Glock Frame Longevity
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Just to expand a little, here is text I saved from a forum message. Unfortunately I didn't log the forum or the poster
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a good friend of mine who now lives in Switzerland who was over for the Holidays. Says that he is hearing that there has been a large refit of various Austrian Police and Military units as a result of the Glock frames going brittle from prolonged exposure to the elements and as well as age. Now he is not a handgunner, and is a member of the civil defence force (or whatever the guys who hand out gas masks and say, "Go this way to the shelter!"). Anyhow he does work for a rather huge company, and said he heard this from some of the security personal who also carry Glocks. They too had been instructed to change out guns. I have asked him to see if he can get any photos or written documentation on this and send it to me. As yet I have not, but he only went home a week and a half ago.
To further discuss this (yes I know it is OT somewhat, and I actually like Glocks alot so I am not a Glock hater, but I do have a lot of experience with plastics and polymers. In the industry I work in we utilize a lot of both plastics and polymer based products, all of which must be able to stand up to sustained exposure to sunlight, cold, heat,rain, and stressing. The longest lasting of either of these materials is about 6 years. Now the exposure is constant, Everyday, all year. As season change etc somethings do increase or decrease, more rain less rain etc. Millions of dollars and 40 years of research has yet to yield us a single AFFORDABLE product that can stand up reliably to these conditions for more than 5 or 6 years. These conditions are similar to those that a carry or duty gun would be exposed to, and so it is only natural, for me at least, to believe that this could happen to a Glock as well. I have also seen some of the products we use sit in a room never used, never really exposed to the sun, nor rain, nor stress, nor any real hot or cold conditions, but still be just as brittle after a few years, just from sitting in a dark closet.
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a good friend of mine who now lives in Switzerland who was over for the Holidays. Says that he is hearing that there has been a large refit of various Austrian Police and Military units as a result of the Glock frames going brittle from prolonged exposure to the elements and as well as age. Now he is not a handgunner, and is a member of the civil defence force (or whatever the guys who hand out gas masks and say, "Go this way to the shelter!"). Anyhow he does work for a rather huge company, and said he heard this from some of the security personal who also carry Glocks. They too had been instructed to change out guns. I have asked him to see if he can get any photos or written documentation on this and send it to me. As yet I have not, but he only went home a week and a half ago.
To further discuss this (yes I know it is OT somewhat, and I actually like Glocks alot so I am not a Glock hater, but I do have a lot of experience with plastics and polymers. In the industry I work in we utilize a lot of both plastics and polymer based products, all of which must be able to stand up to sustained exposure to sunlight, cold, heat,rain, and stressing. The longest lasting of either of these materials is about 6 years. Now the exposure is constant, Everyday, all year. As season change etc somethings do increase or decrease, more rain less rain etc. Millions of dollars and 40 years of research has yet to yield us a single AFFORDABLE product that can stand up reliably to these conditions for more than 5 or 6 years. These conditions are similar to those that a carry or duty gun would be exposed to, and so it is only natural, for me at least, to believe that this could happen to a Glock as well. I have also seen some of the products we use sit in a room never used, never really exposed to the sun, nor rain, nor stress, nor any real hot or cold conditions, but still be just as brittle after a few years, just from sitting in a dark closet.
A glossy gel-coat on fiberglass is a little different, plus they were probably waxed to maintain a protection from the elements. I know I wax my boat - a 76 Reinell Cuddy. Still in great shape. Glocks on the other hand do not have any protection, still I would doubt that they see that much sun, rain etc... Even one carried daily is not in direct sunlight and exposed to the elements that much. Still, if you want a gun to pass along to your grandchildren it should be all steel - just my opinion. Plastics will eventually degrade and become brittle with age - even the tough nylon impregnated type plastics that Glocks and Rugers are made from. I am considering a CZ-100 so I am not opposed to plastic guns, you just have to consider their purpose.
>>Great, another "I heard from some guy, who heard from the neighbor's dog that somebody might have started a rumor because he had access to the Internet that..." thread. <<
Mmm, sorta like some Glock fan on GlockTalk told me that you can run over a Glock with a freight train and it will still come out firing story. Or the "have you heard about those Glock torture tests that Glocks survive but no other guns do" type of story.
Probably all crap, and in reality a Glock is a reasonably good gun - nothing too special, nothing too bad.
Mmm, sorta like some Glock fan on GlockTalk told me that you can run over a Glock with a freight train and it will still come out firing story. Or the "have you heard about those Glock torture tests that Glocks survive but no other guns do" type of story.
Probably all crap, and in reality a Glock is a reasonably good gun - nothing too special, nothing too bad.
Blades67, this guy never said that H&K guns will be fine, so it isn't singling out only Glock polymers.
Plastics over time do get more brittle, without question. This is why "bullet proof" vests are only good for a certain amount of time, about 7 years, even stored in a locker. The question is how long does it take for a Glock, or other polymer, frame to get too brittle to be usable?
Given that it is 2002, and many LEA's went to Glock in the early '80s, we should be finding out soon if there is any truth that the first Glock's have reached that point.
Not that I am against polymer frames (Why one of my best friends is . . . ), my Walther P99 is a good gun. I certainly don't believe that one manufacturer has a much better polymer than the rest.
Plastics over time do get more brittle, without question. This is why "bullet proof" vests are only good for a certain amount of time, about 7 years, even stored in a locker. The question is how long does it take for a Glock, or other polymer, frame to get too brittle to be usable?
Given that it is 2002, and many LEA's went to Glock in the early '80s, we should be finding out soon if there is any truth that the first Glock's have reached that point.
Not that I am against polymer frames (Why one of my best friends is . . . ), my Walther P99 is a good gun. I certainly don't believe that one manufacturer has a much better polymer than the rest.
I have a first generation Glock 17 which has been my primary carry gun since '87. Living in Florida, the temperature swings around 100F from the middle of summer to the 3 days of winter we get each year. Since I do not carry it at work, it spends a great deal of time in my car (inside an employee only parking lot with security guards). With the radiant heat from sun and pavement, it really gets cooked in there. It averages around 1000 rounds per year. With the exception of wear from holsters, it looks the same as the day I bought it. No cracks or deformation in the plastic and no broken components from use.
I've never heard it but I would guess it is possible. Plastics do tend to dry out and become brittle with age. I don't see why a Glock or any other brand plastic gun would be any different. Steel and aluminum wear out too. They are all just mechanical devices subject to age,wear, and failure. Mmmmm.......Kind of like me.
I cracked the aluminum frames on three Colt Commanders, with 3000 to 7000 rounds each. I have already put more ammo than that through two of my Glock 45s (the G21 is approaching 12,000 rounds). If they disintegrate in another 12 to 15 years (had the G21 a little over 3 years) I will be well served as I paid much less for the Glocks than for the customized Commanders.
It's also made out of plastic, 25 years ago without the benefit of newer polymers. We're beating a dead horse here, nobody has had one break so it must not be a big time issue. It's mechanical, it's man made, it's going to break someday, someway. If your looking for a new way to knock Glocks keep talking about it. That's the way it works, say it three times and it becomes fact. If I have a frame crack or break, I'll get another one. Next?