I suppose if you want an all metal gun these day you need to dig deeper into your pocket. I just purchased a polymer framed pistol. Although it seems to be a decent shooter it does not strike me as being an heirloom. Not something I would be proud to leave to one of my grandsons. They have a couple of model 12 Winchesters and bamboo rods coming which should satisfy that heirloom quality need. Yet if the boogie man shows up here the plastic gun should take him out.
To read reviews of plastic guns around the internet folks talk like they’re the best thing ever. Plastic can not be as good or last as long as steel. We’ve been duped. Its all about cost of production.
The world has changed as has the quality of almost everything I buy.
Tactical Tupperware has been around for almost thirty years, for day to day use, its not as good as steel, its better. The polymer takes more abuse and keeps on going. On the other hand it will never catch my heart like a nicly blued Colt.
If what you say is true why do they still make the slide, barrel, bolt, springs and nearly all other moving parts out of steel? I think its because a poly barrel would explode, a poly slide would wear out almost instantly. The poly frame does not do any “work” and its cheaper to produce so thats what we get. AND I defy you to engrave one.
Jerry, Up side to the polymer is it doesn’t rust. You’re right about heirloom quality. My Colt is well oiled and cleaned and kept wrapped in felt in a gun safe. It is an heirloom and is going to my oldest nephew. Jim
Well, I have carried a polymer framed STI International 2011 45acp for over 10yrs and have literally shot the hell out of it. I have a S80 Colt 1911 Custom that it carried during the same time but have had it 20yrs. The all steel Colt 1911 is designed to take alot of abuse and still keep working it has for over 100yrs. The STI is a wide bodied 1911 w/12+ 1 capability and is designed to beat the hell out of in cold, hot, muddy, dry, wet, another words in every kind of condition and require limited maintenance. The Glock pistols have become the standard for polymer framed duty pistols, the HK Mk23 45acp is used by SEAL Teams, good enough for them then will do for me.
Any item that is made using the best material and workmanship is more desirable IMO. Every part of nearly every Winchester made before 1964 was machined from steel. Because of the cost Winchester started stamping some parts after 64. The price did not go down. Ruger uses investment casting which is much more cost effective than machining steel. Admittedly Ruger firearms are competitively priced and of good quality. Along came the poly framed gun and nearly every manufacturer uses the material now because it is cheaper to produce. The price did not go down.
The first Polymer Pistol the Glock was designed and made by a plastics manufacturer to put forward as a better firearm for his countries (austria) military trials. it won hands down not beceause it was cheeper but beceause it was better. After it was introduced to this country other firearms manufatures couldn’t out sell it not beceause it was cheaper but beceause it was better. (the fact that our police were switching from revolvers to semiautos at the time and the glock was the easiest to train on didnt hurt) Beceause the Glock was out selling other firearms by a large margin the other firearms manufatures started making polimer guns, not to save money but to compete. There are parts not made of plastic in those firearms and you cant engrave them, so what. a firearm first and formost job is not to look prety it is to go bang every time you pull the trigger not win beauty contests. you want somthing to look at buy a colt. want somthing to take abuse and keep fireing buy plastic.
As with fly rods, reels, lines, waders, boots, etc etc, we all have our own experiences and opinions about firearms. There is no “best” when the measures are subjective, or when the objective measures don’t have the same meaning for different folks.
The only advantage to plastic is lighter weight (if that is your desire) and resistance to rust, scuffs and scrapes. The working parts of these guns is still made of steel. There can not be any difference in performance between a plastic framed over a steel framed assuming the inner parts are the same because all are made of steel. If Glock sells well it is not because its plastic its because the “guts” of the gun are made of steel and designed well. The primary reason the frame is made of plastic is its cheaper to make.
If you believe plastic is better… then buy plastic… I buy plastic because its cheaper. My inner soul tells me I wish I had more money.
And by my very subjective measures the lessons I learned early still apply. My father hand lettered a sign that said “Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun” and hung it in his shop. Several others took it and ran with it, but this was long before the quote was popularized by at least one custom rifle builder…
I have chunks of wood destined to be rifle stocks worth well over a grand apiece, even in today’s market. As a custom stock maker for over 45 years I have trouble imagining a synthetic stock… even on a handgun.
Trouble is there is at least 100 pounds of ivory in the shop right now… Hard to imagine stepping down to polymer, even if it is more stable. Kinda reminds me of an old girlfriend that was not too stable… well not stable at all… but a lot of fun…
I dont doubt that anyone thinks that a glock etc is as ugly as a mud fence. I dont have a plastic gun, I own a 1911 a cz75 a j frame smith in stanless. I like the looks of all of them. but to say that any of them is a better firearm than a glock or any of the other top of the line plastic firearms isnt so. pretter yes, as good as yes. If you want steel look for good used or CZ or Taurus all will go bang when you need them to.
I have added several of the plastics to the collection through the years…where I head “out there” with my youngest daughter (go figure, she likes the firepower, her older brother likes all things FF) these are two she most frequently chooses to plink with:
This is part of my collection. Glock 23, 40 cal., S&W 629, 44 mag., Colt 1911 ,45 ACP., Walther PPK ( just like 007’s) 380., Baretta Tomcat , 32 cal… Of these, they are listed here in order of my preference. The Glock being #1 at least because of it’s 13 round capacity in firepower. I have absolutely NO problem with “plastic” especially in the Glock .
Yes, I agree that GUN SAFETY is PARAMOUNT. Unless intending to shoot, KEEP YOUR BUGGER HOOK OFF THE BANG SWITCH.
Eric,
I spent waaayyy ttttoooooo much time and waaayyy more than the issue is worth trying to verify MY contention that 007’s weapon of choice( fictional or…) was the Walther PPK in .380. After waaayyy toooo much wasted time, I am UNABLE to verify my or YOUR statement of calibers. I CAN, however, go to my grave WITHOUT a definitive answer.
Mark
PS: Bears 17, Chargers 17 , 7:17 3rd quarter. Green Bay (?), isn’t that a cheese place ? Oh, and after a few seconds ( 64 to be exact) score is now bEARS 31, Chargers 17
Having now wasted even MORE time, per Brad’s suggestion, “more info…” did not mention a specific caliber for the PPK other than to mention the PPK ( unspecified cal.) was “his” weapon thru 18 films and then on to the P99 in .40 caliber that closely resembles MY Glock 23 in the same caliber. But, then again, we’re discussing a fictional character who had a “way” with chicks ( envious) who , the chicks, , I’m sure, cared little of the size of his gun.
Mark
PS: Brad, don’t read more into my statement other than my choice of placement of a comma
Ultimately Boothroyd recommended the Walther PPK7.65 mm as being the best choice for an automatic of that size, with its ammunition available everywhere.
7.65 is 32 acp, the 380 European designation is 9mm corto, (Italian) 9mm kurtz(German) or 9x17 I believe corto and kurtz means short it is also known as the 9mm short. Not to be mistaken for 9x18 which is also known as 9mm makarov or 9x19 which is the round we call the 9mm and is also known as 9mm parabellum or 9mm Luger.
(note spelling may not be exact it has been a lot of years since I was really into firearms)
