Seems like it's been a long term downward slope.

In 1978 I bought my first airgun (parents wouldn't let me have one as a kid) and I wanted the Webley Senior. Ended up with a Hurricane as the Senior was long gone. Quite disappointed really, as it had gone from solid engineering (a "real" gun) to die-cast body, plastic mouldings and roll pins. The modern Typhoon would appear to continue that trend.