The end is near/here...

[colorfixer]

I guess by changing the gun structure near the end, they began to go cheap on the product with the thinking they could make a product which was "transition" or meeting a "price point".

I wonder if they stopped making the gun assemblies themselves and farmed them out?

My 25" is a very high hour set (made in Japan), but the tube is still in great shape over 15 years later. My parents have a younger US made 27" and after about 5 years of significantly lower hours the emission tube is all but pooped. I'm afraid its not an isolated case.