polymer revolver?
- Thread starter skt666
- Start date
As the story goes,,,
young pup asked an old timer why he continued to carry a S/A "hawg leg" when there were newer and faster to reload designs.
Old timer replied, "Son. There'll be all the time in the world to reload after the shootin' is over".
Only 109? heck, I bet the line of takers to go one on one with James Butler Hickock and his 144 year old Colt's is shorter than the lifespan of a donut sittin' on a table between Rosi 'O and Mickey Moore
Polymer
While the polymer frame revolver is an interesting and thought provoking concept, I don't think it will catch on due to a number of factors.
1) Titanium- We the weight savings with Ti revovlers, which are also stronger than polymer.
2) Availability- While there are some interesting alternative designs out there, it is much easier and cost-effective to accquire one of the many heavy-caliber, lightweight revolvers available.
3) Bulk- The first GlockBlocks were rather bulky and hard to carry/conceal. It has taken them decades to get the formula right, and it still ain't great. I think that polymer revolvers will have to follow the same process of refinement, albeit shorter using the lessons learned by the Block manufacturers.
4) Customer Base- When I was in college I used to spend lots of time in the local gun shop. I noticed that most revolver shooters were pretty set in their ways. Many had a favorite brand or caliber they would stick with, and most were more interested in the common revo's than the oddball items. This, however, might have been a local thing. Your mileage on this one may vary.
Personally I would rather drop money on a proven design with available parts that is relatively simple to operate/repair.
These are just my observations and opinions, but seem to make sense (at least to me) given the current lack of polymer revo's, even though the technology has been around for about 30 years now.
I will now don Nomex underwear and await inflagration
While the polymer frame revolver is an interesting and thought provoking concept, I don't think it will catch on due to a number of factors.
1) Titanium- We the weight savings with Ti revovlers, which are also stronger than polymer.
2) Availability- While there are some interesting alternative designs out there, it is much easier and cost-effective to accquire one of the many heavy-caliber, lightweight revolvers available.
3) Bulk- The first GlockBlocks were rather bulky and hard to carry/conceal. It has taken them decades to get the formula right, and it still ain't great. I think that polymer revolvers will have to follow the same process of refinement, albeit shorter using the lessons learned by the Block manufacturers.
4) Customer Base- When I was in college I used to spend lots of time in the local gun shop. I noticed that most revolver shooters were pretty set in their ways. Many had a favorite brand or caliber they would stick with, and most were more interested in the common revo's than the oddball items. This, however, might have been a local thing. Your mileage on this one may vary.
Personally I would rather drop money on a proven design with available parts that is relatively simple to operate/repair.
These are just my observations and opinions, but seem to make sense (at least to me) given the current lack of polymer revo's, even though the technology has been around for about 30 years now.
I will now don Nomex underwear and await inflagration
But fantastically expensive due to material costs and the difficulties of machining it. Ti is neat, but it's not going to become mainstream unless there are some breakthroughs. Practically every major manufacturer is still making aluminum and polymer framed guns in spite of Ti availability.
It's worth noting that the smallest .380ACP I'm aware of has a polymer frame.
I think your other points are pretty decent--the comment about customer base is dead-on, IMO.
Agreed.
You are quite correct on the cost of Ti revolvers. (probably why I don't have one) I didn't think to factor that in.
As far as bulk, I did not mean to imply that all poly's are clunky. Allow me to clarify.
The first Glocks were very bulky, and it took them a good bit of R&D trial and error to get them where they are today. It would stand to reason that poly revo's would follow a similar path of refinement, taking a great deal of time before they became widely accepted.
I do think that some of the other ideas mentioned show much merit, i.e. alternate cocking, simplified lockwork, etc. It seems that those also would take quite a bit of development before they could be manufactured to a satisfactory level.
Or I could just be an old steel-framed curmudgeon
A side note about the S&W Model 10. The reason they retain so much popularity without the technological improvements that others have is that they are well proven. Used ones are available in scores and current production models run in the $500 range. This means that they are within reach of budget concious shooters. They are also reliable, simple, and accurate. A proven formula doesn't often require new ingredients.
Also, my comments about GlockBlocks are only good-natured ribbing, as I think they are fine performers and have come a long way. No harm meant to anyone who prefers them.
Respectfully to all,
John
You are quite correct on the cost of Ti revolvers. (probably why I don't have one
) I didn't think to factor that in.As far as bulk, I did not mean to imply that all poly's are clunky. Allow me to clarify.
The first Glocks were very bulky, and it took them a good bit of R&D trial and error to get them where they are today. It would stand to reason that poly revo's would follow a similar path of refinement, taking a great deal of time before they became widely accepted.
I do think that some of the other ideas mentioned show much merit, i.e. alternate cocking, simplified lockwork, etc. It seems that those also would take quite a bit of development before they could be manufactured to a satisfactory level.
Or I could just be an old steel-framed curmudgeon
A side note about the S&W Model 10. The reason they retain so much popularity without the technological improvements that others have is that they are well proven. Used ones are available in scores and current production models run in the $500 range. This means that they are within reach of budget concious shooters. They are also reliable, simple, and accurate. A proven formula doesn't often require new ingredients.
Also, my comments about GlockBlocks are only good-natured ribbing, as I think they are fine performers and have come a long way. No harm meant to anyone who prefers them.
Respectfully to all,
John