They were shaft mounted rockers and cheap ones at that. They had to use a smaller diameter stud than the aftermarket stamp steel arms because they couldn't find a roller tip arm made for the larger stud size. Obviously not an issue in my situation but that's the explanation.
This thread is getting derailed a bit, I'm not trying to claim that the stamp steel beats out Harland Sharp here. I'm just trying to defend my position here. I'm not crazy for going with FREE.99 over $700 when we're talking 3 horsepower at best here at the rpm ranges my motor is built for. Just for background I'm already over $25,000 into this car that's worth $12,000 at best.
You could never conclude anything with any dyno comparison ever on those grounds. Not sure why it's not sensible. Anything gained in friction loss is lost in the weight difference. It's all a wash in the end for a street motor anyways.
What do I know though, I'm just some dumbass that can't install a rocker shaft correctly.