LW Glock build??

S

stagpanther

New member
I've always had fun building AR's--and have done a bit of customizing on Glocks--I've noticed Lone Wolf offers what appears to be gen 3 style 80% lowers and I'm thinking of trying it just for the heck of it. Anyone know what's involved in making it 100%--and if the results are worthwhile?
 
I've been tempted as well to build one for fun. From an economic standpoint, though, it never makes sense to me, since a complete pistol can be had for less money.
 
I have had great experiences with the Lone Wolf replacement bbls, but given the extra cost have never really pursued building a LW/Glock from scratch.

Don't get me wrong, if I somehow managed to break my Glock and needed a replacement frame, slide, bbl, part, etc..... I would definitely look at buying LW but I am all about no frills functional/practical and try to avoid flashy extras.
 
Are you talking about the Spectre 80% Glock frames?

The front slide rails are incorporated into the steel locking block. However they have rear plastic rails in place of the rear steel slide rails used by a factory Glock frame. Reports I've seen indicate limited durability, as one might expect.

It's one thing to design a gun to function properly with plastic slide rails. The Ruger P95 is a classic example that works well and has exceptional durability. The designers understood the material properties of the plastic and insured that there was enough material and that the design had good durability.

It's another thing entirely to take a design that's intended to work with steel slide rails and try to make it work with plastic slide rails. The Glock design is made to work with rear steel slide rails. Replacing them with plastic isn't likely to result in a durable design. I've even seen a few reports of high-mileage Glocks breaking their rear STEEL slide rails. How long could a plastic rail be expected to last?
 
Stag, that is the Polymer 80 as the previous poster said, although that model has steel rear rails. They have updated their design to eliminate the plastic rear rails.

It just doesn't pan out financially unless you can afford to indulge in a hobby.

Good luck either way
 
Unless I'm reading it wrong, the Poly80/Spectre frames still have plastic rear rails. Both the FAQ on the LW site and also the FAQ on the manufacturer's website say the rear rails are plastic.

https://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=920168&MANF=5524

Are the rails polymer or metal?
Front Rails are metal, rear rails will need to be milled from existing polymer. (Similar design to the 100% Ruger Pistols)?​

http://www.polymer80.com/pf940-faq/?___store=default

Q: What material is used on the rear slide rail?

A: PF940 utilizes a rear slide rail system that needs to be milled from polymer. We designed the front slide rail/locking block system to take on the brunt of the work when the pistol is fired, which will alleviate most of the wear and tear on the rear slide rails. This type of system is currently being utilized on the Ruger pistols with no issues.​

And by the way, they are not similar to the Ruger pistols which employ plastic slide rails. The plastic slide rails on the Ruger P95 pistols are MUCH larger/thicker than the rails on the Poly80 frames.

Glock steel slide rails are 0.045" thick--that's the same thickness that the Poly80 slide rails are constrained to given that they have to operate with a Glock slide. At 0.195" thick, the Ruger P95 slide rails are over 4 times thicker.

***EDIT***
Ok, after more searching, I see that it does appear that Poly 80 has an upgraded frame with a steel "RRM" (Rear Rail Module). I have not seen any reviews/reports on the models with the steel rear rail module, but I have to believe it's an improvement on the original design.
 
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My apologies--I didn't see where it was referred to as "spectre" so I didn't think it was the same thing. My impression is the main price "gotcha" component is the slide.

I was wondering if anyone had tried this and if they had noticed if their was any advantage at all to building one (other than the obvious serial number avoidance, which is not a concern of mine). As an analogy--I think there are certain advantages to building your own AR over buying a manufactured one--once you have a fair idea of their operation. I've found LW barrels to be pretty well-made and reliable over time--so this piques my curiosity, that's all.
 
I agree with what was said above. You can buy a Glock any generation for the same price, so why bother with a copy. As long as your frame is good, you can easily replace any part needed on a Glock.
 
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