I really do. Feeling the recoil of those fat. However, clinging dogmatically to our steel and aluminum handguns in the Year of our Lord is starting to look just a little bit sad. Such unfortunate luddites are cursed to a lifetime of flip phones and incessantly blinking household appliances. I think we can safely say that polymer pistols are no passing fad. There are certainly still plenty of new-production heaters sporting steel or aluminum frames. We use the terms plastic and polymer interchangeably at times, but the word plastic was initially an adjective, not a noun.
Plastic deformation is what happens when a material deforms and then retains its deformed shape. The antonym is elastic. Elastic defines a material that, once deformed, springs back into its original configuration. As it relates to guns, plastic simply describes a synthetic material that can be molded into complex shapes.
Early plastics were flimsy. While polymer pistol frames do not permanently change shape when fired, they do tend to flex just a smidgeon. As they do not corrode like metals, polymer materials are also mightily environmentally resistant.
Additionally, advanced polymers can be molded into hand-friendly shapes. To conjure the same shapes out of a metallic medium would be difficult, if not impossible.
Combine this with the cost-effectiveness of molded polymers and you have a recipe for staying power in the gun world. The VP70 entered service in , a full 12 years before Mr. It was intended to be an inexpensive machine pistol that could be distributed to partisans in the event the Soviet Union invaded Western Europe. How heavy is this wretched double action-only trigger? About a hundred pounds would be my conservative estimate. Beyond the atrociously heavy trigger, the VP70 used a really stout recoil spring to drive its unlocked blowback action.
That made the gun fairly snappy in action and tough to rack. What the VP70 does for us today, however, is yield some insights into how polymer pistol frames hold up over time.
My year-old VP70 was not abused, but neither was it babied. Studying the gun yields insights into how polymer pistol frames might age should you wish to gift your favorite synthetic-framed combat handgun to your grandchildren. The results were encouraging. The steel slide on my VP70 was treated with some HK-grade super finish that, while still intact, is liberally scuffed and scratched. This metric tells us that my VP70 was indeed knocked around a bit over the past half century.
However, the polymer frame remains intact, attractive, and fully serviceable despite decades of hard use. Our firearm components are typically reinforced with preternaturally strong synthetic fibers bonded within the polymer matrix that is just super tough. Imagine a fiberglass boat hull, and you have the idea. For those diehard zealots among us who might yet insist that their carry gun be a full-sized steel-framed or nothing, I would invite you to undertake a simple test.
Tote your favorite real steel through a few long days at work. Of course minor bits and pieces like extractors or slide stops may need replacement along the way, and of course springs need need to be replaced regularly.
Now that I think about it I guess we will just really have to see Couple hundred thousand without. Understand that it's not the "toughness" of the polymer that's the limitation. The polymers used in well designed top quality polymer handguns are likely to have a low failure rate. The limitation is going to be the stressed friction components rails , impact components slide stops , and wear components barrels, springs, and trigger components.
So yes you can make a Glock last the same way you can make a steel framed pistol last - keep it well lubed and replace pieces as they wear out or break. Eventually with enough cycles that could include the frame or slide. I think it would outlive the average user in life span. I dont have a clue, I do know there are a multitude of reports with glocks and Hks with a few hundred thousand rounds , so I think that the 50k round statement isnt true.
That would be a very interesting read. It was a 2 pin gun IIRC I have well over 50, through my G17 and the only thing i've needed to replace was the locking block pin, it was bent a bit but the gun ran fine. Plastics do get brittle with age. As yet, no one has a 50 year old Glock frame to compare it to a new one for brittleness. Even if a 50 year old Glock is still usable, it will have aged and the chemical composition will have degraded somewhat.
At some point, , , or years in the future, the plastic will be so brittle that it will be unusable. Of course, steel, unless it is stainless, does rust over time as well.
If you are talking about leaving guns to posterity, the best bet is probably stainless steel. I'm over or close to the 30, mark with my Glock17 and its still looks NIB.
There is no way 50K is the limit. A polymer pistol can last just as long as a metal one if not longer and yes I would bet my life on it. I believe with simple care and maintenance, it will long outlast the person that buys it.
Just keep them out of the sun. We have a winner. UV and environmental degradation is going to be the main factor in changing the strength of the polymer. Nylons are highly resistant to chemicals they use that material in chainsaw crankcases but UV and to a lesser extent ozone will degrade them over time. Other than that, they are fairly inert.
We obviously don't have the benefit of years of experience with them but a well-selected polymer will be very durable if it's not exposed to UV and extreme environments. Speaking in terms of the frame: Ferrous metals are generally susceptible to moisture over time.
Different polymers break down under different circumstances. Most disposable polymers off-gas their plasticizers and become brittle over time. This is sped up by high temperatures. High end polymers generally have nothing to off gas and do not degrade with time alone.
All polymers degrade to varying degrees when exposed to UV rays. Both the polymer frame and given a reasonable amount of care the metal frame should long outlast the lifespan of the original owner.
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