Has anyone here had a chance to compare the A&A Town Guard with one of the originals? I'm curious about the handling in particular.

No, but I've compared two A&A Town Guards with one another and found them to be slightly different. ;) Fortunately, there is a fair diversity among originals in that particular pattern, as well. Not at all as standard as the phrase "standard issue" might suggest.

Oh, and both A&A TGs I've held handled wonderfully; one was just slightly more forward-leaning than the other.