Plastic vs Real stuff guns should be made of

I have more plastic or more steel guns

  • Steel (or stainless or scandium/aluminum)

    Votes: 44 84.6%

  • plastic

    Votes: 8 15.4%
  • Total voters
    52
Pilgrim

Pilgrim

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I see a trend where more and more models of plastic guns are being made and less and less 'real' guns are being offered.

It seems that the younger generation is very happy with plastic and the older of us like to stay with steel and wood.

Plastic has no 'heart' to me. I own none and will own none.

Am I right in that more plastic is being bought than steel?

Post your answer to this question, please.
 
Plastic? They make guns with plastic parts? [shocked]

Hmm... let's see... I have a few guns with plastic grip panels; does that count? Of course, I'm an old fart, since my beard is more salt than pepper...
 
Although I don't own any plastic, I love most firearms (I am of the steel and
wood generation) so the construction material wouldn't bother me much if
at all. Some of the plastic stuff is damn good looking. I would love to shoot
some of it to see what the newer generation brought to the table. My bias is
against 9mm and S&W 639's. The 639 was/is steel and is one of the biggest
pieces of junk I have ever owned, or in my opinion, ever made. No amount of
plastic could be any worse than that gun.

TBP
 
Yes your right. Almost all newer models are poly frames SW new mp Sigs pro line just to name a few. Cheaper to make the more the profit they make.
 
POLYMER

Glock 19
Glock 20
Glock 23
Glock 29
HK USP Tactical
KelTec - P3

STEEL

S&W 642
Sig 239
Cobray M-11
Beretta 92FS

i voted for POLYMER...i LOOOOOVE my glocks and love my hk even more

i think the new trend with plastic has to do with ease of carry...survey a random group of shooters who own both steel and polymer guns and i bet most would say theyd rather carry a glock 21 over a 1911...polymer guns are alot lighter and more contoured to carry than most steel guns...i got my sig 239 and carried it everyday until i got my glocks...now the sig is a range gun...way to heavy to carry...its like an anchor...plus...lets be serious the polymer king...GLOCK...with all the torture tests and proven reliability have developed a following...when i first got my ltc i said id never own a glock cuz theyre friggin ugly...now im a glock fanatic...cant argue the fact that most of the current polymer guns are more reliable than the steel guns of yesteryear

and i guess i fall into the category of "younger" generation since im only 21 and never walked 5 miles uphill in the snow both ways to school haha
 
I have one steel (SW 1911 PD) and 2 polymer (Glock 27, Glock 31). I enjoy all 3 of my guns but i must say the Glock is my carry gun. And yes i also fall into the "younger" generation (21)

Richie
 
I'm somewhat in the younger generation (just turned 30) and I have more steel guns than Polymer. My carry gun varies from a Glock 26 to a S&W 642 airweight revolver. All my competition and target guns are 1911 variants. My double stack guns are steel frames with polymer grips. The material of the gun isn't the deciding factor for me. I try to buy the best guns I can afford regardless of what they're made of.

Now if you ask me about blued vs. stainless or hard chrome that's an easy choice. I'll always go for the stainless or hard chrome... Gotta love the bling bling!!!
 
I (46) was out checking out a new to me G23 at the range. It is one of 3 Glocks that I have. My son (14) tries it out. It jumps a little too much for him. We then get out the Beretta 92. He picks it up to place on target, turns his head to me and says 'this is a real gun should feel like'. excuuuuuse me!
 
Most sigs and new smiths are some type of alloy frame, unless and older smith like a 5946 which I have with steel frame or a sig st model which has a steel frame. PS I like my glocks very much to.
 
I have a little of everything. All steel: my new S&W 1911, steel/alloy: Sig 229 .40 and S&W 6906, and steel/poly G17. The Sig is clearly the best made firearm of the group. It has a smooth action, ergonomic design, and flawless reliability, its my home defense weapon. The 1911, which I have not shot yet, feels less comfortable to hold, its rough around the edges but I hope it shoots like everyone says they do. The Glock is an appliance, no soul, utilitarian and reliable. Finally, the 6906, my carry firearm, is smooth, reliable, lightweight, and accurate, a good compromise. My prediction: only a matter of time before someone cooks up a 1911 with a polymer frame.


Chris
 
Don't have any plastic in my collection....and frankly unless I get an H&K USP tactical, there aren't any plastic guns on my wish list.

Not that I'm biased, I've got nothing against combat tupperware, but I've never shot one (besides the H&Ks) that felt "right" to me.

and that's the HUGE reason why I love 1911s so much, they just fit me like a glove, and are so fun to shoot.

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard
 
The really strange part, to me, is how a Glock feels and shoots in my hand - it doesn't feel quite right... yet the two times I've shot one, I've been tearing out the center of the target.

Eventually, I'll probably slip over to the dark side and get one, but there are other things I want to spend my money on first (new final drive for my bike, a Para LDA .45, etc).
 
I really like the feeling of cold, hard steel in my hands. (Especially stainless) I just don't get the same thing from the plastic guns. Now, I can't deny that they are good guns, are easy to take apart/ put back together and are easy to care for. But, my preference is steel.
 
I have only one poly frame, Walther P99 .40SW
P99.jpg
 
When I bought my first Glock I was intending on buying a Sig for a carry gun. When I held one in each hand the choice was obviously the Glock because of its lighter weight. When I'm carrying my G23 I hardly know its there. Plastic guns do have their place.
 
I'm an old fart and I just got my LTC in 12/05. My first ever handgun on 1/31/05 was a P99 in .40 s&w, after much tortured research on the web. I loved the gun at first, then hated it, then doubted my hate, then hated it again and came close to getting rid of it. I've since, in the space of a few short months, come to realize I made the right choice, and that I was the shortcoming. This gun will do what I want, if I do my part. That being said, in the last few months, there's been a few generous souls that have let me try their 1911's. That gun is the most natural for me to shoot, it's almost rediculous. I will eventually get one, that's inevitable. But, something tels me, I will still carry the tupperwear. For me, it seems more suited to citizen concealed carry than the Browning format.
 
LoginName said:
Feh!

Steel for me... ever try pistol whipping someone with a plastic handgun? [smile]
Click to expand...

Ever tried pistol whipping someone with a metal gun? I've done neither?

it's like asking if I've ever hammered a nail in with a circular saw....better tools for that job!

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard
 
I thought the USP was metal, guess not. In that case, it's one of the few good looking plastic guns. I don't really appreciate Glocks too much (never fired one, but I don't like it's look). I love the Sig I shot, and the metal looked great on it. I'm all for metal and wood. Plastic only looks good on SMG's and a couple rifles.
 
Glocks are pig-ugly! No other gun more homely than a glock....but I don't knock them for that reason. Somthing as reliable as a glock, you can't knock for it's looks.

I just don't like thier triggers, how they feel in my hands, and I'd rather have a SA or a DA/SA trigger.

Arrr

-Weer'd Beard
 
What I find funny about Glocks is that many people say they dislike them because of the way the "look" yet most guns used in Hollywood are Glocks... Hollywood is all about flash so I'm curious why they choose the Glock. I'm guessing because of it's no-frills/military look???

Most people not interested in guns couldn't point out a Glock from a line up even though every nonshooter always says Glocks are the best guns...
 
K-DUB said:
One of the younger generation putting in a vote for steel/scandium/alloys. No plastic here. [wink]
Click to expand...



K-Dub, you just might want to say, "no plastic here...yet!"


Once you get one Glock, you might quickly find you have a whole mess of 'em in your safe!
 
Cross-X said:
K-Dub, you just might want to say, "no plastic here...yet!"


Once you get one Glock, you might quickly find you have a whole mess of 'em in your safe!
Click to expand...

I've only shot a few Glocks, most notably one of Jim Conway's, and the ones in the GOAL Handgun Safety course. When I was picking out my first gun, I immediatly dismissed the Glock because of the way it felt in my hand, in the gun store. It just didn't feel right. But, interestingly, every time I pick up a Glock and actually shoot it, as another poster reported, I tend to get pretty accurate hits, almost as good as I get with a borrowed 1911. Go figure.
 
Weer'd Beard said:
better tools for that job!

Arrrr

-Weer'd Beard
Click to expand...

You're disagreeing with someone that uses wire snips to cut his toenails and has used a hacksaw to slice a loaf of bread. [wink]
 
Last edited:

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