240 towles
master of puppets
who the hell is keeping guns in the sun?
How long will polymer pistols last?
- Thread starter ericoak
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast
Member Benefits:
No ad networks! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
Combloc
Stop Negassing me!!!!!
Eventually, we will move away from polymer and back to some sort of alloy and I have proof that this WILL happen. The following was taken from a time traveler. It is made almost entirely of metal with a very few small parts made of some sort of advanced clear polymer. It does not use projectiles. Instead it uses what appears to be an intensely focused light beam and has multiple settings from stun to kill. Additionally, I was told that it can also be rigged to explode although I haven't tried that function for obvious reasons. I took it to the range only once. While I was trying to figure out how it worked, it somehow went off and my truck was vaporized. I had to walk home. I have not touched it since and it is in safe storage because I do not want any more accidents. Someone could have been killed! The handle functions as some sort of power pack. Out of curiosity, I plugged the power pack into a wall outlet. I have not had an electric bill for over 10 years now. But I am off topic. As stated, it is proof that we WILL move back to metal for pistols in the future. A luger is included in the shot for scale:
BlueHeeler
Ultimate Member
Either should last almost indefinitely with proper storage.
ericoak
don't drop Aboma on me
Yea but firearms development has slowed down a lot. A Tommy Gun from the 1920s is still a pretty effective weapon today. Who knows.
- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
A Civil War musket would be perfect in SHTF. You can find lead and cast balls. And you can make black powder.
Better would be a flintlock, as you can find flints. Percussion caps are a little harder to make yourself.
- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
- Feb 4, 2013
- 28,175
Also Mosins. From 1891.
- Dec 27, 2012
- 30,192
Makes me wonder about something like a plastic trigger group in an otherwise metal gun, like an 870. I've had some plastic stuff that was decades old and kept in a stable environment and it got brittle to the point of failure.
alucard0822
For great Justice
Modern nylon compounds are about as stable as it gets, and the additives have come a long way. I'm more familiar with automotive polymers, but many of the principals are the same, especially carbon black and stabilizer additives, they increase lifespan from years to centuries, might get a little cosmetic surface degradation with a lot of UV exposure and oxidation over a long time(carbon black in the polymer nearly eliminates UV penetration), but that is about it. Environment and care makes more difference than material in most cases though steel vs polymer in a hermetically sealed container, metal might win, although it would take centuries, drop both in saltwater, and polymer might be the winner in a matter of hours although many steel framed guns have polymer parts, and polymer guns have steel parts, so there is that to consider too.
jaybee
Ultimate Member
reminds me
I have a remington nylon 66 that is pretty much all plastic and that's about 50 years old
I have a remington nylon 66 that is pretty much all plastic and that's about 50 years old
newq
101st Poptart Assault BSB
I think we can take a hint from stamped sheet metal guns like the AK's receiver. Have you ever found a piece of sheet metal that laid in the weather for a few years and it gets flimsy? Now take that same piece of sheet metal and put a piece in a climate controlled room and keep it oiled it will last a real long time. Nothing it impervious to degradation but I believe it will happen long after we leave this place.
Your post reminded me of this from Fox's "Sleepy Hollow"
Abby: “What are you doing? You dropped your gun.”
Ichabod: “It was empty.”
Abby: “You only fired one shot!”
Ichabod: “It has more?”
Abby: “Yes, Crane. A lot more.”
Well plastics take a LONG time to degrade in nature, however I wouldn't bet my life on anything polymer a 100 years from now.
Car seats have a 10-year life span because the plastic can break down enough to not be as sound even though it looks fine. I used to have a construction helmet that had the same 10-year "expiration." At least I think it was 10 years, but it definitely had some end-of-life.
Car seats are constantly exposed to high heat and sunlight. Also, it's a liability issue.
Obviously the polymers are not a standard plastic breed and are meant to take punishment and just as another poster commented earlier - Nothing is safe. Keep it taken care of and it'll last you a lifetime.
smokey
2A TEACHER
- Jan 31, 2008
- 31,504
could always play it safe, put one stainless steel frame in the safe along with the standard polymer frame. That way, whichever holds up the best can be passed down.
http://www.ccfraceframes.com/options.php
http://www.ccfraceframes.com/options.php
EODJoe
Sic Semper Tyrannis
Users who are viewing this thread
Latest posts
-
‘Why is nothing being done?’: Concerns grow about drug use, fighting in Montgomery Co. school bathrooms (15 Viewers)- Latest: CrueChief
-
-
-
-
-
Forum statistics
Latest threads
-
‘Why is nothing being done?’: Concerns grow about drug use, fighting in Montgomery Co. school bathrooms (15 Viewers)
- Started by RFBfromDE
- Replies: 1
-
-
-
-
-
-
Hair-trigger posting... please include more than just the "headline" (2 Viewers)- Started by Mr H
- Replies: 13