They are investment cast receivers that P-Hale had made as the company had acquired a large quantity of Springfield M1903 bolts (without their parent receivers) and then sold under their Midland Gun brand. Which in truth was a terrible thing to do to what had been, Midland Gun, a known and respected "value" brand before P-Hale took it over.
It depends if you are happy with the Springfield M1903 bolt system and happy with an investment cast receiver. Nothing wrong with investment cast receivers as any Ruger M77 owners will testify and, anyway, the Parker-Hale Spanish made Santa Barbara Model 98 Mauser pattern receivers were, supposedly (?) cast? At $600 then, yes, I do think that they are overpriced. Regardless of them being new.
The fact that they haven't been purchased so far tells me all that I need to know. Pick them up, play around with them, put them back down and walk away. Get something better for less money especially as the only accuracy guarantee P-Hale ever have was a all round into under 3" at one hundred yards with Norma factory ammunition. Good enough grouping in my belief but sadly nowadays most "hunters" think that's poor. Why I don't know!
The table below I've cut and pasted from an on the internet 1980 "Dope Bag" review listed on eBay.com for the rifle in .30/06. Hmm. 22" long barrel, cheap crappy fold up rearsight. Not for me at even $60 and that's the seller paying me that $60. I just never did like them and, as said, there's better 22" barrel .30/06 rifles available for less money in the USA or Canada I'd guess?
I don't have a "downer" on P-Hale rifles as I've owned four of their M81 Classic. These are a true Mauser 98 action with that cast Santa Barbara receiver. The Spanish always made good steel if they were asked to! It's just that some never did ask! Two in .270" WCF, one in 6mm Remington and presently (the others I've sold on) one in .30/06 that does everything that I bought the other three to do in but the one rifle.
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Here's a comment by one American user on Gunboards in 2010 "My first centre fire rifle was a new Midland 2100 30-06 about 1980. It had problems right from the factory - faulty trigger, weak primer strikes, rough chamber and slightly oval. Factory scope taps were out of line with the bore. The stock inletting was poor on mine and most of the 2100s I have seen since have had cracks behind the tang. Best 100 yd group it ever shot was a bit over 3" and that was probably a fluke. I wouldn't rush to buy one, to say the least. Best thing i ever did with it was trade it on a push feed M70."
