Metal Frame Pistols Becoming Obsolete???

1911s, various Berettas, the vast majority of the CZ lineup, the bulk of the Sig Sauer lineup, Bersas, BHPs, Walther PPKs, clones of the above models, etc...

There are a lot of them, and I'd hardly call them obsolete. Maybe not the most weight efficient, but certainly not obsolete.

You tell the 1911 guys that their pistols are obsolete and they will draw on ya!!

Plastic and metal both have their places. Plastic does not replace metal anymore than pistols replaced revolvers.

Certainly not obsolete, but I doubt you will see many new metallic framed designs.

I was in the market for a handgun recently and ended up purchasing a CZ 75 compact from my local shop. It was 10 bucks more and holds one less round than the Glock 19 they had but I just prefer the feel. The weight makes me feel confident in its durability and I feel it will make it more accurate by reducing the recoil.

IMO no.

No: If you included all the models and calibers of Colt, S&W, CZ, BHP, Sig, Kimber, + all the 45ACP manufacturers, etc; the list would be too long to post.
Steel Pistols
Full Sized Framed Pick-ups
Cast Iron V-8s
Harley's
We need a thread to add to this list.

I've had two polymer frame centerfire autoloaders and didn't care for neither of them. Basically because when shooting fast as in competition, I didn't like the way the slide's inertia caused the pistol to feel like it was whipping around the top of my hand. One of them was a Wilson Combat KZ 45. Steel frame guns are more stable since they weigh more which works against the slide's inertia.

If it was for duty, I would have kept the KZ - less weight to carry and 10 in the magazine plus it was a great shooter. But I am mostly a sports shooter and not a police officer. So I sold both of those autos.

I do have a Ruger LCR and don't mind it at all. But my purpose and deployment for it is different than for the other two polymer frame guns.

There's still lots of metal frame guns out there. And no doubt, they will be produced for a very long time.

Yeah, that's true I guess. I think there just isn't any in my price range lol. I don't want a clone and I cant afford a Beretta, so I guess I'm SOL.

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Sure you can, there are always police trade-in Berettas coming into places, although they will probably start slowing down as more and more agencies have already moved on to other designs for whatever reason. CDNN often has a bunch. Really don't want a clone? Beretta clones are probably the type of clones that match the original best, with CZ clones coming in second. They've been copied the world over, and none of the clones that I know of are known to have any issues that aren't endemic to the design.

If you like the Beretta Cougar, then look at the Stoeger Cougar 8000 F 9mm, 8040 .40 S&W, or 8045 .45 ACP. Not a clone but the same gun as the Beretta, manufactured on the Beretta equipment at the Beretta owned Stoeger plant in Turkey. Excellent gun for between $400 and $450. IMHO they're the best buy on the market today, and about $250 cheaper price than the original Beretta.

Incomes vary, plastic keeps guns affordable for some and prudent for others. i.e. Ruger's new LC9 is roughly $350-380 vs Sig Sauer P239 $800-900. Both have their places. Shootability, I do OK with either, however, I find some people can not shoot the lightweight plastic guns very well but can make a bullseye sweat with a metal one.

I own pistols with steel frames, alloy frames, and yes, even a couple with polymer frames. For absolute minimum weight, polymer is the ticket, my wifes taurus 92, with aluminum frame is a good full size pistol for her to shoot, without being so heavy that she doesnt like to drag it out of the safe. Both of my 1911s are steel framed, and hard to forget about when they are holstered on my belt, but they are a dream to shoot. The light weight pistols have their place, but steel still adds weight that makes a gun more pleasant to shoot, and alloy frames do a decent job of bringing the older steel designs up to a compareable level with the polyer levels as far as weight is concerned.

I'd like to see the day when the 1911 and Hi Power are obsolete. I'd be willing to bet it won't be in my lifetime.


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I'd like to see the day when the 1911 and Hi Power are obsolete

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Why in the world...........

"Tupperware" guns are still in the minority I hate to tell you. Steel and aluminum alloy are still in the majority.

There are NO plastic guns in my safe. Just wood, steel and aluminum alloy.

From a purely practical combat point of view, yes. Metal frames are obsolete and so are revolvers.

I occasionally see a security guard carrying a revolver, but I assume it is because that is the choice they are limited to. I never see a cop carrying a revolver any more.

The Beretta M9, the current sidearm of our military, was chosen something like 20 years ago, when polymer was unproven from a long-term durability point of view. I would not be at all surprised if the replacement was polymer framed.

That doesn't mean we can't still enjoy this "antique" technology for our little hobby, or even carry them, accepting the weight penalty.

The point about extra weight leading to less perceived recoil is a good one. But more and more, cops are discouraged from shooting their guns, so lack of carry weight is more important.

The Bushmaster said:

"Tupperware" guns are still in the minority I hate to tell you. Steel and aluminum alloy are still in the majority.

There are NO plastic guns in my safe. Just wood, steel and aluminum alloy.

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There was a time, not too long ago, when aluminum was considered unacceptable to some folks also.

Yeah, that's true I guess. I think there just isn't any in my price range lol. I don't want a clone and I cant afford a Beretta, so I guess I'm SOL.

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I picked up a new 92FS two months ago for $499 at a Houston gun show... That's not that expensive...

What are some metal frame pistols that are still in production? By metal frame, I mean no polymer.

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Beretta 92s of course

Aluminum framed guns are being phased out and will be rare before long. If it were not for militarty contracts the Sig and Beretta models would probably have already been cancelled like most of the other aluminum framed guns. Plastic has proven to be cheaper and more durable. The aluminum alloy frames have the shortest life expectancy of the three.

There will always be the steel framed classic guns. I don't see them going anywhere. You simply don't see any new designs in steel or aluminum. Plastic is the future.

"Tupperware" guns are still in the minority I hate to tell you. Steel and aluminum alloy are still in the majority.

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The length of time they have been around is the reason this statement is true because metal guns have been around for hundreds of years.

When you look at the numbers from say the last 20 years and there is a different story.

IMHO most manufacturers are going to have to go this route. Cost and market forces cannot be denied. Most of people making guns these days are doing it on a volume model. That means you have to lower cost or materials and labor. Poly frames accompish both and have proven to hold up longer or as long as their metal counterparts.

I personally prefer metal guns but I understand the trend is moving away from me.

I tend to agree with the comments made by rellascout, especially regarding market forces ... and especially regarding LE market forces.

The plastic guns involve less cost and can be made faster.

No matter how fast a CNC machine can spit out a beautifully machined frame, it can't really compete with equipment that can spit out a plastic frame every 85 seconds (Glock, according to what we were told in my last armorer recert). Sure, slides & barrels still have to be produced on other equipment, of course, but having the frames made that quickly, and to good tolerances, makes the plastic guns quicker and less expensive to produce.

The commercial market has already demonstrated that the 1911-style pistols are a dominant force, and some traditional double action (DA/SA, if you'd rather) still attract customers, but the plastic guns still seem to be acquiring increasingly more of the market.

Less cost, more profit ... and more public interest. What's surprising?

While I tend to prefer steel and aluminum alloy pistols myself, I find I have 7 plastic pistols in my "working" collection, and I'll probably pick up at least one more sometime. I didn't start buying them until about 11 years ago, either, holding off a bit longer than others in joining the plastic parade.

I'm going to be buying another 1911 (probably another aluminum alloy frame) before my next plastic .45, though.

The Beretta M9, the current sidearm of our military, was chosen something like 20 years ago, when polymer was unproven from a long-term durability point of view. I would not be at all surprised if the replacement was polymer framed.

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In 2009, the U.S. Army bought 450,000 more M9's and the Marine's bought a large quantity of M9A1's.

The Beretta is going to serve longer than the M1911A1.

jmr40 said:

You simply don't see any new designs in steel or aluminum. Plastic is the future.

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And what new designs do you see in plastic? How innovative are any pistols these days? They're all variations on a theme. You have a barrel, a slide, a trigger group and a frame ... big deal!!

I don't own any polymer framed pistols and plan to keep it that way. If S&W decides to make an M&P Pro in .45 ACP I might reconsider. But until that happens, I'll stick with aluminum and steel.