaw, not a fault anywhere.
A sad world we live in today....
Denis
Oh really? Take a look at the machining inside the frame on this prewar K38. This type of machining was done on pattern following millers, before the existence of CNC machining. Pattern following equipment was operated by hand, with the operator manipulating the cutter path by using a stylus to follow a pattern. Pretty messy looking machining if you ask me.
Of course the surface finish of the floor of the frame does not matter, it is all clearance area. The only thing that really matters is the surface of the studs where the trigger, hammer, and bolt stop rotated. They were a few thousandths above the bottom surface of the frame, so that surface could be as messy as this. However the profile where the side plate fitted had to be just about perfect.
Compare that to the surface finish of this Model 17-3 from 1975. CNC equipment had come into play by this time, so tool paths and feed rates were computer controlled, resulting in a far superior finish. Not that it really mattered, because as with the earlier gun, it is all a clearance cut. Except for the rub mark where the rebound slide slides.
Inside of the frame of a 617-6, from about 2007 if I recall correctly. Notice the raised surfaces of the studs are gone, replaced by raised surfaces on the frame floor for the parts to rotate against. Bottom line, it is cheaper to machine fancy features like that than it is to make studs with a bearing surface and press them in just the right amount.