[10-Ring]

Since polymer frames & aluminum frames are chosen for weight savings, I thought I'd throw out the question(s)...which do you prefer & why?

[WonderNine]

neither

because they are inferior to carbon steel and stainless steel

[firestar]

Aluminum hands downs. I have seen through the BS about plastic.:D

[Ala Dan]

Another vote for aluminum frames, cuz I
don't care for the feel of plastic!:D :uhoh:

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[355sigfan]

Polimer because it last longer and is more durable than steel guns.
PAT

[Graystar]

Under extreme temperature conditions, a polymer grip won't freeze/burn your hand the way a steel or aluminum grip will.

[tiberius]

Of course Kel Tec uses the "best" of both worlds....a solid Al receiver completely encased in a removable Plastic grip frame.

Al is generally superior to plastic as a frame material IMHO becasue it allows for thinner designs that fit a larger range of hands than plastic does. Remember, if a grip frame is too small for you get the ideal trigger reach, you can always add larger grips, if it is already to large, you are screwed.

[harrydog]

Titanium.

[Razor 10]

I may be off my rocker but I would choose poly. before aluminum because the polymer guns use steel slide rail inserts as apposed to the straight aluminum slide rail. Though I think they are both durable I would just give polymer the nod over aluminum.




Good Luck
Nick:)

[10-Ring]

Would caliber play a part in your decision(s)? I doubt it would be an issue in a 22lr, but how about 9mm, 357sig, 45 acp, or 44 mag?

[T.Stahl]

Right Razor 10! As an engineer I was taught that you shall never let aluminium and steel slide on each other. It will cause wear and corrosion.
I'll take either a (heavy) all-steel gun or one with a steel slide sliding on steel rails in a polymer frame.

[Sean Smith]

Probalby polymer, but I'm not a big fan of either. Though an STI polymer single-stack 1911 would be sweet. :D

[Bobarino]

i like polymer for its ability or take abuse without being as prone to cracking as aluminum is. it absorbs impact better, and returns to its origianl shape if it gets bent out of shape for some reason. the same cannot be said for steel and aluminum. polymer has no finish to wear off from holsters or use. my black polymer will always be black. it also feels warm and inviting when you wrap your paws around it. no cold guns for me thank you.

there are however, place where i think polymer has no place in a gun. the trigger, (too much flex for my taste) and the magazine. (baseplate are ok). but thats just an opinion and preference.

Bobby

[tiberius]

T.Stahl says:Right Razor 10! As an engineer I was taught that you shall never let aluminium and steel slide on each other. It will cause wear and corrosion

The only problem that I am aware of is that Al can/will cause cathodic reduction of Fe (see most any screen porch for an example), but I have never seen an example of this problem in a firearm. Has anyone else?


Al is known to crack (fatigue limit), so is inferior to steel for longevity, but I'm not so sure that this is true when compared to polymers. I don't know what specific polymer Glock etal use, but many (most? all?) polymers can be embrittled through contact with different environmental conditions (heat, humidity, UV, chemicals, etc).

There are advantages and disadvantages to all materials, so a blanket statement of preference is not really possible, but I stand by my general preference for slimer grip frames.

[4v50 Gary]

Polymer - because it's natural (from the dinosaur). AL wears down and can fracture (S&W does, Sigs & Berettas have) but Polymer is almost forever.

[Boats]

Everything in aluminum alloy is from nature too.

Both polymer and aluminum are easier to recycle than steel and both are more likely in need of recycling down the road. I have seen some pretty ancient Colt and S&W revolvers made in the 1800s that haven't been restored that still look better than many of the mid-1980 vintage Glocks I have seen.

[tiberius]

Sorry boats, but steel is by far the easiest material to recycle.....That's how Japan built their war machine in the 30's....our scrap metal.....not that that really matters in this discussion:)

[tiberius]

None of these materails Steel, Aluminum alloys or Plastic are natural. They are synthesized from natural materials, but you ceratainly won't find them just laying around in nature.

[Penforhire]

I'd go with polymer. Oh, I mean I did go polymer (P99). Like all things in life, the question of which is truly better is "it depends." People who knock polymers don't understand some of the miracle plastics and just how much tougher, corrosion resistant, lighter, etc. etc. they can be.

If I was going to leave a gun in the sun for 200 years and never fire it I MIGHT choose all-metal construction for its resistance to ozone. But I'd also have to slather all that metal in oil to prevent acid corrosion (yeah, yeah, the aluminum part forms a thin oxide and then it is fine). In the real world, the one where I shoot the heck out of my guns and replace what breaks, polymer is a lighter replacement that just happens to be less expensive than formed metal.

Just because something costs less to make does not make it inherently worse.

[varoadking]

...put me down for aluminum...

[Jiml3]

Aluminum!!

[bad_dad_brad]

I prefer polymer. Glock polymer. Aluminum frames are okay, don't get me wrong, but I think quality polymer frames will last longer, feel warmer in the hand, and absorb recoil better.

[Boats]

Tiberius--

My post was tongue in cheek, but just try and curb recycle steel and see how far it gets.:neener:

[dsk]

My first choice is steel, second is polymer. I don't like aluminum, as it's too prone to cracking and wear. There are of course well-designed alloy guns that last and last, but none of my favorite designs fit that list.

[tiberius]

My post was tongue in cheek, but just try and curb recycle steel and see how far it gets.

OK that's cool

but FYI, Where I live you DO put steel in the recycle bin, in most other places that do not accept steel in the recycle bin it is because they run all of the refuse over a conveyer at the dump and a large electro magnet sorts the steel for them.

[tiberius]

Oh yeah, Boats - I strong agree with your assement of the relative appeance of a 100 year old S&W vs. a 10 year old GLock :)

[Dorian]

Polymer

Because the only pistols I'll ever own are USPs!!!!!!!

Really though... The MK23 was the most throughly tested handgun I've ever read up on. It survived a whole lot of torture tests, and it's a polymer framed pistol. I trust my life to my HK weapons.

[valnar]

While I don't mind polymer per se, I hate Glocks. I haven't ruled out getting a Kahr P9 one of these days.

As somebody else's tag line on this forum says, "Life is too short to shoot ugly guns", or something like that.....


-Robert

[timbo]

I don't really buy by what material my gun is made of, I buy the one I think is the best for me. My current gun is a USP45f and I bought it because it fit me well and had all the features I wanted in my gun. As a side effect it happens to have a plastic frame.

I have to state though that a plastic firearm doesn't immediately make it inferior. Whether or not you like the USP, it's hard to argue that it isn't a quality pistol.

[Ky Larry]

Has anyone ever had a failure in an alloy frame weapon? I've heard of it but never seen it happen.

Admin: Please move or post to a new thread if this is in the wrong place. Thanx.

[makdaddy03]

Ruger P95 Poly Frame.

[Amish]

If anyone thinks that plastic won't crack, ding, or dent and aluminum alloy will is living in la-la land. Go ahead bang a Glock frame against concrete and do the same with a Beretta 92 frame and see which one cracks.

[RON in PA]

A vote for polymer as in Ruger P95 and P97. No steel inserts as in Glock.

I have a SIG 228 that has steel to reinforce the AL, A Walther P1 that has a steel insert to reinforce the AL and a Beretta 92 FS that is designed so that the takedown lever acts as point for the steel locking block to whack so that the AL frame is protected. Aluminum seems to have problems.

[rappa]

Both! G19 and P229. Although I carry the G19 (lighter and slimmer). Hell, so I guess polymer!

[Henry Bowman]

I am not aware of any Al frame handgun that uses Al rails. There is always a steel rail insert (just like with polymer) so that all moving parts are steel to steel.

[Ian11]

I don't have a significant preference one over the other so its not a factor when I buy a new gun. I like the aluminum framed SIGs, S&W's, and Berettas and polymer offerings by Glock, Walther, and H&K. Its a combination of things like trigger, overall fit and design, and just plain how well it shoots in my hands which determines whether I like it or not. As for durability they're all tough enough. If I got enough money to shoot a SIG or Glock to pieces I can certainly afford to buy another one.

And I like all steel guns like my P220ST, Colt 1911's, BHP's, and CZ's too. I guess I like'em all but can't have'em all.:o Steel or aluminum framed grips do feel better when I hold them but not much difference when I actually shoot them.

[Dave T]

Has anyone ever had a failure in an alloy frame weapon?

KC Larry, I have cracked the frames on three (3) Commanders. The first one at 2500 rounds, the second at about 5000 rounds and the last one at around 7000 rounds.

I am not aware of any Al frame handgun that uses Al rails. There is always a steel rail insert (just like with polymer) so that all moving parts are steel to steel.


Henry Bowman,

The above mentioned Commanders all had steel slides that rode on aluminum rails.

I might add that after cracking the third Commander I tried Glocks. I bought a used Glock 21 and proceeded to fire something over 10,000 rounds through it in 4 years (trying to get used to the goofy trigger). The Glock's polymer frame is still completely functional. I now have a Wilson KZ-45. It has a stainless sub-frame with a polymer over frame. It has now digested over 3000 rounds and shows no signs of wear or failure.

I will take modern, high tech plastic over aluminum. YMMV!

[benEzra]

Timbo, you beat me to it--I agree precisely. I carry an aluminum-framed S&W 3913LS, not because it's aluminum but because the 3913LS is the perfect gun for me and my needs, and it just happens to be aluminum. If it were polymer framed, I'd like it just as well.

[Tacblack]

Alloy all the way. I just like the feel better. Of course my favorite gun is my SV.

[arinvolvo]

Amish, Ill bang your Beretta AL alloy slide rails against the concrete, and then Ill bang my Steyr Polymer framed STEEL slide rails against the concrete, and then we will see who can put their slide back on.:D

[E357]

I am not aware of any Al frame handgun that uses Al rails.

My Beretta 92FS sure seems to have AL rails. Magnets don't stick, and you can see them growing right up out of the frame in the rear of the gun.

Elliot

[Master Blaster]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am not aware of any Al frame handgun that uses Al rails.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Most all SIGS, my Ruger P-89, most all smith and wessons, my beretta 92FS.
To name a few.

Most auto engines use an ALUminum alloy block and steel alloy pistons, my Dillon RL550 has a steel ram and an aluminum frame.

Aluminum on steel seems to be less of a problem than stainless steel on stainless steel (gauling).

Good to know that all of those SIGS are throwaways after a few hundred rounds when the frame cracks:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Bart Noir]

What about the infamous "limp wristing" problem that combat tupperware supposedly has? Is that just a myth? I'm really wondering about that.

Bart Noir
When guns are outlawed, only outlaws and the government will have guns.

[Corelogik]

My first semi-auto was an S&W 4013, sure looked like aluminum rails to me. All the Rugers I've owned have had aluminum frames and rails except for the P95. The Ruger P95 has poly rails with no inserts at all (they are larger than the Glock rails hence the Ruger is somewhat wider than the Glock).

Measure the wall thickness of the Glock's mag well and then measure the thickness of an aluminum frame mag well and THEN comment about which one is thinner.

When all is said and done I'll stick with my poly's. Less weight, slimmer grip,... and 2 Ruger P95's and a Glock later I have yet to have any issues with cleaning chemical or exposure damage. My first Ruger P95 I have had since sometime in late 1996,...

[dav]

Bart Noir's sig line says:
only outlaws and the governmentI apologize to all for the off-topic post, but Bart, isn't that awfully redundant? :D

[Zak Smith]

So where do you guys think titanium fits in? Polymer vs. Aluminum vs. Titanium vs. Steel ?

-z