By all means, if cost is your primary criteria then buy a cheaper gun. I know some don't like the brand comparisons but look at Rolex vs Timex. A Rolex is 100X the cost of a Timex but I suspect it's no more accurate...maybe less accurate. Stolychnia is 50% than Phillips and maybe 85% of people can't tell them apart. But I don't see the pulling of hair and rending of garments over the deal like I see with HK.
The gnashing of teeth comes from those of us who are very tired of being told how superior HK guns are with absolutely nothing to back up the statement. If someone wants to spend the extra coin to buy one for whatever reason, that is their business. But trying to convince
me that it's better because it "just is" only serves to irritate.
I get paying for quality. I have a very large tool box stuffed full of Snap-On, Matco & Mac tools because Harbor freight or home depot tools are demonstrably lower quality, from fit & finish to durability to the way they fit on fasteners. In this case, as a professional mechanic, it is absolutely worth the premium cost for a wrench that is far less likely to slip and round a fastener and/or bust my knuckle, or just flat out break on me. Do I think some of those tools are a bit over-priced? Yeah, but there's really not a cheaper option that is of the same quality. Craftsman used to be, and I had bought quite a bit of that back in the day. But they're cheap chinese junk nowadays.
Likewise, I'm big into RC, and there's definitely a difference in quality between an HSP/Redcat/Exceed/Himoto kit and a Team Associated/Losi/OFNA/Durango/Xray kit. It is very tangible, from materials & assembly to engine/motor output, servo quality, shocks, and resulting overall performance & durability.
Yet when it comes to HK versus the world, when we're talking about guns that are offered in comparable models by other quality manufacturers, I have yet to find anything that makes the HK superior. Comparing the USP, P30, P2000 and HK45 to the FNP and FNX, I see no advantage to spending another $300 or $400 on the HK. If it is an aesthetic or ergonomic preference, well, then, OK. But performance and durability wise, you're buying nothing with the extra money.
If HK wants to pay their employees better than the competition and use that as justification for increased cost, they have to accept that many people are far less concerned with the happiness of a company's employees than with receiving good value for the money they spend. We regularly see folks right here on this board argue that they won't pay more for US-made products if the cheaper import is just as good because they don't believe in corporate welfare; why should it be any different with HK?