How much do gun manufacturers save by using polymer instead of alloy?

[Demo2A]

How durable is Polymer compared to metal? Polymer is still plastic, so will it burn like plastic and get bent out of shape with heat over time?

Comparison of ATI Omni Hybrid Polymer lower receiver to a equally priced metal lower receiver? Would people want the Polymer lower over a metal lower?

[CandG]

How durable is Polymer compared to metal? Polymer is still plastic, so will it burn like plastic and get bent out of shape with heat over time?

Comparison of ATI Omni Hybrid Polymer lower receiver to a equally priced metal lower receiver? Would people want the Polymer lower over a metal lower?

Yes, it will burn like plastic. The easy solution for that is to not put your guns in a fireplace.

Get bent out of shape from the heat over time? No, not in any way that affects how the gun works. You might get a Glock "pig nose", but that's about it.

Millions (tens of millions? hundreds of millions?) of polymer-framed pistol are out there, with thousands of rounds through them, and no frame issues. Most Gen1 Glocks from the 80's are still functioning perfectly fine.

[Califpatriot]

Also, being "on the euro" makes no difference. Ask any worker who works at McDonald's in Germany versus one in Greece.

He sorta has a point that cost of labor is much cheaper in Czech than Austria.

Apropos of nothing:
If I was setting up a manufacturing business anywhere in the world, I'd probably set it up in Czech. It's relatively impoverished compared to Western Europe, although doesn't feel that way really, but has a great business climate, hard-working, freedom-minded, extremely intelligent people with a history of manufacturing extremely high-quality products. Remember, one of the reasons Hitler wanted to conquer them early was because of the Skoda factory they had.

[Lead Waster]

How durable is Polymer compared to metal? Polymer is still plastic, so will it burn like plastic and get bent out of shape with heat over time?

Comparison of ATI Omni Hybrid Polymer lower receiver to a equally priced metal lower receiver? Would people want the Polymer lower over a metal lower?

My friend's place got caught in the wildfires two years ago. Plastic and metal guns both turned into slag.

Where is your gun getting so hot that plastic melts?

OK, if you enter the Gates of Hell to do battle with the forces of evil, take a 1911 with asbestos grips and leave the Glock back home.

[QXSOUP]

I know all in the SP2022 costs Sig about $60 to make.

[M1NM]

Lots of cast metal guns out there. Some newer ones work straight from the mold others need minor machine work. Ruger is a leader in cast guns.

[Over It]

Sorry but "cost to manufacture" has everything to do with retail prices.

Typically a manufacturer marks up his products 110-120% over the cost to Mfg. Then whoever is in the food chain beyond that marks up to fit the market.

There is "Distributor Price" which is what the Distributor pays the Mfg.
Then there's "Dealer Price" which is how much the Dealer pays the Distributor,
Then there's Retail price which is whatever the dealer can get, or more properly whatever the market will bare. This would also include room for Sales and Good Guy pricing etc.

In my first post I stated that Glock offered their pistols at $270 and lost out to Sig who offered P320's at $207. That would mean that Glock was producing at around $110 each.

The Sig gun was probably around that as well but Sig was willing to undercut the normal 110% markup due to the volume of the contract and just getting a foot in the door. They also saw the Potential Civilian Demand for the new guns as part of the bigger picture. Once they got in they could always make it up with spare parts sales and accessories.

Glock is so well established that they figured their price was fair and based on the track record of those guns the Army would go with the proven design.

However the Army "Always" goes with the cheapest product that meets the selected criteria. and the P320 met the criteria.

IMHO the Army made a mistake going with an unproven design however it is what it is and unless the Sigs fail miserably, they will probably be around for along time.

Randy

Usually, wouldn't a successful business sell an item for as much as they can get? Gov't contracts aren't specifically geared towards companies making money. They'll take a hit on the price for street cred, especially on small arms.

Going back to my comment about retail, I'll take your number, $110 for a Glock. A Glock 19 Gen 3 is sold pretty much to gunshops roughly at $440 and distributors buy their Glocks for roughly $400. They use their unique position in the market space to essentially price fix. So wouldn't you say Glock is maximizing the retail price of their firearm regardless what it takes for them to make? Your manufacturing costs gives you a minimum you need to pay for costs, but if you are a good business person, you get the most profit out of an item you can.

[Illumi Naughty]

After seeing Ruger's video of why they went from Aluminum to Polymer parts in the 10/22, it totally makes sense. There's pro's to both the consumer and manufacturer.

[kurac]

How durable is Polymer compared to metal? Polymer is still plastic, so will it burn like plastic and get bent out of shape with heat over time?

Comparison of ATI Omni Hybrid Polymer lower receiver to a equally priced metal lower receiver? Would people want the Polymer lower over a metal lower?

I am looking at getting an HK USP Tactical, their specs say the frame is made out of glass filled polyimid. If there is a nuclear war, the only thing surviving will be coach roaches and polyimid.

[hermosabeach]

Money where your mouth is...

? I just think metal guns look better, look more solid and more durable. .

[Packy14]

In the recent trials for a new handgun for the Army, Glock offered the G17/19 at $270 each.

Sig offered the P320 at $207 each.

Neither gun would have been even remotely close to that if made of metal.

Just look at the cost of Aftermarket Glock Slides used to complete 80% lowers. They are the majority of the cost of the whole gun.

Polymer frames are moulded in an Injection Moulding Machine. The Cost of the actual mould is amortized over the life of the mould which is literally hundreds of thousands of fills, so that becomes literally cents per frame, plus the cents per frame for the materials.

I would be willing to bet that the actual cost to make a Glock Frame is less than $2.

So yes,,, it is all about $

The fact that they just happen to work really well is simply "gravy."

Randy

I got a complete factory gen4 slide and barrel for g17 for 300$.