Polymer pistol snaps at handle during fall.

[Knockdownpower]

If the space shuttle can fail so can a handgun, even H&K's. No fault of the firearm though,
4x4 crashes can by very nasty.

 

[mljdeckard]

I agree very much with posts 7 and 8. If something happens to a polymer gun that causes this, it would also damage any steel or aluminum framed gun to the point I wouldn't trust it.

 

[Rob0321]

Looking at the picture where it shows his whole duty rig it would appear that his baton acted as a fulcrum, if he landed with all or at least most of his weight on the grip of the pistol, with the baton situated behind the grip it would have put a tremendous amount of force onto the pistol. I'm going to say I agree with all of those who have stated that even a steel framed pistol would not have been serviceable after this crash.

 

[Fastcast]

Hmmm....isn't it interesting that the thin steel magazine is not broke in half?

 

[benzy2]

The rounds don't look deformed either, maybe we should push for more pistols made of brass.

 

[Skylerbone]

Drop a picture frame some time. Glass shatters, wood splits at the staples, picture made of paper survives (usually unscathed). What we expect doesn't always happen in the real world, Believe it...or Not!

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

If the space shuttle can fail so can a handgun, even H&K's. No fault of the firearm though,
4x4 crashes can by very nasty.

The space shuttle is complex, a handgun isn't.

 

[Ben86]

If it were a Glock that wouldn't have happened. The Glock would have laughed it off and asked: "Can we do it again?!!"

Freak accidents like that aren't enough to make me want to carry a heavy metal framed gun.

 

[Jim K]

Any force that would break that gun would have seriously bent the frame of a 1911 or any other steel or alloy pistol.

But looking at that damage, I rather wonder if we have heard the whole story.

Jim

 

[Fastcast]

If it snapped from being bent or twisted beyond its breaking point than why isn't the thin steel mag twisted and bent much worse than it appears?

I'm guessing it snapped from sudden impact, stoppage. :banghead:

 

[Manco]

Hmmm....isn't it interesting that the thin steel magazine is not broke in half?

One possible reason is that the steel used in the magazine is more flexible, and can deform to a greater extent without cracking. Another is that the frame took the brunt of a sudden impact, helping protect the magazine somewhat.

If it were a Glock that wouldn't have happened. The Glock would have laughed it off and asked: "Can we do it again?!!"

I get what you're saying , but as I had pointed out in an earlier post, this is actually possible because Glock frames, which as far as I know are made of plain unreinforced plastic, are softer and more flexible (same goes for the M&P)--MAYBE a Glock would have survived this specific incident in one piece, or maybe not (and it would probably be weakened beyond repair, in any case). For all we know, highly reinforced HK frames could be stronger overall, but like all fiber-reinforced composite structures they are vulnerable to cracking or even shattering when their design limits are exceeded.

All of this is the result of the natures of the respective materials involved, which is based on physics rather than brand names, and one isolated (as far as we know, for now) example does not mean that a particular brand or model of pistol is of inadequate strength. Furthermore, it says nothing about who is "better" and other things of that nature--one incident that probably no pistol would have survived fully functional, for all we know, does not tell us much at all, really. We'd need more information, and in the long run, more examples. If HK frames were shown to crack apart repeatably at relatively low force levels, then we'd have a real issue, although I find it difficult to believe that this hasn't been tested, as the material involved has been around for decades and is well understood by engineers.

Freak accidents like that aren't enough to make me want to carry a heavy metal framed gun.

Various polymer pistols can be quite different from one another anyway, and a heavier steel-framed pistol would probably have been bent out of shape (literally) in any case.

If it snapped from being bent or twisted beyond its breaking point than why isn't the thin steel mag twisted and bent much worse than it appears?

This is because the fiberglass used in HK's "polymer" frames cannot take much bending. Normally this is not a problem because it's so stiff and difficult to bend, but obviously under the right conditions it can happen. Unless the material in question is defective in this case, then it probably doesn't matter because such force would have bent steel and plain plastic frames anyway, severely compromising them even if they wouldn't have cracked, rendering the pistols either unable or unsafe to fire.

 

[Nushif]

All of this is the result of the natures of the respective materials involved, which is based on physics rather than brand names, and one isolated (as far as we know, for now) example does not mean that a particular brand or model of pistol is of inadequate strength. Furthermore, it says nothing about who is better and other things of that nature--one incident that probably no pistol would have survived fully functional, for all we know, does not tell us much at all, really.

/win

Some of this is headed in some very serious "what if" territory.

But what happens if I fly my Cessna over bear territory and get jumped by three armored ex-Marine convict meth-head bears taking bathsalts, using ARs after I crashland and break both arms and a leg!??!?!?!?!?!??!!!!???!

At some point when you crash a vehicle to the point where you're most likely too incapacitated to lift the darned thing the condition and caliber, trigger pull or weight of your weapon really matters precious little.

 

[45_auto]

Hmmm....isn't it interesting that the thin steel magazine is not broke in half?

Yeah, and they're not any scratches on his hands either. Who falls off a four wheeler and doesn't put their hands out to break their fall?

 

[Ben86]

I get what you're saying , but as I had pointed out in an earlier post, this is actually possible because Glock frames, which as far as I know are made of plain unreinforced plastic, are softer and more flexible (same goes for the M&P)--MAYBE a Glock would have survived this specific incident in one piece, or maybe not (and it would probably be weakened beyond repair, in any case). For all we know, highly reinforced HK frames could be stronger overall, but like all fiber-reinforced composite structures they are vulnerable to cracking or even shattering when their design limits are exceeded.

I was just being sarcastic. Some mock Glock Koolaid if you will.

If you're theory is right perhaps a Glock or other similarly framed pistol may have had less damage. It's such a freak accident I don't think it reflects much of anything. I don't plan on testing it myself, so I'm fine with theories. I wonder if this will start a trend of "crash" tests with manufacturers. That'd be interesting.