Are aluminum alloy firearms obsolete?

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AirPower

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I look at all the firearms out there, most started off with steel, long and handguns, such as 1911, FAL and G3. Then alloy guns took over in the 60s and on, such as AR15 and Beretta 92 and Sig Sauer handguns. The past 20 years has been polymer days, Glock and HK and everyone and their cousin is coming out with polymer guns. So is the alloy gun a thing of the past?
 
Absolutely not. Many firearms enthusiasts avoid plastic like the plague. Aluminum alloy is alive & well for those wanting a lighter gun without the use of plastics.
 
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I don't think so either. During my trips to the gunstore, many folks still peruse and purchase alloy and steel guns. I, myself, have a combination of alloy, polymer, and steel. Preference? Which ever I can get to quickest. :D Seriously though, I think there is still a market desire for alloy and steel and hopefully the manufacturers will continue to fulfill those desires.
 
Don't tell mine they are obsolete. They'll get upset.


Alloys will continue to used. No one offers a polymer revolver that I know of.
 
I'd venture to say the ar15 might infact be the hottest selling non 22 rifle in the country. Maybe hunting rifles would take top spot but I'd be surprised. Sig's aluminum framed guns are far more popular than their plastic guns too. My p3at has an aluminum frame. I don't think its going anywhere just because there are alternatives.
 
They have their place, when ultra light is a must. I have two handguns with plastic frames, but the real handgun enthusiast is going to insist on metal in most of their guns, as I do. If you are a gun nut, you tolerate plastic on occasion, but it doesn't fascinate, in my opinion, and it's fascination that drives sales, regardless of what anyone may say to the contrary.
 
You wouldn't know you were seeing an aluminum alloy framed gun. Today, Aluminum/Scandium is the hot alloy. Almost as light as pure aluminum, but nearly as strong as steel.
 
Aluminum frames are far from dead. Plastic has been the in thing since Glock perfected it. The first plastic frame firearm I can think of was the H&K VP70. A friend of mine has one and although it's reliable and accurate it was never a big seller as it's kind of big and clunky probably due to the fact the plastics technology at the time required it. I've never been a fan of aluminum frames as I don't see the few ounces saved as worth it, lighter weight gives you more recoil, and in older revolvers less durabilty. I do buy guns with aluminum frames but only because that's the only way they make some guns.
 
let's not forget

--Many S&W semi autos, and

--alloy framed 1911s are available from Colt, Kimber, Springfield and probably others...
 
Titanium and Scandium are the flavors of the day. They may have Aluminum in them also, but they're not going to be called that by the manufacturer.
 
Here's an aluminum alloy framed handgun, with a stainless steel slide (Smith & Wesson 3913 Ladysmith):
108290_large.jpg


You wouldn't necessarily know by looking at it, unless you've seen a few. The aluminum alloy looks sort of like stainless steel, but it's much lighter.

Aluminum alloys do have a greater tendency toward fatigue cracking than steel, but adding a trace amount of scandium to the mix fixes that.
 
I think as more things come onto the market you don't see something becoming obsolete, you jsut see it sharing the market as models which survive with new models in the new material.

The 1911 is far from obsolete and is still an extremely popular gun. And people are still tweaking their lines of them and adding accesory rails and what not. Just for the example. Now do you see every gun from the era? No you don't. Like I said the survivng models that worked and were favorites stay on, the bad die out, and they share the market with new guns in new materials instead of similer guns in similer materials.

And you also see a mixing. You can't make an entire gun out of polymer. Making an entire gun out of aluminum (least to my knowlage feel free to correct me) is tricky at best. Same with titanium.
 
I've never seen an alloy gun. What are the most common varieties?
Click to expand...

Most common is probably the Ruger autoloader.

Obsolete? They're still made, purchased, carried and shot. I'd say no.
 
if you think about what's being pushed by manufactuer, they're mostly plastic guns. S&W's M&P, Beretta's PX4, HK's P2000. Only a few designs are still using the aluminum simply because plastic isn't practical, such as 1911 or revolvers. The hot new marketing semiauto handguns are mostly plastic guns.

As for rifles and carbines, there's also the trend, but most in the semiauto category. There's probably more problem there however. HK's G36 had some plastic melt down problems.
 
Why are aluminum guns almost universally referred to as alloy?

An alloy is a solid solution. That is, a homogenous mixture of two or more solid materials. You know, like almost every homogenous material.

Steels are all alloys
Some Polymers are alloys...
 
The reason, Owen, is that the aluminum used in firearms is not of the elemental variety. They are all alloys of aluminum and not just pure aluminum. There are over 20,000 different aluminum alloys so forgive me if I don't begin listing them. :D
 
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