How does polymer ona pistol hold up over time?

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Let's say I have a Glock, an XD or even a USP 30 years down the road. Provided I've taken great care of the gun, theoretically how do you think the polymer will hold up during that time? Does it age and become brittle? Do solvents and oils take their toll on them? The guns are too new for any evidence of this yet, I think...but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a concern for me when buying an autoloader. For this very reason I'm strongly considering a Beretta 92 or Sig P226 as my next 9mm purchase whereas before the Glock 19 was the frontrunner. I'm not a rich guy. I don't want to spend more than 300 dollars on a gun I'm expected to replace every 10-20 years. I'll also add that this is NOT going to be a carry or a range gun. I'll break it in, clean it up and put it away. Call it what you want, but it will not be a regularly used weapon by any means. I don't foresee more than 1,000 rds out of it in any event. I want a gun that'll go the long haul, provided I take care of her.
 
good question and one that i have pondered myself. i think the first polymer framed pistol was an HK squeeze cocker that came out sometime in the 1970's. Glocks have been in wide use for almost 25-30 years, and some of the first gen. examples that i have seen seemed to be in excellent condition and good working order. i think with proper care, it would be likely that a polymer frame pistol would last quite some time. likely a lifetime.

Ultimately, it became a non issue for me. i believe, given proper care, that a polymer framed pistol can last at least longer than i will be around to use it. and as ugly as they are, Glocks just fit me!!

That said, nothing at all wrong with the two aluminum framed pistols that you are considering.
 
Remington's Nylon 66 rifles (produced 1958 through 1990) and Glocks share the same engineering polyamide resin (also known as Nylon 66 for which Remington named their rifle) in their respective constructions.

That means that the Nylon 66 used in the manufacture of Remington's Nylon 66 rifles, depending upon the age of the specimen being considered, is somewhere on the order of 20 to 52 years old. The Nylon 66 used in Remington's rifles is somewhat "less refined" than the current production Nylon 66, the difference being advanced modifiers and additives present in the Nylon 66 that currently exists in our Glocks and HKs, yet both continue to serve as designed. Today's Nylon 66 formulations have UV inhibitors/stabilizers, hydrolysis and oxidation inhibitors, structural additives and numerous other improvements that the Nylon 66 of "yester-year" lacks and those guns made with the "less advanced" polymer are still with us.

Certainly there will be degradation of both examples with the passage of time, but that degradation will be perceptible only over large multi-decade time spans (perhaps even centuries) and I expect that long before we see our Glocks and HKs become embrittled by time and/or compatible solvents, they will have been passed onto our children's children and their children's children. More plausibly, I believe that the metal components of our pistols will see corrosive issues and embrittlement long before their polymer counterparts become unserviceable.

When we see rifles and pistols made of wood and crude, relatively unrefined (by today's standards) steel that date from the 16th and 17th centuries that remain functional even today, is it unreasonable to believe that our polymer framed guns will see such longevity?

Quite frankly, I think that maintained properly, any high quality gun (Glocks, HKs, etc.) produced today will see serviceable capacity well into several generations of one's family should it be retained long enough to be "passed down". I think that it is highly likely and not at all unrealistic to expect that polymer framed handguns will remain serviceable for perhaps a few hundred years give or take a decade or two.
 
Plastic was used by Savage and Stevens for stocks and forearms during WWII, especially on the Mod 24 .22/410, and a single shot 20 guage - - probably others I haven't seen. I saw one of those Mod 24s last weekend, and it looked brand new. It was priced at $600 and, but for that, I would have recaptured a piece of my lost youth.
 
Laboratory artificial aging tests have been done to the Glock frame and there was no measurable degradation of the polymer after five hundred (500) years.
 
The first polymer framed production pistol (H&K VP70) came out in the 1970s.
Click to expand...
Heckler und Koch VP70Z introduced in 1970.
HK_VP70Z_1890.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP70
 
 
there are first gen glocks that have been used, and shot, and carried since the day they were purchased way back when they first became avalible, and they are still running strong. i believe that quality polymer handguns will out last many owners.
 
Glock fever

I find it funny that every "compare this or that to Glock " thread has a few people who seem very threatened by the Glock . If they weren't superior weapons , why is every body trying to compare them to this and that ? I'm sure that flintlocks had their detractors and that someone once said " gunpowder ? just a fad , but it will never replace the spear , bow , sword or whatever . There are a lot of great polymer guns on the market , but it seems like they all have to prove their worth by being compared to the industry standard , the Glock ! ( if it seems like I may be a bit biased , I am )
 
I don't think anyone here has been "threatened" by glocks or has tried to defend another pistol against the Glock.

Glocks are great. The question is how well polymer pistols old up over long periods of time. Glock happens to be the stereotype plastic gun because it was the first widespread and successful design. So Glock comes up because it's the typical example, not because anyone is threatened. Although I do see what you mean about how many people are threatened. As an M&P owner, I could care less about Glock vs. anything else. They really are all good in that category.
 
I made a run of stainless steel triggers in my CNC equipment to replace the plastic triggers in Colt's Mustangs and .380 Government models. I bought one of each model and just couldn't bear the thought of the garbage plastic trigger. I've sold quite a few of them, mostly to a fellow in California who re equips guns for police, some of them like the little Colts for back up guns.

He sent me a photo some time ago that showed an original trigger that had fallen apart. He thought the owner may have used the wrong solvent.
I told someone else that and he responded "Those triggers aren't polymer!", uhh, ok. :uhoh: How about they are plastic? Polymer is just a "feel good" name for plastic, all plastics are polymers.

Anyway, I'm sure the original triggers are a nylon type plastic, very close cousin to the plastic used in all plastic guns. I refuse to argue with people about materials, work in a job shop for 20 years making a gazillion kinds of parts for industry, then you'll get a good education about materials.

I carry a plastic gun, it's just a tool, I have no affection for it at all, it's ugly, it's functional, it does what I need it to do. If it gets lost or stolen I haven't lost anything I care about. My opinion? Even if a plastic gun did last hundreds of years (Hmm? That Colt was only 30 years old!) it would still be just a plastic gun! :D
 
How about they are plastic? Polymer is just a "feel good" name for plastic, all plastics are polymers.
Click to expand...

During college I was one of those dumb kids who works selling Cutco knives. The company insisted that we refer to the handles as being a "thermo-resin.":D:D

I had no idea about such things at the time, but now I look back and laugh.
 
Most polymer frames will probably outlast the gun-powder age. I would wager by the time you start seeing noticeable degradation of glock frames, we'd all moved onto the plasma rifles in the 20MW range.

Regarding plastic/polymer/whatever:

All plastic is plastic, just like all metal is metal. That's why its fair to look at the charectaristics of a pot-metal gun like a Jennings 9 as an indicator of how all metals age and behave over time and use :rolleyes:.
 
As an owner, user and factory-trained armorer for at least 3 of the manufacturers who offer plastic framed service pistols to LE/Gov users I have very little concern about the useful service life of them as long as I maintain them as recommended.

This means not unreasonably subjecting them to abusive/extreme conditions, replacing parts as recommended or required and using cleaning & lubrication products on them which are recommended by the respective manufacturers for use on firearms, especially firearms which have plastic parts.

People used to think that aluminum alloy frames (and other parts) wouldn't last, and compared to steel components and application there's some validity in comparing the durability of steel alloys to aluminum. It's just that when used in an appropriate application, and the quality of the aluminum is sufficiently good, aluminum can provide for a useful service life in many firearm applications.

Plastics have improved.

I'd think it fair to consider the same thing when it comes to various plastic formulations and parts, as well.

And yes, I still like steel and wood on a number of my firearms. ;)

I have no problem with plastic on my working guns. I look at them as another type of working equipment, and I think they're fine for their intended applications as long as they're maintained properly.

I decided long ago that plastic handled screwdrivers seemed to take abuse better than wooden handled screwdrivers, though. :)

I expect to be actively using (carrying & shooting) my several plastic framed handguns (and my metal-framed ones which include plastic parts) for many years to come.

Just my thoughts.
 
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