Polymer vs Metal

[BigMoose]

Lulz. Are we pretending that double charges, etc. are because of "old plastic" or that metal guns survive it?

Woopsie.

Anyway, I own and use both with no strong preference.

Ahh the one exception. Springfield Armory's infamous sintered MIM metal. Look at that break. that is a classic Metal Injection Molding failure.

Seriously google Springfield Armory MIM sometime.

To be clear, when the process is done right.. it WORKS. But the idiots at SAI are rather known for bad QA on the process and improperly done MIM parts make it out of there all the time.

 

[Methane Herder]

Found this pic online. Dude blew up a Super Blackhawk. That takes some effort! It doesn't matter how strong you build a gun, or what you make it out of, somebody out there will inevitably do something dumb enough to dynamically disassemble it.

Arm chair guess someone didn't realize that they were loading Red Dot and not (insert any other powder here).

MH

 

[JFriar96]

I like the solid feel metal frames, but prefer the lighter weight for carry.

When I first started carrying, I felt like I wanted a lighter one so that it was more comfortable. But I’m so used to my heavy CZ that I don’t even feel it. Plus I’m much more relieved due to their reliability, and my personal preference.

 

[Amishman44]

No strong preference on my part. I also don’t favor hammer vs striker or 9mm vs .45 auto.

Depends on the platform...
Metal guns - 1911's or Beretta 92's
Polymer guns - Glock or S&W Shield
Mostly, it's what fits in my grip, is most comfortable, that I shoot well, and is reliable!

 

[92FSTech]

Here is the rub. Go look at an 80s or 90s chevy. Or more in particular, attempt to disassemble the plastic parts (like the dash, etc) on that car.. yeah. Your not dissembling any of that stuff. Plastic that used to be supple, will just SNAP... if you attempt to take anything in a car that old apart that is plastic, it will come out in snapped shards. (Any car Mechanic will know that I am talking about)

What happens to these wonder polymer pistols after decades?
Old plastic gets BRITTLE..

Also the cold.. COLD PLASTIC GETS BRITTLE. look what happened to Mahome's wonder helmet in the freeze bowl..
View attachment 330534

And metal rusts (I own Sigs...I definitely know about rust!) and work hardens. I've replaced a lot of metal parts on old guns that simply saw too many cycles and let go. There's no such thing as an age-proof or wear-proof material. Most modern polymers are tougher than you're implying, though, and a far cry from what they made car dashboards out of in the 80s. UV is also a factor there, and I don't know many folks who leave their Glock lying out in the sun for year after year (although that would be an interesting, if not practical test). I've never seen a gen 1 Glock frame shatter simply due to age, and my P320 hasn't come apart just because I was shooting it outside in subzero temperatures (and I've done that plenty).

If you're going to oil it and stick it in a climate-controlled safe and rarely touch it for 50-100 years, metal may age better (but I probably won't be around to see the outcome). If you're going to put it on every day, take it out into the elements, sweat on it, bleed on it, and drag it through the mud, polymer has its advantages. Obviously everybody is entitled to their own personal preferences and by all means buy what you like. But I think you're missing out on some quality tools if you're not buying them simply because of the plastic.

 

[ECS686]

Found this pic online. Dude blew up a Super Blackhawk. That takes some effort! It doesn't matter how strong you build a gun, or what you make it out of, somebody out there will inevitably do something dumb enough to dynamically disassemble it.

Saw a couple top straps on DA revolvers peeled back in the PPC days. Apparently Bullseye was east to double charge and have room left to seat the bullet.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Here is the rub. Go look at an 80s or 90s chevy. Or more in particular, attempt to disassemble the plastic parts (like the dash, etc) on that car.. yeah. Your not dissembling any of that stuff. Plastic that used to be supple, will just SNAP... if you attempt to take anything in a car that old apart that is plastic, it will come out in snapped shards. (Any car Mechanic will know that I am talking about)

There are 40 year old Glocks. They are fine. There's hundreds of types of "plastic" with different qualities. This is a non-issue.

 

[indyblue]

Lulz. Are we pretending that double charges, etc. are because of "old plastic" or that metal guns survive it?

Woopsie.

Anyway, I own and use both with no strong preference.

No way that is a forged slide/barrel/frame like my TRP has.

 

[BigMoose]

No way that is a forged slide/barrel/frame like my TRP has.

As I mentioned. SAI's infamous Metal Injection Molding (sintering) process. When it works, its good.. but their QA is crap and sometimes the process leaves internal imperfections/voids. Enough to leave an internet FULL of MIM complaints. Proper QA will catch this, but SAI (Springfield Armory) can't be arsed to do the proper QA to catch these bad parts. Instead relying on the customer to be the QA with their warranty process.

Seriously Google "Springfield Armory MIM" sometime.

MIM is Inferior to forged, or milled parts.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

No way that is a forged slide/barrel/frame like my TRP has.

Sure. Not all metal is equal any more than all polymers are equal. Just disputing the notion those guns pictured were "old plastic" related or there's some inherent issue with polymers not present with metals. Both have their issues. Polymer flexes, and the frames actually tolerate extremely high round counts that will crack metal frames, for example. The number of people who will shoot a given gun to get to the point it matters is pretty minimal, and if you shoot a gun to death the gun was the cheapest part of that process...

 

[10mm]

There's something special about holding a metal weapon for me. I'd love to see the all metal 2 tone Jericho 941's make a comeback. The metal is less practical for all day carry, but I've never minded that as much as everyone else seems too. I sometimes just see how much I can carry without printing in the winter for a lark. Turns out the 629 stealth hunter is doable, but makes it awkward to sit down anywhere iwb carry. Definitely going to do another long slide 1911 in 10mm before long and I always loved carrying those.
All that said, polymer isn't bad and I shoot both adequately enough to not really see a measurable difference when all factors are considered.
Metal for me, but I carry polymer more often than not, mostly from not buying molded holsters for them.

 

[Ziggidy]

I shoot metal much better but the carry weight is a big factor. I would need suspenders if I carried metal; dang, a double stack plastic gives me trouble!

 

[Expat]

I like plastic for carrying and steel for shooting.

 

[Pepi]

I like the barrel to be metal.

BUT BUT I heard that ghost guns are all plastic

 

[92FSTech]

Arm chair guess someone didn't realize that they were loading Red Dot and not (insert any other powder here).

MH

That, or Bullseye or Titegroup, lol.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Plastic is for credit cards. Aluminum is for beer cans. Steel and Wood is for guns.

 

[mcapo]

Yes would be my answer.

Polymer guns have a place. Make for a great carry gun rather it be concealed carry or a 10mm Glock in bear country. 2011s can really benefit from weight reduction with a polymer grip.

Steel is great. Real guns are steel and wood.

As alloy materials continue to improve over the decades, the weight between polymer and metal is shrinking.

It continues to be a time with an amazing variety of firearms being available for reasonable (2024 reasonable) cost.

Yep....both.

 

[BigMoose]

And metal rusts (I own Sigs...I definitely know about rust!) and work hardens. I've replaced a lot of metal parts on old guns that simply saw too many cycles and let go. There's no such thing as an age-proof or wear-proof material. Most modern polymers are tougher than you're implying, though, and a far cry from what they made car dashboards out of in the 80s. UV is also a factor there, and I don't know many folks who leave their Glock lying out in the sun for year after year (although that would be an interesting, if not practical test). I've never seen a gen 1 Glock frame shatter simply due to age, and my P320 hasn't come apart just because I was shooting it outside in subzero temperatures (and I've done that plenty).

If you're going to oil it and stick it in a climate-controlled safe and rarely touch it for 50-100 years, metal may age better (but I probably won't be around to see the outcome). If you're going to put it on every day, take it out into the elements, sweat on it, bleed on it, and drag it through the mud, polymer has its advantages. Obviously everybody is entitled to their own personal preferences and by all means buy what you like. But I think you're missing out on some quality tools if you're not buying them simply because of the plastic.

Steel rusts.

Beretta started playing with their particular aluminum alloy metal a little before WW2, but there wasn't time to really mess with it until after the war. It took a long time to develop. It reappeared postwar on the small blowbacks, but it wasn't ready for locked breach until 1975. When a series of 1951 pistols were made with the revised alloy. These proved the alloy was ready and the 92 series has featured the proprietary alloy ever since (a few target 92 pistols were made with steel frames)

This proprietary alloy Beretta uses is significantly lighter then steel, and cuts significantly into the advantage of polymer. Yes polymer is still lighter. But not as much as you would think. This alloy is extremely corrosion resistant.

I do have a few steel pistols. (Old 1934, a Bernadelli, and the token 1911), but I prefer the Beretta Alloy..

 

[Merk]

Depends on the situation. I carry a polymer framed shield. Hard to argue against a 1911 though. That my only all metal gun comparison though

 

[92FSTech]

Here's an interesting read about corrosion on a Glock and an alloy-framed Sig. Note, I'm not saying this WILL happen, nor do I have a thing against alloy-framed guns...I own a bunch of them, and carry one regularly.

The guns in this article were clearly neglected and stored improperly. That's not something I would ever willingly allow to happen to any firearm that I own, but sometimes things happen that are out of our control. An extended trip in the backcountry can expose a handgun to all kinds of stuff, or spending a lot of time near harsh chemicals or saltwater. Sweat will do it, too. Polymer fares better in those conditions.

In my own personal experience, I've had several guns rust during daily use and with regular maintenance. I have yet to blow one up, be it steel, alloy, or polymer-framed.

https://www.randomgunstuff.com/articles/how-do-you-store-your-guns