Amen, Billyray! Speaking from the perspective of 40 years of building dirt track cars, "Build it three times as strong as you think it needs to be, and don't be too surprised when it breaks!" It's definitely possible to get too anal about small stuff. Now, I get fussy about half a thousandth too much rod bearing clearance, but I'm not going to waste much time over stuff that's got lots of slop built in on purpose.
It's sort of like comparing a GI-specification 1911 .45 Auto pistol to a tricked-out Kimber race gun. The Kimber is a masterpiece of hand-fitting, and it needs 500 rounds or more through it before it functions reliably. The GI model rattles like a BB in a boxcar when it cycles. Drop the Kimber in the mud, and it jams. Shake the big chunks off the GI model, slap in a fresh magazine, and keep on shooting! Which one do you think I'd bet my life on in a firefight?
Jerry
