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Oh I see. A model soldier sort of "snobbery" in a sense?!
Well the expense side of things I can fully understand as even today metal is more expensive. Hence why I tend to use it to supplement my plastics rather than form the bulk. My generals are all mostly metal though I think. Wellington, Napoleon & Ney definately are. Got an old Hinton Hunt Marshal Soult too!!!
Thing is today, even if money was no object, I would probably still happily go for plastics, simply due to the amount you can get for less, plus there is so much more choice in plastics. There are some sets in plastic that dont exist in metal, same applies vice versa. So I get what I need depending on cost, value for money and of course regardless of material. Think I even have some resin figures somewhere...but god are they brittle!!!
As for the 25mm Minifigs, I think I know the ones you mean, i've seen them come up on ebay, and funnily enough, just like the Airfix French, I thought they had a bit of an odd anatomy too!!
Hinton Hunt were one of the great 1970s manufacturers of Napoleonic figures (nominally in 20mm) and I believe that they are still produced somewhere or other?
Minifigs certainly have had a new lease of life and the moulds were purchased a while ago by Caliver Books, who produce the figures under the old Minifigs brand.
For an example of the march attack figures that set my heart racing back in the 1970s, see for example this e-bay seller's pictures:
Strange how ordinary these now look to me; and yes, the heads are too big Times have moved on and figure sculpting has come a very long way in the last 40+ years.
The whole snobbery thing is plan silly. The range of plastic figures for the area I principally game/model in (The Great War) is fantastic - and can be readily supplemented with compatible metal.
Early War Miniatures provides a brilliant range of stuff the seamlessly works with plastic.