Are modern guns relatively immortal

[thebigc]

my oldest gun if from the 1840's it dosent looks pretty and the lock needs a main spring but i bet it would still be fireable if it got a new spring.

i had a mosin m39 for a while that was from the 1890's and worked fine i bet that thing will still be shooting in 100 years for sure

 

[benEzra]

Considering inside storage (limited UV exposure) and limited exposure to solvents how long would the expected useful life of the polymer be?

The Glock nylon/glass mix also contains about 3% carbon black, the purpose of which is to prevent ultraviolet light from degrading the nylon. I don't know how many years it could sit in the sun before suffering some degradation, but if it's not sitting out there in full sunlight then I doubt UV would affect it much at all, even on a time scale of many decades. Ditto for oxidation and exposure to gun oils, as nylon is a very chemically stable material.

I don't know that we have much data on whether a typical Glock will hold up for one century or five, but the Remington Nylon 66's from the 1950's and 1960's were made of the same stuff as the Glock (nylon 6,6) with less UV protectants, and they all seem to be holding up fine, even though many of those are a half-century old.

Are there any organic chemists here? And if so, is there any industry data on UV-protected polyamide/polyphthalamide longevity?

 

[Tallinar]

If it lives as long as I do, then it doesn't matter much after that.

I've never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.

 

[azyogi]

FWIW my fiirst major purchase of polymer plastic was a Coleman 17' canoe [RamX Plastic] that was in 79. It has never been stored inside or covered and it is as flexable as when new slight fading of color but still sound. After 31 years of AZ sunshine I think it shows the toughness of some modern plastics.

 

[Lee Roder]

I'm definitely not smart enough to foretell the future, but if hindsight is any clue, if you are actually around in a hundred years, you might be surprised.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

There is a "fire stick" pistol, rifle, or whatever you wish to call it at the J. M. Davis Firearms Museum in Claremore, OK, that was built somewhere around 1350. It's cast iron, and doesn't look like it's about to rust or otherwise fade away any time soon. 'Course I wouldn't charge it with anything I didn't grind between a couple of rocks and blend with a stick in a hand-carved wooden bowl and use sparingly, but I'll bet it could still fizzle a small quantity of gravel out fast enough to do someone serious harm!

It's all about how you care for them. Look how long the Dead Sea Scrolls lasted! King Tut. ... I was gonna mention Helen Thomas too, but in retrospect I think it would be uncalled for.

Woody

 

[Hatterasguy]

Depends what it is. Mosins will probably be around longer than mankind and some sort of mutant roach's that replace us will probably use them.

 

[parsimonious_instead]

This thread has really tickled my funnybone.
BenEzra with a wonderfully timed reference to Highlander,
and Hawthorne's chemical analysis conjuring an image of
a Glock lying casually in the sample tray of a spectroscope.
However, would a true gun person ever say, "there can be only one?"

 

[Gryffydd]

If it lives as long as I do, then it doesn't matter much after that.

I've never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.

I take it you don't have kids?

However, would a true gun person ever say, "there can be only one?"

No, but it does sound like the sort of thing a Glock fanboy would say.

 

[inSight-NEO]

Immortal? Perhaps not. But, given that the ammo of today is not nearly as "caustic" as before, along with the use of higher quality (generally speaking) finishes, metals and in certain cases, design...given proper maintenance and care, I see no compelling reason why most "high quality" guns of today would not last at least 2 or 3, in some cases 4, lifetimes. This, of course, does not account for items such as springs.

I am not sure about the plastic guns (I own a few). But, I would imagine that even these would last a few lifetimes, if properly maintained.

 

[Manco]

If it lives as long as I do, then it doesn't matter much after that.

I've never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse.

Concealed carry doesn't have to end at death, you know.

 

[leadcounsel]

I'm guessing the major muscles such as the plastic receiver and steel slide and barrel of my Glocks and similar steel handguns will last thousands of years. They are kept inside, cleaned after use, kept from the elements, etc.

I doubt that humans will be around - we'll be long gone from wars, disease, depletion of resources, etc. Actually, the biggest risk to everyone's guns will be the harsh environment when people are fighting for survivial in the end of days...

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Think that's bad? Wait till nightfall!

Woody

 

[Winger Ed.]

With the same use & storage conditions-
Due to the non-corrosive primers, smokeless powders, and better oils,
I'd think a modern production weapon would probably last a little longer than a old one, but not by much.

Years ago I got ahold of a very ornate, high quality flintlock pistol made in the mid-late 1700's.
If it was ever fired, even once, it was immediatly scrubbed/cleaned real, real well.
True Black Powder, when fired- leaves a residue that will just rot a barrel if not cleaned out very soon.
This pistol doesn't have a trace of corrosion or wear on it anywhere.

It is just as functional and as sturdy as when it was when new.
If a modern production handgun or rifle was stored carefully and hardly, if ever fired-
I'd expect it to be in about the same condition 250 years later also.

.

 

[Oyeboten]

Makes one wonder how long long could be, as far as an Arm ( well stored, good condition ) still being able to function.

Springs might be the weakest link, and, those could always be re-tempered if need be.


As say, a Thousand years from now, I imagine the Guns of the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th Century, and many or most of the ones then to now, would still function fine.


Two Thousand years from now...might even be about the same.

Three Thousand years from now...Hmmmm...maybe...but I would keep the Loads 'light'.

 

[Guncollector1982]

most my "bad" rolling block main springs were the tip of the leaf that catches on the hammer breaks off. One common defect ive seen in old military guns would be cleaning rod/ram rod wear in the bore from cleaning aggressively and to much from the muzzle end. Guess dont make em not function just not shoot good at all. None of mine are like that but sometimes you see one.

 

[Sunray]

"...the passage of time has not been kind..." Caused by neglect. There are lots of completely serviceable 100 plus year old firearms around.
"...how long would the expected useful life of the polymer be?..." Far longer than you. UV light doesn't bother every kind of synthetic material. It's estimated that a plastic shopping bag ina land fill can take 1,000 years to decompose. Plastic shopping bags are not made out of the same polymer as a Glock.

 

[Tallinar]

I take it you don't have kids?

I have kids, and I absolutely don't want them to become materialistic. Guns are tools. You take care of your tools and they will take care of you. There's nothing wrong with having some nice tools, but they are still tools. Don't elevate your tools to the point where they possess some sort of spiritual value to you. =-]

 

[Gryffydd]

I have kids, and I absolutely don't want them to become materialistic. Guns are tools. You take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

I'd like to be able to pass on my hammers and other tools to my kids as well as my guns. I'm not sure how that'll make them materialistic. Nor do I see how it involves some kind of spiritual value to think of being able to pass them on.

 

[leadcounsel]

Thought about this some more. I have several firearms that are 80+ years old (I'm thinking of my Russian Mosins, the Mausers, etc.) or even 50+ years old (the SKSs, Garands, etc.). These are weapons that were carried, trained with, used heavily in dirty, wet, muddy, harsh conditions; yet they are steel and wood and still funtion just fine and, aside from evidence of use, they are in good shape. Heck, the bolts on some of my C&R rifles look like they were machined yesterday!

I venture to guess that my weapons will never see the abuse these ones saw, and my modern ones are made of tougher materials than those. And they are pampered in comparison.

If the war implements are still fine after a 5, 6, 8, 10 decades, then lasting 10 times that, being rarely fired and cleaned after each use, stored in my climate controlled house will have zero effect on them.

 

[Sport45]

Quote:

I have kids, and I absolutely don't want them to become materialistic. Guns are tools. You take care of your tools and they will take care of you.

I'd like to be able to pass on my hammers and other tools to my kids as well as my guns. I'm not sure how that'll make them materialistic. Nor do I see how it involves some kind of spiritual value to think of being able to pass them on.

I think I know what Tallinar means and if I'm right I agree with him. I too, intend to leave my guns and other tools to my children. My tools are well used, many of them from my dad and granddads. Some look new, others are splotched with paint and there's the old hammer that has a generous wrapping of friction tape on the handle. The tools and guns will all be functional when I pass them on. A few dents on the stock or scratches in the bluing are just part of life for a firearm that is used. Sure, I try to be careful with them and I clean them when it's needed, but I don't obsess over cosmetics. That's probably because I know I won't be selling them so monetary value is of little concern.

 

[Tallinar]

Thanks Sport45. That pretty much encompasses where I'm coming from. I want my kids to appreciate and use Dad's guns, but I don't want them to obsess over them in any fashion.

Even so, in the end, when I am gone; if I am somehow looking down from above, I won't be disappointed if they sell my guns. I'd rather they sell them than obsess over them.

Hobbies are good. Idols are bad.

 

[chicharrones]

I never knew about the poly construction of the Glocks. Cool stuff.

Nylon 6 sounds like an old black and white sci-fi movie.

Nylon 6/6 sounds like a remake in color.

 

[12131]

relatively immortal

Either something is immortal, or it's not. No such thing is "relatively immortal".

 

[benEzra]

Concealed carry doesn't have to end at death, you know.

Yeah, but being dead really slows down your draw.