I said it's PRACTICALLY perfect in every way, i.e., almost.
Regardless, you're entitled to your opinion, Steve, as am I, and I couldn't disagree more. IMHO the Britannia has very graceful lines. But then again, you also don't care for the look of the Webley Service, which I think has one of the most beautiful and iconic profiles ever.
Regarding modern airguns not copying the design of the Britannia, I wonder that all the time. I wish some company would. I'd love a solid, modern, compact, light, easy to wield, high-powered springer inspired by the Britannia design!
The quality of finish is a trivial matter. And considering minty Britannias aren't common, I doubt either of us can declare with certainty how good or bad the original finish was when new, or if it varied in quality over its production run.
Lastly, I find the heavy yet compact design makes it a quicker, more natural pointer than a lot of modern break barrels. As far as accuracy tests go, Matt's video says it all:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHiTVootIcQ