The older I get…….

JoeHenry

JoeHenry

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Messages
206
Went to a local gun show today. But honestly, it just was not that much fun. Sure there were some older Smith & Wessons and 1911’s here and there but the vast majority of handguns were plastic.
Says he putting on my flame proof underwear. All this Tupperware just does not appeal to me. I have only one plastic pistol and that is a Sig P365. Not a range gun or target pistol for sure. Just for when I want a little more to carry than a J frame. So I guess my age is showing. How many on here feel the same? Surly I am not the only one.
IMG_1438.jpeg
 
Ive only ever owned 2 poly framed pistols, a P250 and a Beretta Pico. The Sig was actually pretty nice, shoulda kept it. The Pico is my deep concealment gun, but my other carry pieces are small metal framed autos. I like the Pico because only the grip module is plastic, all the guts are steel.
I absolutely despise plastic small parts in my guns. Ive put quite a bit of effort into purging polymer guide rods, triggers, safety levers, magazine followers, and baseplates.....
I guess you could call ARs plastic guns, and ya, I rock a few of those but they are what they are.
 
I think one has to get over the polymer stigma. It's proven itself to be a reliable material for the manufacture of firearm frames. There's millions of of them in use today. I own a few all metal frame and several polymer frame firearms. They all shoot to point of aim. What else should they do?
 
My only polys are a P99AS and a P290RS. I hope to add a later model P95DC and perhaps an H&K in the future, but that's about it. Everything else is steel or aluminum. About the only things I can tolerate for small plastic parts are baseplates and followers. Everything else get replaced- safeties, guide rods, sights, etc.
 
I too dislike the gun shows for having too much modern stuff that I could buy elsewhere, I'm more interested in seeing older guns regardless of their materials, but the gun shows now are just extensions of the FFL's with inventory and they're always going to bring the cheapest guns to the shows because the lower the price, the higher possibility of a sale.

As for poly pistols, I have no preference for them or metal frames, my focus is does the pistol's features appeal to me and at a price point I can part with hard earned money? My last metal pistol was a Taurus 92 bought a year ago, the last poly frame a Taurus Gx4 bought a month ago. I think the only other semi auto pistol currently on my list is the Kel Tec .32 and that has to do with it being very small and light, yet low recoiling due to the locked breech. Given the small size and EDC use, I'd rather have a cheap Kel Tec to scratch and ding up than a Seecamp.

For larger pistols that won't see much carrying, it depends. I like 10mm, the Glock made the most sense to me, so I got that. I have concerns about the 1911 designs that dominate the non polymer 10mm market, so I don't have an interest in getting them. For a .45 tho, yeah, I'd rather have something like the 1911 or a Ruger P90.

I'd say what's changed with me the older I get is how little I care about the subtle upgrades from one generation of firearms to another. For instance the LCP to the LCP II or the Glock Gen 4 to Gen 5 (which may as well be called a Gen 2.5) and the reason for that is I don't see the major draw to justify people buying them if they've grown comfortable with their older gens and they've been proven reliable.

The state of firearms manufacturing in the US today is questionable and I no longer expect any pistol to function 100% out of box anymore. This leads to another thing that's changed for me as I've gotten older and it's that I absolutely do not trust any brand new to market firearm unless it's been available for over a year. The .410 KSG that's coming out later this year? I want that shotgun, but I will not buy it until probably the end of 2024 because by then all the kinks will be worked out of them.
 
I grew to not mind polymer frames. They're just a extension of the old days when handgun frames were made out of wood. Now it's just a different, but still suitable material. But the lock and barrel still is made out of metal.

On a preference, I prefer a metal handgun. Maybe it's just more craftsmanship, or the added weight makes it more accurate. 1911s, Sig 22x, etc .
But when it comes to the utility of modern guns, I don't mind whatever. Only if it's good.
Interesting note by TTv2, about the little differences in the generations. I also don't feel much a reason to use anything newer than a Gen 3 Glock. Alot of my combat oriented pistols are 80s/90s surplus, and I don't feel undergunned with them at all. I just don't care about the newer features as much, though I still see the usefulness.
 
Polys often feel top heavy when unloaded.....i play with my guns alot and prefer them to balance empty. I like the way metal feels better also.....

In actual use i dont notice, so dont care enough to only have metals ..... But i mostly have metals.....
 
I will take it a bit further, I would like to find a store where the majority of guns do not require a detachable magazine. Yep, I would like to see the store that has a huge, thorough selection of revolvers, lever actions, single shots, bolt actions and where the few bottom feeders they had in stock were just an after thought. You know, the exact opposite of what gun stores have in stock now..:D.
 
Last edited:
In non-polymer CF semi-autos, all I have left is a BHP which anymore, gets little range time. But at least one of my revolvers gets to the range nearly every outing. Looks like my age is showing, too, in a different way.
 
Last edited:
You can easily solve the gun show problem, by not going. All of them around here have been a waste of time and the entry fee for a number of decades now anyway.

As far as the guns go, I like them all, and shoot them all as much as I can. As long as they work and are accurate. And Im always willing to give something new a good try. How else will you ever know if "better" has arrived? :)
 
I like a good mix of guns. Old and new. Steel and Polymer. I have several. Glocks, KrlTec and I have revolvers from S&W, Ruger and one Colt. I even own and like S&W’s with locks. :what:

Around here the gun shows are great. A wide range of old and new and not too many knick knack, jerky and jewelry tables.
 
Targa said:
I will take it a bit further, I would like to find a store where the majority of guns do not require a detachable magazine. Yep, I would like to see the store that has a huge, thorough selection of revolvers, lever actions, single shots, bolt actions and where the few bottom feeders they had in stock were just an after thought. You know, the exact opposite of what gun stores have in stock now..:D.
Click to expand...

Collectors Firearms Houston, TX

https://www.collectorsfirearms.com/
 
I'm not adverse to polymer frames. I have several but I could live without them. I only purchased those in the last few years to see why they're so popular. Meh.

Lighter to carry but harder to shoot, IMO.
 
MikeInOr said:
Plastic guns are for utility and metal guns are for enjoyment. I own several plastic guns for carrying and I wouldn't really want to carry a big heavy metal gun. Likewise plastic guns go to the range to practice and the metal guns come along for fun.
Click to expand...

Pretty much my philosophy. Plastic guns are wonderful working guns, durable, reliable, easy to replace if something happens or they get scratched and broken.

The fun guns are steel and wood, or composites.

Although, I will say that when my back can handle the weight, the 1911 really does carry best for me short of something like the 365. Just fits my body type well.

Unfortunately my back has been a problem for a few years.
 
CoalTrain49 said:
I'm not adverse to polymer frames. I have several but I could live without them. I only purchased those in the last few years to see why they're so popular. Meh.

Lighter to carry but harder to shoot, IMO.
Click to expand...

For the bolded, in general I agree. As well as I shoot my various 9mm Glocks, something like a 226 or 9mm 1911 is indeed easier to shoot.

But, as much as I adore my .45 1911s, I do generally find both my HK45c and Glock 21 handle the .45 more pleasantly than even a steel 1911, shoot just as well, and are generally faster for me during drills. Flex in the polymer I guess plus just the way they fit my hand.
 
Our last small local gunshow was a welcome surprise in that it had many old gun although mostly hand guns and revolvers were plentiful. The problem was that prices were very high. I saw several guns that I would have l would liked to have walked out with but I left empty handed. I did enjoy the looking.

I only have two poly framed handguns and my wife has one. All seem dependable as a rock but I prefer all metal ones. My son-in-law has a long slide S&W M&P that I wouldn't throw rocks at if the right deal for one presented it's self although I would prefer a long slide 1911.
 
Last edited:
I've gone the opposite way. I used to be a blued steel and walnut guy for both rifles and pistols and now I appreciate polymer and cerakote more and more every day. Especially in handguns I really don't care for metal framed guns that much. I have several but no desire to get any more.
 
I've spent a while collecting some "famous" metal framed guns because I always shot them better and do get more enjoyment out of them. Being 100% honest though, that changed when I recently picked up a SIG P320. I can get small groups with my 75b or Hi Power, but that P320 makes one ragged hole, similar to how I can shoot my Ruger MKI and Buckmark. I have zero desire to make the P320 a carry gun or nightstand gun, but it sure is fun to shoot at the range.

But I'm still not giving up my classic steel and aluminum framed guns.
 
I was one of the fairly early adopters of polymer pistols from Star and Sig and do have the Star UltraStar as well as a few other modern polymer framed pistols, both hammer and striker fired. I find that recently my Walther CCP M2+ 380 is getting far more than its fair share of WalkAbout but still the steel or alloy pistols and revolvers get the majority of carry time. For example two very similar S&W pistols are my 469 which is an alloy framed double stack and my Shield 2.0 9mm are almost identical in size and shape (except of course the grip on the 469 is somewhat wider) but it's the 469 that gets the most carry of the two. Similarly my all steel 1911 and the S&W Shield 2.0 45acp have about the same capacity, use the same cartridges but the 1911s get far far more carry time than the Shield.

The biggest current determinant is not weight or caliber or capacity but rather my physical limitations on a given day. On bad days the lighter weight easier to rack, control and maintain .380acp CCP, Shield EZ or Ruger Security 380 get to go WalkAbout. On good days my Detective Special or a 1911 are more likely to be carried.
 
I can’t remember how many guns I own, I’ll estimate. 18 hand guns 3 of which are polymer frame. Long guns - 10 2 of which are other than wood stocked, a Maverick 88 shotgun and an AR. If I could plastic would not exist but at the time price and weight were the considerations. Some years ago as I sat in a tree stand during deer season the sun just beginning to show himself I glanced at the near perfect bluing and richly grained walnut stock on my Marlin 336 and thought “Life just don’t get no better”
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
  • Locked
When great companies get goofy!
2
Replies
26
Views
2K
coop57
C
G
  • Locked
Status of P80 pistol frame sales - Still legal?
Replies
6
Views
766
Riomouse911
Riomouse911
whatnickname
  • Locked
Reddish (plum) Color on barrel of older SIG 226
Replies
16
Views
2K
MCMXI
MCMXI
A
  • Locked
Sig P 365 Crossdraw Holster
Replies
0
Views
458
A526051
A
T
  • Locked
Which .22 pistol?
Replies
17
Views
1K
Richard
R
Back
Top