Polymer = Plastic High Price For Plastic Guns

[w55]

SD, that's just more plastic!

Hahaha yes the old metal ones were prone to rust and knocking out folks

[357magnum]

Yeah, my Gen1 Glock G17 from 1987 is just about worn out...better sell it for scrap to get an all metal pistol.

That thing looks new, has it ever been fired.

[omgwtfbbq]

I think it is amazing that we all now use the term "Polymer" when describing non-metallic frames on guns.

Lets face it folks...it's plastic !!

I truly cant believe we have been duped into thinking this material will last as long or longer than metal.

More importantly, the incredibly high prices we pay for these type weapons !!!

Much cheaper for Glock, Springfield and others to use these injected molded parts rather than machining quality metal and fitting by craftsmen.

What you do you think ???

Who's been duped? Most plastics have a erosion liftspan of around 700 years. How long do you plan on living? Also food for thought, a lot of metal rusts, plastic doesn't.

High price? Comparetively speaking, it's cheaper to buy a poly gun than a steel one. Also plastic is made from petroleum (oil) so it's not like it grows on trees.

In the end, it doesn't really matter because if you properly maintain your firearms, poly or steel, they're going to last until well after you have any use for them.

[calif 15-22]

Ironically, on the polymer guns, the only parts that actually wear out are the metal ones.

^^^^ THIS IS SPOT ON! ^^^^

A Glock goes bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang (end for California) bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! Every time!

A 1911 goes bang, bang, Click, bang, bang, click, bang! Most every time

I kid of course. For me a gun is a tool. I wanted it to work. I care less how what my hammers, sockets, guns are made of, of care how they work.

HK P30L is a Polymer Gun that is as sexy as they come

[joefrank64k]

That thing looks new, has it ever been fired.

Yes sir! When that picture was taken, I had just picked it up from another CalGunner. It had seen limited use (the original black-coated fire control parts showed very light wear), but it has been shot plenty since. It works flawlessly, despite using non-FML Gen1 mags and being made from inferior materials

ETA: Here it is after about 500 rounds...just about wore out, man!

[desertjosh]

Oh man! You are pushing the limit with that gen 1! Id retire it to mantle duty if I were you

[joefrank64k]

Oh man! You are pushing the limit with that gen 1! Id retire it to mantle duty if I were you

+100...it's now totally unsafe and I'm lucky to be alive to tell the tale.

[glock_this]

Polymer = plastic

Different words for the same thing.

Polymer does not = plastic in this case of guns and saying so waters down the difference. You use plastic to make a milk jug or those little plastic organizer cases. You use a polymer to make a gun frame that can retain shape under pressure/use/duress, has a higher strength to weight ratio, less brittle, withstand higher levels of heat and temp changes. IMHO when one says plastic I think of all manner of disposable cheap plastic products. One one says polymer, I think of more stout, durable products several levels above the generally accepted understanding of "plastic".

On a technical chemical level, a polymer might just be a derivation of plastic and I don't know I am not a chemical engineer, but I think saying polymer is just plastic dismisses the quality difference that clearly exists and is understood as existing by the general public.

I would not want a plastic gun or knife scale, but I would (and certainly own) polymer guns and knife scales.

[toby]

OP, you are 100% correct the problem is too many rush right out and pay that high price and there for a price range is set, if people would back off and not buy then prices would come down, his goes for most everything. Oh and on the glock thing, never would I buy one regardless of cost just not my thang!

[Peter.Steele]

Do you have any idea how many metal parts are made by MIM injection?

You know the tungsten carbide tooling they use to cut the tool steel to make non-MIM gun parts? Care to guess what process they use to make that?

You're right! Polymer IS in the plastic family .. welcome to wikipedia.

FTFY. "Polymer" is a generic term describing a chain of individual molecules of the same type. Comes from Greek: Polys = "many," meros = "parts."

Pretty much all of your standard plastics are polymers.

I have seen plastics degrade and fall apart or get brittle or weak and crack when exposed to different chemicals.

Had a Saturn car once and wiped down the console and window buttons with a hand cleaning towelette that I THINK may have had glycerine as an emolient. Weeks later the window buttons broke through the plastic console when depressed.

I have seen rubing alcohol screw up other plastics and I have seen motor oil wreck others still.

What then are the limitations of whatever Glock uses as it's polymer? What do's and don'ts might you suggest be paid attention to for those shooters who have had only forged steel grace their palms?

Depends on the individual type of plastic, and what additives it has. Most firearms seem to be made of a fiber-reinforced nylon. Some use glass fiber, some use Kevlar / Aramid / other fake-silk fiber, some use carbon fiber. Some might use other more exotic fibers.

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that Glock uses a 6,6 nylon with glass (for early pistols at least, maybe one of the exotics now but IDK) fill. They've obviously got a coloring agent (nylon is naturally off-white), and they almost certainly have a UV inhibitor and probably a light impact modifier as well. (Not much of that, though: hard = brittle.)

Polymer does not = plastic in this case of guns and saying so waters down the difference. You use plastic to make a milk jug or those little plastic organizer cases. You use a polymer to make a gun frame that can retain shape under pressure/use/duress, has a higher strength to weight ratio, less brittle, withstand higher levels of heat and temp changes. IMHO when one says plastic I think of all manner of disposable cheap plastic products. One one says polymer, I think of more stout, durable products several levels above the generally accepted understanding of "plastic".

On a technical chemical level, a polymer might just be a derivation of plastic and I don't know I am not a chemical engineer, but I think saying polymer is just plastic dismisses the quality difference that clearly exists and is understood as existing by the general public.

I would not want a plastic gun or knife scale, but I would (and certainly own) polymer guns and knife scales.

This is the worst sort of brown-fingered materials science.

The HDPE that your milk jug is made out of? It's a polymer: it's tightly packed (aka "high density," aka "hd") chains (hence, "poly") of ethylene molecules. The PET that your soda bottles are made of? Polymer. Chains of ethylene teraphthalate. The polystyrene that your model airplane is made of? The "poly" should give it away, and I'll let you guess what "mer" is chained together to make it. What about the polyester that your bell bottoms and leisure suit were made of? Again, I'll let you guess about what "poly" and "ester" mean.

It's not about whether or not something is made of "plastic" or "polymer." That's like asking if someone knows the difference between "water" and "dihydrogen monoxide." The difference is in what type of plastic. Just like you'd probably rather have the hammer on your 1911 made from "tool steel" instead of a zinc alloy (aka "pot metal"). They're both "metal," but one of them's a hell of a lot tougher than the other.

[Mitch]

On a technical chemical level, a polymer might just be a derivation of plastic and I don't know I am not a chemical engineer, but I think saying polymer is just plastic dismisses the quality difference that clearly exists and is understood as existing by the general public.

Even though I spent a career in marketing, I don't care about any of that. Words have meaning. "Polymer" and "plastic" are basically interchangeable, for all practical purposes. There's nothing special about the "polymer" used by Glock that makes it not a plastic.

I would not want a plastic gun or knife scale, but I would (and certainly own) polymer guns and knife scales.

You own plastic guns and knives too.

It is what it is.

[glock_this]

Even though I spent a career in marketing, I don't care about any of that. Words have meaning. "Polymer" and "plastic" are basically interchangeable, for all practical purposes. There's nothing special about the "polymer" used by Glock that makes it not a plastic.



You own plastic guns and knives too.

It is what it is.

So how did the marketing career go seeing as how you can't seem to accept or dig on the marketing fact any wise seller would choose to use polymer verbiage over plastic verbiage pretty basic marketing 101 concept: hype it up.

[glock_this]

It's not about whether or not something is made of "plastic" or "polymer." That's like asking if someone knows the difference between "water" and "dihydrogen monoxide." The difference is in what type of plastic. Just like you'd probably rather have the hammer on your 1911 made from "tool steel" instead of a zinc alloy (aka "pot metal"). They're both "metal," but one of them's a hell of a lot tougher than the other.

Thanks.. my initial point exactly. So, not so sure why you don't see us as on the same page. Both are derivations of plastic, but one is a heck of a lot better than the other.

[Peter.Steele]

Thanks.. my initial point exactly. So, not so sure why you don't see us as on the same page. Both are derivations of plastic, but one is a heck of a lot better than the other.

No. "Polymer" vs "plastic," the difference is meaningless - it's "dihydrogen monoxide" vs water. Sabic LNP Compound RCL26 vs Chase Plastics CP-PRYME Polyethylene PE100LLD-20M, on the other hand ... that's a BIG ****ING DIFFERENCE.

[Meety Peety]

Simply being made of polymer doesn't mean the gun is or should be cheap. Just like being made of steel doesn't necessarily warrant the gun to be super costly. There are very many cheap polymers on the market and there are a few all steel budget guns as well. Likewise, a Glock costs what it does not because it's made of plastic, but because of what the particular gun brings to the table in terms of quality and features etc. And yes, many do prefer polymer guns and consider their reduced weight to be a feature. Maybe you should stop judging guns directly based on their price tags and take a look at what their features are. With how frugal people are these days, everyone is looking for the best bang for their buck and Glocks are still selling like hot cakes. I think the market has spoken.

Disclaimer: I am not a Glock fan and although I have owned a few, I don't even own one now. While Glocks are not for me, there is really no denying the fact that they are a tried and true workhorse that for most people, is money well spent. Oh yea, plastic, MIM and so on and so forth.