Polymer/Metal

[berettabone]

I have been shooting handguns off and on for 35+ years. By no means an expert though. Always learning. I have owned one partial polymer firearm, an SR40. Sold it. I currently own all metal firearms, and have no plans to purchase a polymer firearm. Besides the weight issue, I have not found a single reason to own a polymer firearm. Am I missing something? I just cannot think of another reason to own one. This may have been discussed before, haven't looked back to prior posts. Thoughts?

[jocko]

damngood reason though the weight. damn good!!1 thats exactly why they made the polymer guns IMO. been discussed before but who cares. If u love steel stick with it. I won't stick an MK9 in my pocket as long as I can sticky my pMJ9 in my pocket. Just sayin

[getsome]

Besides weight the only other reason I can think of is that the Gun Manufaturers can make a handgun frame out of injection molded polymer a lot cheaper than milling it out of metal so the finished product is more cost competitive....Still not sure why a PM pistol costs so much more than a CM model for the few extra perks you get with the PM...IMHO I can see maybe $150.00 bucks or so more for a PM but not twice the price of a CM

[Bawanna]

Many folks are obsessed with weight. There is a place for light weight handguns. People that pocket carry benefit a lot for the lighter weight, folks that use ankle holsters benefit from the lighter weight.

I don't pocket carry and don't even like the concept myself. Wearing a belt and a proper holster a steel gun works just as well and much my preference.
Sitting all the time my ankle gun could easily be a steel gun, for many years it was a K40 and off and on an officer size 1911. But I'm not a good example of the ankle thing since I don't move my legs and really don't know they are there.
A walking guy with the leg swing and movement would benefit much from a light gun. My ankle gun now of course is a PM45 mostly cause they don't make a K or MK 45. If they do the PM45 may want to worry some but at the same time I like it enough that it might be viable long into the future.

Many of the same folks are obsessed with small guns too. I don't really subscribe to that either. Again if they want to pocket carry, size matters.
A proper holster on a proper belt allows a lot more lee way in size.

I like the feel and comfort of a commander on my hip.

I think it was Clint Smith who said a gun should be comforting not comfortable but I find it very much both and it usually will go unnoticed by both myself and others as well, emphasis on the others.

[jocko]

wow, from u ,,spoken lilke a real poet. u sounnded alot like ovomit for a minute.. then I realized he is dark skinned ...

[Bawanna]

Old Goat!

[ripley16]

Polymer is;
Lighter
Doesn't rust
Absorbs some recoil shock
Is cheaper to manufacture. This equates to better guns for less money.
More easily fitted with modular pieces such as backstraps.
Is very strong, even in thin thicknesses.
Self lubricious, a real asset in magazines.

There are probably other good reasons. that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Alfonse]

Plastic frames, supposedly, help absorb recoil. Of course, that is hard to really compare since in something like a CM9 vs MK9 comparison, not only is the material of the frame different, but the weight of the metal gun helps it with recoil too. So, I will call it an oft repeated rumor that plastic frames help tame recoil.

[berettabone]

Polymer is;
Lighter
Doesn't rust
Absorbs some recoil shock
Is cheaper to manufacture. This equates to better guns for less money.
More easily fitted with modular pieces such as backstraps.
Is very strong, even in thin thicknesses.
Self lubricious, a real asset in magazines.

There are probably other good reasons. that's all I can think of off the top of my head.

This is one of the reasons I asked for thoughts...............none of my firearms have ever had a speck of rust...............the weight also tames recoil................better guns for the money, I would disagree that polymer is better than metal............don't care about backstraps or anything else...........If the firearm isn't to my liking right out of the box, I don't purchase it......firearms cost enough, without having to spend more to change something that should have been that way in the first place. Not as strong as metal. Never had a problem with any metal mags. Not trying to be argumentative. just trying to see other's reasoning in purchasing a polymer firearm. Self lubricious is a good one.

[JohnR]

METAL!

My Bersa Thunder 9UC (alloy frame) weighs the same loaded as a G19.

My personal philosophy is to carry what you shoot best. I mostly carry an all-metal (alloy frame) Sig P238. I shoot my 1911s best, but there's where I don't follow my philosophy; they're too heavy to me. I'm just an irrational human being, I know it.

There's no reason I can pinpoint why I prefer metal. Maybe it's the balance, the tactile sensation in my hand, the resonance when fire, I don't know. I'm sure plastic resonates differently than metal.

[JohnR]

"Self lubricious" - are we allowed to say that on KahrTalk?

I only have one polymer gun, a Ruger P345 with stainless slide. That's the pistol I'd bury in the ground, because the plastic and stainless won't rust. It'd be packed in a sealed container of course.

[otium]

With some handgun calibers, say the 44Mag, 450 or 50AE and such, I really would not want them in anything but a metal frame because I want them to be a little "weighty".

The metal vs poly handgun does feel a bit like a new slant on an old discussion which is still on-going, namely revolver vs pistol. The only constant in all this is change.

Dang it, where did I put my phaser.

[Bawanna]

Odd in the last 5 years of so I've developed a deep seated hatred for the word change. I can't put my finger on it.

[jocko]

other than the ruger wheel gun. the revolver has basically been spared the horrible mixture of polymer. Just sayin. Off that we do accept the polymerinsemi's kbut seem alittle relunctant with wheel guns..

[O'Dell]

I like alloy framed pistols. In most cases they are as light or almost so as the polymer guns. Currently I have six aluminum framed guns, six polymer, and only two steel. Four of my five 1911's have alloy frames. My polymer pistols would be reduced to one if I didn't like Kahrs and HK's so much.