Need 2 autoloaders to last a lifetime....

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Need two autoloaders to last a lifetime?

They're called "REVOLVERS." :evil:

No all kidding aside, I'd opt for an all stainless steel framed 1911. I think the only weak link would be the magazine springs (?) I'd bet a semi-auto, well maintained, would last more than a lifetime and you could mention it in your will.
 
CZ 75B range, already on the "approved" list for Calif, reliable, robust, go bang when they should.
 
DAVO,
In my opinion your best bet would be a 1911 style in either 9mm or 45 ACP. You can always purchase new sears, hammers, disconnectors, barrels etc and the slide and frame should last you and your heirs a lifetime.
The Springfield Armory 9mm models come with a ramped barrel and mine has been totally reliable. Their 45 ACP trophy Match is also an excellent gun.
 
At less than 500 rounds per year, about any known quality firearm will last 50 years. I vote Ruger, but there is a case to be made for the 1911 if you like 'em and that is that there are huge numbers of surplus spares on the market and likely will be forever and lots of pistol smiths and aftermarket parts available for 'em. You could stock up on all manor of spares. Don't shoot a lot of +P in a 1911, can batter things and is hard on the frame, even with buffers. Got to keep that frame in good shape, the part that you can't easily replace.
 
I'd definitely pickup a revolver. I can see them QUICKLY becoming illegal in Cali due to their lack of "evidence leaving" at a crime scene.

I'd go and pick up the nicest S&W .357 I could find.

Later,
Chrome...
 
Accelerated aging tests are not the same as lasting a true 50 years. En vitro does not equal en vivo.
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No one's saying they're identical, but it's silly to imply that they don't provide useful information. If they didn't, no one would spend the money and time to do them.
I have yet to hear of any accelerated aging tests.
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I've seen the results of a UV test on the Glock frame material equivalent to 100 years of continuous sunlight exposure--it's been posted on THR more than once and is available elsewhere on the web. The mechanical properties of the material were degraded by 0.05%. That doesn't tell the entire story, but it's eminently reasonable to assume that if they're testing for effects from sunlight exposure that other similar accelerated aging tests have also been done.

The problem with plastic is that EVERYONE thinks they are experts on plastics but virtually no one really is. Plastic and polymer are words that encompass a huge range of products with a similarly huge range of material properties. For example, perhaps someone would like to comment on the outgassing properties of thermoplastic composites as compared to thermosets?

It just cracks me up that a few decades ago everyone was up in arms about how DISPOSABLE plastics were going to last forever in landfills. Now we've got people trying to convince us that high quality polymers MADE TO LAST are going to degrade to the point of uselessness in just a few decades.
 
I didn't say that testing did not give useful information. Nor did I say that the effects of the environment would render the polymer completely useless.

My point is that no one knows what the polymer is going to do in the long term. Even the people who produce the stuff. They want to know, hence the UV testing.

Neither am I saying that steel frames are any better. Steel can rust. Wooden grips can break. These things I can plan for, watch for, fix to an extent.

If polymer goes bad.......I didn't have Plastics Shop in High School.
 
Right now Im considering the 1911 and the Glock 19 (limited to 10 rounds though). The Taurus 1911 looks promising, but Ive heard good things about Springfield. A 1911 .45 to 9mm conversion would be nice, but I guess its not out there.
I am wondering about revolvers too, with the onset of this law in 2 years I expect revolvers to initially go up in price, and then likley be made illegal. I am unsure of what manufacter will continue to market autos to Kali with the required stamping features. There is alot of uncertanty now. In the next months I expect handgun sales to skyrocket as word of this new law works through the gunshops and ranges.
 
Since nobody said it----Move out of that liberal/commie hell hole!!!!!!!!!!
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Actually, it's been said twice that I remember off the top of my head. But a third vote doesn't hurt. ;)
If it was between the Taurus and the Springfield 1911, I'd take the Springfield but that's just me. Too many reports of bad CS at Taurus, and I heard another tale just yesterday at the range. Were I you I'd still very seriously contemplate moving, though.
 
It's hard to go wrong with a 1911 such as the S&W 1911. A superbly made example of the venerable 1911 in 45acp. I'd recommend going with the stainless version. And for your 9mm how about another classic. The Browning Hi-Power. It looks like both are on the approved list and you'll have two pistols that will last a lifetime. The Brownings are cheap to boot. Two pistols that your grand kids will be able to find parts for.
 
+1 SIG: I have a 23 year old P220 that is just as good as the day it was made, and that's including untold thousands of rounds and some abuse suffered during the ignorance of my youth (ran it dry and dirty for years).

+1 Ruger: Don't see how you could go wrong with a non-polymer Ruger, waaay overbuilt.

-1 on the Taurus. Had a 24/7 pro for about a year, and the non-replaceable rubberized grip was already starting to peel and tear. Hilariously inaccurate on top of it all, got rid of it, good riddance.
 
I suspect my steel guns will outlast my polymers. In particular;

1969 pristine BHP
New Colt 80 Series
Ruger MK II
Makarov
Buckmark
 
I didn't say that testing did not give useful information.
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I didn't say you did. Hence the word "imply".

Clearly your comment implied that the tests weren't telling the story and that we are still in the dark about the long-term effects of well known and easily duplicated environmental factors on polymer. That is not the case.
Nor did I say that the effects of the environment would render the polymer completely useless.
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Semantics. Either the polymer is still functional or it's not still functional and therefore useless. If it's still performing its function after 100 years then what's the point of making a comment like: "Sunlight and temp changes take their toll on everything." Sure they do, but the question was whether or not the pistols would last a lifetime.
My point is that no one knows what the polymer is going to do in the long term. Even the people who produce the stuff. They want to know, hence the UV testing.
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This paragraph would make sense if you changed the first sentence to read: "My point is that no one knows EXACTLY what the polymer is going to do in the long term."

The testing provides excellent information on what long term exposure to "sunlight and temp changes" (and other environmental issues as well as mechanical stresses) will do to the plastics being tested. That's why the testing is performed and why companies are willing to spend the time and money doing the tests.

Does it provide PERFECT or EXACT knowledge of how the plastics will look and perform in 100 years? No, of course not--even doing a true 100 year test wouldn't do that since there's no way that any test could perfectly duplicate what any particular gun actually goes through. But there's a huge difference in stating this obvious fact and saying that "no one knows what the polymer is going to do in the long term".

There are most certainly people who know FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES how various polymer materials will look and perform after many decades of use--the fact that they don't have PERFECT knowledge doesn't affect the practical issues in the least.
 
I vote with those who say you should MOVE.
And before you say "oh it's not feasable, blah blah blah"... Yes it is, I've done it myself.

Okay the firearms situation in DC isn't the only reason the wife and I moved, but it was a large part and it was a definite decision guide regarding where we DID move to (MD, for example, was OUT).

Relocate, take your tax dollars and your vote and your labor someplace else. Oh and don't forget to write all of your elected officials (you know those people supposed to be representing YOU) and tell them WHY you are leaving CA.

BUT if you absolutely must stay there I'd probably direct you towards something overbuilt like the Rugers
 
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My vote would be for a nice 1911 and some good combat tupperware like the XD series. With the moderate amount of shooting that you do the 1911 should last a good 50 years and I would say the same for the polymers if maintained properly. I would choose the 1911 because it's a proven design and the XD because they're a hoot to shoot and real reasonably priced.

My parents decided to move away from California when I was a kid before it became the PRK. I am so glad that I am in a (so far) free state where I don't have to start worrying about gathering firearms before a new ban goes into effect. I know that this could change quickly, so, I'm not gloating by any means (and I'm still gathering, just not quickly).

_____________

"Phydeaux, bad dog....no biscuit!"
 
JohnKSA,

You are correct, no one knows EXACTLY how the polymer will hold up in the future. That is how I should have worded my posting.

My point is not that the polymer will fall apart in the future. I hope not, mine were expensive. My point, (and I should have been more clear), is that I personally do not know what it takes to degrade the tensile strength of the polymer to the point that it may succumb to abuse and break/crack.

Being unsure of something is not the same as saying it is useless.

Semantics. Either the polymer is still functional or it's not still functional and therefore useless.
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I was thinking not of total failure, but of a crack in the grip/frame. The pistol will still work, but it is weakened.

This makes me think of the UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene)that we use in orthopedics. The stuff is tougher than nails, but does degrade over time. Even when there is no visual evidence of the degradation, it can be deposited in other parts of the body. I've sen the stuff crack, break, split, fray....you name it. This in part causes some of my distrust. Overall, the components will last decades in similar people. Sometimes I've seen them fail after 6 months to a year. Although that is rare, it does happen. The metallic components may loosen over time, but they are OK. I know that the stress of a joint that is used constantly is greater than the stress placed on a firearm. I am definitely trying to compare apples to oranges. I am only trying to explain my position that even with the best of testing our knowledge about what weakens the stuff is still limited.

I will continue to use polymer in my daily life. My daily life makes me question it's integrity. I know it fails and I watch for it everyday. When it fails, we go back to work and replace components, with more UHMWPE.

FWIW, I'm enjoying this. I am learning more about the polymer itself. I know I'm new here, I'm not trying to be obstinant, just want to learn.
 
Folks keep talking about spare parts. If there is a loophole about unstamped, preiously-manufactuered parts, they'll close that loophole in a heartbeat. For certain, they will have the law such that anyone who is fortunate enough to get a CCW will have to demonstrate that the pistol is compliant with the stamping law. Antis many be many things, including or especially uninformed, but they aren't stupid. They have learned since the original AWB I. Spare parts are always prudent, but they won't keep your pistol from eventually being required to have stamp-pieces.
 
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