Plastic with soul?

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mcb said:
Whether a gun has "soul" or not has far more to do with what I have done with it than what it is made.
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This is the most sensible thing I've read so far.

When it comes to inanimate objects, a "soul" needs to be earned not given away.

Reliable, Dependable, Functional: Pick whichever word you like best but the gun needs to be able to do what it's called upon to do when it's called upon to do it. No compromises!

Shootable: It shoots great POA/POI, and feels great even under recoil.

Durable: Lasts forever! Well, practically speaking, of course.

If a gun passes all of these tests, then it might just exist long enough to have a "soul." It may just survive long enough to be passed onto enough owners to warrant a soul (either that or it's Haunted)

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Just kidding folks.

Certainly, if any firearm saves my bacon, I'll have a stronger fondness for that gun. I don't do beauty contest though.
 
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[QUOTE="Zendude]Walther P99 maybe?[/QUOTE]

While "soul" may be stretching it the P99 AS has it all as far as striker fired pistols go. A P99 and PX4 are the only poly framed pistols I own.
 
I don’t feel like any gun “completes me” to steal a phrase from the first post in this thread. And to that extent, none of them really have what I think of soul.

There’s all types of guns I own and like. Poly, steel, aluminum frame…. I just like em for what they are and enjoy them.

But I can’t say I feel completed by them or that they’re soulful
 
To me, “soul” is a combo of frame and grip that gives me a “soul or no soul” vibe. Since polymer framed guns don’t usually have grip panels, to me this pushes it more towards the steel framed guns.

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The 1911 looks right with wood grip panels sitting on the alloy frame. It doesn’t necessarily have soul, but I think it looks good.

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This 4013 is steel, alloy and plastic grips. This combo doesn’t really sing to me all that much.

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Now these have soul, IMHO, even if they’re not first generation SAA’s. The shape, feel and materials of the Blackhawk/Vaquero combine to form guns that I find to be classic, and the two with the glossy walnut grips really pop.

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These N frames are also classic, but IMHO the grips are a downer. The synthetic grips are for recoil control, as the .44 and .41 come with a kick thats a bit much for me with wooden grips.

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On my Dan’s, the wooden grips go with lighter recoiling loads. The synthetic Hogues I prefer with magnums.

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This Glock 34 wears a 5-color camo cerakote. I wouldn’t say that this gives it “soul”, but I do think it has a bit of pizzazz compared to the standard blah black on black. Additional plusses are perfect reliability (so far) and its really quite accurate.

Oh well, even if a gun’s soul can’t be truly nailed down it was a fun topic to think about :)

Stay safe.
 
Mn Fats said:
I
Edit: I found a little "soul" in the plastic guns after seeing U.S. Marshals as a young man.View attachment 1072734
He sure knows how to succinctly deliver a line.
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Yeah, except Robert Downey Jr's pistol was a stainless Taurus, not nickel-plated. Dunno why, but that line has always kinds rung hollow 'cause of that.

No disrespect to the Glock guys here, but if one cannot feel the magical attraction to blued steel and finely-figured wood over molded polymer and matte black slides, I cannot help you.
 
You just ain't held the right guns.
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Soul equates to a person’s eternal spirit, not inanimate objects. And in light of OP’s verb usage in his first post of guns that “complete me”… well. Its not that I don’t enjoy guns. It’s just that possessions don’t complete me and inanimate objects don’t have a soul. If they lack a soul, they are then soulless.

Curb appeal, an affinity, appreciation, pride of
ownership… absolutely.
 
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md7 said:
Soul equates to a person’s eternal spirit, not inanimate objects. And in light of OP’s verb usage in his first post of guns that “complete me”… well. Its not that I don’t enjoy guns. It’s just that possessions don’t complete me and inanimate objects don’t have a soul. If they lack a soul, they are then soulless.

Curb appeal, an affinity, appreciation, pride of
ownership… absolutely.
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It's a sense if pride of ownership, quality, and looks.

It's a figure of speech... You don't have to over think it and take everything so literally.
 
Styx said:
It's a figure of speech... Not to be taken literal.
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I understand that. Just stating that objects don’t complete me and that there are guns I really like without ascribing metaphysical attributes or words to them.

It’s all good. I know I’m too literal for my own good sometimes
 
md7 said:
I understand that. Just stating that objects don’t complete me and that there are guns I really like without ascribing metaphysical attributes or words to them.

It’s all good. I know I’m too literal for my own good sometimes
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I used a poor choice of words. Nothing this world offers is going to complete me. No man made object has soul, you are correct. That was reserved for humans when God put breath life into us.
My wife corrects me all the time. She doesn’t understand metaphors and doesn’t like comparing them to what was really meant when it was said.
 
Electricmo said:
I have been on the lookout for a plastic/polymer pistol that stirs my soul like a good all steel on does. I’ve found nothing. There just doesn’t seem to be any character to the plastic fantastics. So I guess they are there for utilitarian reasons. Does anyone have a plastic gun they just feel is a part of them? If so give me the reason why and the brand. I’m still searching for that piece of plastic that completes me like my all metal pistols do.
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H&K VP9. Try one. High quality. Comes with a variety of grips you can change to suit. Just right size, accurate and reliable.
 
Old Dog said:
Yeah, except Robert Downey Jr's pistol was a stainless Taurus, not nickel-plated. Dunno why, but that line has always kinds rung hollow 'cause of that.

No disrespect to the Glock guys here, but if one cannot feel the magical attraction to blued steel and finely-figured wood over molded polymer and matte black slides, I cannot help you.
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Ah, but see, I love my Glocks, but I really love my revolvers and I mostly like my revolvers with wood or wood laminate grips. I have a couple with rubber grips.
There is no rule that one must like either Polymer guns OR blued steel guns. If there is I am proudly breaking that rule and thumbing my nose at it’s enforcers. :D
 
Pat Riot said:
There is no rule that one must like either Polymer guns OR blued steel guns. If there is I am proudly breaking that rule and thumbing my nose at it’s enforcers.
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Completely agree... just like there's no "rules" about BBQ guns, just sayin'...

I think what this topic is really about is firearms as art. Art is (or should be) something that does stir the soul. Well-designed and well-executed firearms can certainly be works of art. Now, a piece of art itself has no soul, but if it's good art, it'll hit you in that place where you feel something. I will say that when I look at a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade with finely figured French Walnut stock and glossy bluing, it's art to me, and I get that fuzzy feeling inside (no, not that fuzzy feeling) and I can appreciate it as a masterpiece of art.

A Hi-Point carbine, not so much...
 
While I'd prefer a P89 or P90, the Ruger P series with polymer frames have a warm place in my heart. Remember, before the P series existed the only other semi auto pistol that Ruger ever made was a .22 in the Mark I and II. After 30+ years Bill Ruger finally saw the days of the service revolver coming to an end and the P series was born.

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Alternative polymer pistols with some soul would be Kahr and Beretta. IDK, I feel they're just made to a quality that is above the norm for a polymer pistol.
 
TTv2

I was never a big fan of the Ruger P Series; they just didn't have the ergonomics I was looking for in a semi-auto pistol. Then came the SR Series and things started looking up in terms of the overall size and design of the new guns.

One day I was at the indoor range when I noticed the gentleman next to me was shooting a new SR9c, right out of the box. He was having a difficult time just getting shots on paper and during a lull in the shooting he leaned over and asked me if I would try shooting it so he could see if it was him or the gun that was having the problem. I loaded up 5 rounds and at 30' I put all 5 shots in the black. I handed the gun back to him and made a quick mental note to checkout this new Ruger!

Sometime later I did some looking and comparing of various compact 9mm.s and decided that the SR9c was the perfect choice for me!
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Old Dog said:
I think what this topic is really about is firearms as art. Art is (or should be) something that does stir the soul. Well-designed and well-executed firearms can certainly be works of art. Now, a piece of art itself has no soul, but if it's good art, it'll hit you in that place where you feel something. I will say that when I look at a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade with finely figured French Walnut stock and glossy bluing, it's art to me, and I get that fuzzy feeling inside (no, not that fuzzy feeling) and I can appreciate it as a masterpiece of art.

A Hi-Point carbine, not so much...
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Hit the topic on the nose. Well said. :cool:
 
Old Dog said:
I think what this topic is really about is firearms as art. Art is (or should be) something that does stir the soul. Well-designed and well-executed firearms can certainly be works of art. Now, a piece of art itself has no soul, but if it's good art, it'll hit you in that place where you feel something.
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That right there deserves a mic drop!
 
Handguns have been discussed to death upthread, so I'll talk shotguns.

I have a Remington 11-87 12ga that I bought new and shoot pretty well. In fact, the first round I fired from it I bagged a dove. That tends to endear a firearm to you.

I have friends who hunted with over-unders. Sure, they looked good, but my Remington had never let me down, so I never understood why you'd pay so much more for a Citori. Their money, that's fine, but not my thing.

Then one year I borrowed a friend's over-under 20ga just for grins and to use some of the case of 20ga shells that I'd been given (long story), since I didn't have a 20ga to shoot them in. First shell fired, I bagged a dove, just like with the 11-87. First over-under I'd fired at game, and first 20ga I'd fired at game. For some reason, after a day in the dove field, that Miroku felt more natural to me than the Remington that I'd carried for years and years. They're both steel-and-wood guns, but one is utilitarian, and the other is...more. Not just looks. Not price (I didn't pay for it). Something intangible that I can't explain.

Tragically, that friend passed away a few years later. After a time, I offered to buy the Miroku from his widow. She refused to sell and gave it to me, instead. I suppose I'll shoot the 11-87 again at some point, but I have a connection with the Miroku, and not only because it was Ron's gun.
 
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