In my experience with GW's, the customer does choose the scope he wants when planning the build. They do offer options. At least for myself, I'm very involved in making the decisions. If I make a choice or fail to make a choice, I will accept responsibility for that. Once it leaves their shop, there's a host of unknowables they can't control when it comes to glass. I don't know your buddy or his particular situation, so I'll withhold judgement either way on that premise. I'm sure there's a reason for the policy. But every company misfires by times and it doesn't hurt to just have that friendly conversation to try to understand their policy or maybe even talk to someone up the chain to give them a chance to reconsider.
Now when it comes to actual rifle performance, then I feel its justified to hold them to it. I actually bought my Magnus 7-LRM
used from them when touring their shop. It shot great (.3 MOA) with their 180 ELD-M loads out of the fluted 24" Rock Creek barrel. However, a year or so later we started having flyers. Talked to Mike and he told me to send it in. He shot it, sent me pics, tried a bunch of stuff - the communication was great. He updated the action, still sending flyers. Called to say he's going with a new barrel and wondered if there's anything I wanted to change. I offered to pay the extra for the CF 24" option, but he says "no, it's on me". In the end he found a cracked scope base that seemed to be the culprit. But what I got in the end was an almost all-new rifle - action, barrel, self-timing break, repainted stock, new bases & rings, sighted in, validated at range, and 100 rounds of ammo at no charge to me. We cooked up some custom 180 Hybrid loads then that are running consistent .25 MOA and actually did 2) 2-shot groups at 1,002 yds at 1.5" or less.
As to the brake performance. I'm not sure what brake option he has, but the self-timing directional one on my 7-LRM does well for as small as it is. My 9-yr-old son shoots it. Certainly, recoils more than my much larger 7 Allen Mag with a T3 Terminator, but it's far from uncomfortable. Can always put something on that's more effective if he wants.
You can tell I'm biased based on my good experiences with the company.
The service to back it up is worth a lot of $$$$ to me.
I'd suggest anyone with interest, to take the time to go meet the outfit, take one of their shooting courses using their builds. It'll give some perspective of who they are and what they do.
Expensive, but it's ready to go out of the box. When I think of the time and money I've spent zeroing, mounting scopes, creating ballistic solutions, and figuring out which factory ammo each rifle likes it's worth it. In fact, I spent 5 hours today swapping scopes around, bore sighting and rezeroing at the range on some rifles for my kids and a new one I just bought. It's worth it for me. Between work and kids, I want to shoot and hunt more and tinker less. If all goes as planned, will sell some things to defray the purchase price. 
