The flexible stock was from the Axis models of a few years ago. The butt was not the problem, it was the forearm. Some would even come from the factory with parts of the forearm putting pressure on the barrel. When fired from a bipod it was relatively easy to 'bend' the forearm until it touched the barrel. All of this was easy to fix and supposedly later models of the Axis have had better stocks.
Yes, the machining on the Axis is not all that great. The bolt movement is not super smooth and if you try fast cycling you can easily make it bind up. And, yes, there are other budget rifles, like the Ruger and T/C, that are probably as good or maybe even better.
Most of the low end rifles depend on the 'day of the week' they were made. Did you get a 1/2MOA barrel or a 2MOA barrel? Did you get a trigger that wasn't quite as smooth as the others? etc, etc.