OK, so what exactly are the features or specification of a great lock as opposed to a bad or mediocre one? Why can't a manufacturer take an excellent lock and make an inexpensive production lock with those features? The Chinese do that all the time.
Market forces.
There just are not enough of us who want traditional ml to drive the market.
And prejudice too.
Look up Indian guns. Bombay pipe bombs, curry poppers. Well you will be hard pressed to find much difference between an Indian bess and a Perdisoli, their locks spark like there is no tomorrow and tge shoot as straight. The wood sort of looks like walnut, but ain’t. They are a safe as any ml
But there is a prejudice against them
There is also the wow factor.
Besses came in dozens of models, the use of which is highly time specific.
The ‘77 charley was made for ARW reinactors. It’s incorrect. Americans got the ‘66 or ‘63.
What’s the difference? To my eye minor cosmetic details, but to some those tiny details are highly important
The old Navy Arms 1803 was a fine gun, but built with a modified zouave barrel. It was incorrect not only in caliber but rifeling
I would be happy to own one, but the details are enough to make it a no no to some.
My SMR has an incorrect German lock, and a straighter stock than real SMR. It mocks be yet, but I’m happy with it.
It would be cost prohibitive for a company to try to market to civilian living history buffs today.
Let’s say you want to do area specific in 1830 impression. A mountain man or Santa Fe Trail man can cross over equipment, but a mountain rifle isn’t right for an Ohio or Tennessee farmer, or a Maryland market hunter, and it’s out of date for a Plainsman of 1850 or a setteler/ militia man of 1812.
Think of the nightmare a company would have producing an ‘authentic styled federal period’ gun