Sounds like an un-needed pitch to me, too. C'mon - how much stress does a BLANK put on a frame?!
When I was trying to decide whether or not to get my 1866, I read an article from a SASS top shooter who pointed out that the "brass" is actually a modern artillery bronze, which is CONSIDERABLY tougher than brass, and that his 1866 had fired over 70,000 rounds thru it with no appreciable wear.
That was good enough for me!