I'm not talking about the price of a BSA 240 Magnum back when they were made versus the price of an HW45 now. Both pistols didn't cost well over £100, the 240 Magnum could be got for £95 (or less if you shopped around) at the end of its production run, when the HW45 was costing a lot more. Price has to have some bearing on performance or quality. In any sport, hobby or profession, people can always spend more to get better kit, you get what you pay for.

Usually when people discuss airguns, it's not a "direct comparison" as you claim. It's more a case of stating the merits or failings of different airguns and then stating a preference, with price taken into account with other factors too, so not often a "direct comparison" with no reference to price. I remember well the barneys that used to go on here years ago, between the Theoben Rapid fans and the BSA Super Ten fans, the upshot usually was "The Rapid should be better, it costs nearly twice as much." Price is a factor.

Regarding power, my point was that power is a red herring in this argument. I've had not one HW45, but three over the years (wheeling and dealing, not because I like them) and they were lubed differently, one on the wet side, the others drier, but all three were doing in the low four ft/lbs range. All three of them. Some fans of the HW45 have claimed it needs to be oiled enough to be dieselling consistently to reach its maximum power. In fact, it doesn't matter if the 45 is more powerful or not though, my point was that power is a red herring in this argument, as I have more powerful pistols and less powerful pistols which I prefer to the HW45. One of my 240 Magnums has been detuned to run at around 3.25 ft/lbs, and I prefer that to the HW45. Have you really chronographed every one of the "dozens" of HW45s that have come through your club? Or do you just take the owner's word for it? Airgunners are notorious for over-estimating the power of their guns. My Uncle, that left me his HW45 in his will, reckoned that on high, the pistol was above 6 ft/lbs, I chronographed it... Nope. As for figures quoted in the mags... I think figures in the mags, like the reviews, tend to be a little on the optimistic side. Why is it "unfair" to question the performance of the HW45? You've spent this thread questioning the performance of the 240 Magnum, what's the difference? The power of the HW45 remains open to question in my opinion, immaterial to this thread though it is.

You might like the HW45 and dislike the BSA 240 Magnum, that's your preference. I've never said that the BSA is the better pistol, just that I prefer it to the HW45 even with its faults. There are as many opinions on airguns as there are airgunners.