dumb question: alloy v. polymer

[movie zombie]

some of the smaller lighter pistols are labeled as being alloy with stainless steel slide......others are labeled as being polymer. chemistry is not my strong point....obviously.

i'm assuming the polymer is really plastic and much lighter while the alloy at least has some metal of one type or another in it and is a bit heavier.

movie zombie

[762cavalier]

i'm assuming the polymer is really plastic and much lighter while the alloy at least has some metal of one type or another in it and is a bit heavier.

Mostly. Depending on the alloy of the frame it may or may not be heavier than a polymer frame. Depends on what the alloy is. IIRC most alloys are an aluminum alloy, and Polymer is a "plastic" frame.

[ojisan]

"Alloys" are a mix of different metals, as opposed to being made of one kind of metal only.
We can get real long winded here talking about how almost all metals are alloys, but for gun use, mostly two alloys are used:
Aluminum: it contains copper to bend, silicate to form shapes, more ingredients too. Aluminum weighs about 1/2 that of steel, but must be 2/3 bulkier in size to have the same strength as steel.
Zinc: dense, soft, hardens and is stronger with copper added, casts easily, heavy, low melting temperature, used for inexpensive guns.

[movie zombie]

thanks!

mz

[Salty]

Polymer refers to a large class of materials, not all of which are man made or plastic; however when the word Polymer is used alone it often suggests some type of man made plastic. Examples would be acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Kydex (Acrylic/PVC thermoplastic alloy), Polyamides ("PA" or "Nylon").

Alloy refers to a metallic matrix. Essentially an alloy is what you get when you mix multiple metals together. Running across pure metals in your everyday life is actually pretty rare. Most metals that you come in contact with are an alloy of some type. Examples would be aluminum or gold alloys. More often than not when a metal is simply marketed as being "alloy" is is an aluminum alloy.

Composite refers to two materials of significantly different properties being combined together physically while remaining separate chemically. Examples would be fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber, and glass filled nylon. A stock made out of glass filled nylon would be a composite stock, while said composite includes polymer. Some "polymer" frames and stocks are also "loaded" with metal shavings, these are in fact composite stocks which are again, partly made up of polymer.

[Beelzy]

All you need to remember is Polymer means "PLASTIC", which is Gunspeak
for Cheaper to Make. It does result in a lighter weapon to carry though.

Personally, I'm Old School. I like to know that if for some reason I shot my
gun dry in a fight I could still use it as an effective bludgeoning device.

[movie zombie]

Personally, I'm Old School. I like to know that if for some reason I shot my
gun dry in a fight I could still use it as an effective bludgeoning device.

LOL!

the reason i'm curious is that semi-autos seem to come in two flavors:

1- polymer which i don't like the feel of
2-alloy/stainless steel which appears to mean the slide only is stainless which i prefer to the polymer.

almost all my revolvers are stainless....with one blue. i do not like the smith revolvers that are air/light weights, even in the .22 calibre.

i'm in the market for a semi-auto pistol....not because i need one [i have plenty of revolvers] but because i WANT one. but i'm not liking the look of polymer and i'm not wanting to pay more than $800-900 for a pistol. and in the back of my mind i'm concerned about recoil with the polymer. i need to get to a range and rent some.

movie zombie

ps anyone have a 3913?

[Capt Jack]

I've got a Ruger P94 in 9mm that has an alloy frame and a stainless slide:



The frame itself is extremely light, but the slide more than makes up for it once I put it together. Rugers tend to be overbuilt and that's no joke! I could easily see myself clubbing someone into submission with just the slide alone!

Oh, and it has never had so much as a hiccup with about 1000 rounds down the pipe. Not bad for $275...

[What Just Happened?]

Do keep in mind that polymer semi-automatics still have a steel slide and have metal on the inside of the frame. It is just that the non-load bearing parts of the frame have been made with polymer.

That said, all of my handguns are all-metal guns. I would suggest that you look into CZ, Beretta, or any 1911 manufacturer for a nice all-metal semi.

[movie zombie]

again, thanks to all! ETA: my hand is wide in comparison to finger length.......

mz

[rivviepop]

If you can find one at a range, try shooting a little CZ P-01 -- it's a great example of an "aircraft grade aluminum alloy" framed weapon that instills that "huh, this isn't steel?" confidence, it's a great gun in the smaller/compact arena.

[Viper49]

Then goes one steps further, you should look at a CZ 75 SP-01 Phantom. It shoots pretty well and the going rate for this one is around $700.

[Spyder]

...Sure do love my all stainless Kahr K40!

[What Just Happened?]

Get the CZ SP-01 if you're into all-steel.

[movie zombie]

ok, will check out the CZ SP-01. i think one of the staff at markley's also recommended that one.

how much is a Kahr K40? a lot, right?

movie zombie