Polymer vs Steel frame...which do you prefer?

Polymer or Steel?

  • Polymer

    Votes: 36 26.3%

  • Steel

    Votes: 101 73.7%
  • Total voters
    137
  • Poll closed .
I prefer steel for the aesthetics (fit, finish, heft) and because of my admiration of machining and the machinist's craft (regardless of whether a human machinist has ever touched the weapon). I carry polymer most of the time because that's what's available in the caliber and capacity I prefer to carry--and the lighter weight is a modest benefit to me for carry.

I shoot both for target/range play, and have no preference from that perspective. I'm happy my 44 Mag and 45 Mag are all steel, thank you, but if someone decides to build a polymer 45 Mag, I'll probably have one. I'm not concerned about that ever happening, though.
 
I definately prefer steel/aluminum but agree with many that have stated polymer is the carry choice...unless it's a J-frame ;)
 
I can't answer as my preference changes month to month. I can say I prefer steel to aluminum for non-poly guns.
 
since I'm quite practical in most aspects of life, I prefer polymer framed guns simply due to the fact that only the slide needs the amount of surface maintenance metal parts need by design. As far as the frame is concerned, there is nothing to get scratched or chipped, and nothing to be oiled for longer storage.
Admittedly it might be a little bit different if I was into stainless steel, but since I'm not, I love the carefree everyday use with polymer frames...
 
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Steel or alloy if you want to pass it down to your grandkids when you get old...

Plastic has a shelf life. It eventually starts to get brittle and degrade, its the nature of the beast.
Granted, the current polymers are expected 40-50 years, which is a significant lifespan...
and it also depends on how much UV light & heat it gets exposed to on a regular basis...
(Dodge Ram dashcover, anyone? touch it & collapse after 10 years...)
not to mention what happens if you use the wrong gun cleaner...
but if you are 20-30 now, its toast when you're a geezer ;)


Now to the oddball...which almost goes against everything I just wrote...
Remington Nylon 66...I have one, its a Bicentennial Engraved 1976 model.
Fairly rare, as they go. But I still take it to the range every year :)
What do you clean them with? Always used Q-tips, never used cleaners.
Body can be wiped down with a wet washcloth while the metal is away from it, then towel'd dry.
Oiled VERY sparingly...as in one drop applied with a Qtip over the few metal parts.
Then wiped with a cloth and air-dried prior to reassembly.
Its got 41 years on it so far...as long as it remains well-cared for, hope it to last another 39 at least...
Dang sure going to try to help it as much as possible ;)
But I seriously doubt any Glock owner is going to take as much care with theirs as this Nylon 66 has had...
 
Steel or aluminum all the way, no plastic stuff for me. It just feels cheap, like a toy. I've looked at several poly guns and just can't get past the feel. I own one, it's the only one I've ever toyed with trading in. It works well enough and at least it has a hammer but it's just OK, I'm not thrilled with it like I am with all my metal guns.

BTW - The gun I have with right now is the venerable S&W 5906. :-)
 
If they made more carry sized guns with alloy frames I bet they would sell better than the polymers. The weight difference is insignificant in a small gun. The main reason so many say they carry polymer is that's all they can get! Plastic has pretty much taken over that market.
 
I like them both, but prefer and carry steel. Either my CZ 75 SP-01 or 75 Compact go with me. A lot of weight but they handle and shoot well and I just really like the design. I do have a lot of respect for the Glock design though, and I previously carried a G26 which was a fantastic carry gun. I would pick up another without hesitation.
 
Weight doesn't bother me for carry and I prefer the feel and balance of steel, so for me the choice is easy. The only polymer frame handgun in my safe is my wife's Ruger SR-22.
 
Plastic has a shelf life. It eventually starts to get brittle and degrade, its the nature of the beast.
Granted, the current polymers are expected 40-50 years, which is a significant lifespan...
and it also depends on how much UV light & heat it gets exposed to on a regular basis...
Click to expand...
There are plastics and there are plastics, just like there is metal and there is metal. Some metals will last a long time, some will oxidize and/or degrade with age. Some plastics will last a long time, others won't.

Environmental exposure is an issue, but these issues have been considered and compensated for when the manufacturer cares enough to do so. The better nylon "alloys" with the proper additives will not degrade enough from 100 years of sunlight exposure to compromise the structural integrity of a pistol frame.

You mention the Dodge dashboard as an example and that 10 years would cause it to degrade and crack. On the other hand, I had a Honda that I drove for 14 years in TX. Never parked it in a garage a day in the time I had it. It stayed outside through 14 summers of 100+ degree TX heat and sun. When I sold it the dash looked and felt like it did when new. Like I said, there's plastic and then there's plastic.

I've said this before, but I find it somewhat amusing that when I was growing up, people were fretting about the fact that disposable polymers didn't degrade like other materials and there was genuine worry that they would clog landfills and other disposal facilities with "eternal" waste. Now everyone's concerned that durable goods made from plastics will break down too rapidly.

In general, a quality firearm is a quality firearm and will last indefinitely with proper maintenance and moderate use regardless of what it's made from. That's why it really shouldn't surprise you that your Nylon 66 is still going strong.
 
Does anyone know the base cost of the polymer? Compared to steel, or alloy?

One of the things that always bugged me about polymer pistols (frames) is the cost. Not so much different than steel or alloy pistols.

I realize that there is a significant cost to developing the polymer to begin with, and that quality molds are neither cheap, nor simply to build. But isn't one major advantage the lack of machining needed?

Don't these things come out of the mold just about ready for assembly? (if that's not the case, please, enlighten us!;))

SO the money (time) spend machining a frame from a cast or forged "blank", and the tools needed (cost, again) doesn't apply to the polymer fames, does it?? Also saved is the time (cost) to polish and finish the metal (blued /anodized).

How many plastic frames come out of a single mold, before it needs replacement? 1,000? 10,000? I have no idea, but I would think it is a large number.

It seems to me that the per unit cost to make a polymer pistol HAS to be less than a steel or alloy one. Again, I don't know the numbers, but it would seem that they ought to cost a LOT less to make. And like handloading, while there is a significant start up investment, each unit produced is cheaper, and initial costs are recouped over time.

For illustration only, lets say a steel/alloy frame costs $50 to make, and the polymer costs $10. Sell the poly for $30, the public sees a big savings, and you still profit a couple hundred percent, on just the frame alone.

I have major issues with polymer pistols, one brand in particular, not because of the use of polymer, but with the design(s) features, and the company attitude. But that's just my personal gripes.
 
COST?

If the gun makers are doing what they're supposed to do and creating products that satisfy their customers, manufacturing cost is arguably secondary -- until someone else does it as well or better and sells it for less. (The low cost of the Apple iPhones doens't make them unattractive!!)

Many of the polymer-framed guns ARE less expensive than their metal-framed family relatives, and a lot of them perform just as well; a few may even perform better, depending on the criteria used to evaluate them.

I'd argue you can't really look at manufacturing costs when evaluating any product -- you have to look at the VALUE you feel you get for the money you spend.

Capitalism doesn't really focus all that much on FAIR or RIGHT. Communist economists did, and we know how well that worked. :D
 
If they could make alloy frames that could match (or beat) the price of steel frames (especially in the 1911), I would never buy a polymer-framed gun again.....
 
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