I admit I haven't bought a new Mossy in a few years now. Maybe five or so. But, to be honest, I have never seen a Mossy that came from the factory with a plastic follower! Is this something new? Price-wise, any part substitution you will ever see is due to cost....and I simply can't see any savings on molding a plastic follower compared to simply stamping a penny of steel. The plastic itself isn't even cheaper. The process is much more involved. That said, if I had a Mossy with a plastic follower, I'd spend the $1 and grab a steel factory part off of Ebay or Gunbroker.