You do realize that the only thing S&W about this gun is the caliber designation? I wouldn't be surprised if some folks around here were familiar with older H&R revolvers but there's probably an H&R Forum out there with a bunch of guys who could tell you all about it.
I have a H&R "Premier .22 Rim Fire". Been in the family over one hundred years. I'd say the build quality is about equivalent to S&W top-break revolvers of the same era. Thing is, S&W's got better. And kept getting better as the years and decades went by. H&R's stayed about the same, and possibly slipped a little in built quality. By the 1940's the S&W revolver was one of the finest handgun's made on the planet, and they kept getting better. H&R was still making what was essentially a 19th century handgun as they slowly spiraled down into bankruptcy.
H&R and IJ cost about half as much as S&W, too.
The economy has always been cyclic and there were several recessions and even a depression after WW I and before the Great Depression.
Sometimes you have to watch prices.