Yes, that's the message you should take.

[red]TANSTAAFL.  You get what you pay for.[/red]

Sure, you can buy a reverse-engineered cast imported handle that's been machined crooked for half the price, but what are you getting for your money?

It seems that most people choose to learn (?) this lesson over and over again, the hard, expensive way.  The reason folks recommend the more expensive gear is because it is much higher quality, and isn't likely to have problems or fail on you like the cheap stuff always does eventually.  And when it does, you'll probably buy the better replacement and toss the cheap one, so doesn't it make more sense to buy the quality stuff in the first place?

A very wise man said, "Never try to save money when you're buying guns & gear.  That's the wrong place to skimp.  Buy cheap clothes, cheap beer, and cheap food, but buy only the BEST for your guns."

-Troy