I don't understand why people fear MIM parts. It's worse than the whole cast vs forged frame thing.
Gun parts (with a few exceptions) are very lightly loaded. This is especially true for the trigger group. The hammer has to be the toughest part of this group because it whacks things and get whacked back on auto loaders. Even those don't see excessive force.
Metal injection molding can build surprisingly robust parts. The more technology advances the better the parts become. Different alloys are developed to increase life expectancy and overall strength of the parts.
Sintering is taking a bunch of powder, heating it up, and mashing it into the shape you want. Sounds extremely weak, doesn't it? SURPRISE! It's used to make connecting rods in the Chevrolet LS series of engines. The correct alloy makes the part really strong.
The same holds true for MIM. It's not like they are making barrels and bolt faces with MIM. I'm sure a properly designed slide would take the impact of repeated firings but a barrel would be a bit too thick with today's metals.
Who cares if a sear or disconnect are MIM? What difference does it make? The surface of the part can be made to be just as slick as a forged part while costing much less.
Ruger is willing to cast nearly anything gun related. They have developed the alloys that give the strength they need in a cast part.
S&W concentrated on using a more conventional alloy and much more expensive forging process to give their parts the strength they deemed necessary.
Technology is advancing. Demanding that gun mfgs stay in the dark ages only guarantees that costs will rise dramatically and production will fall.
Embrace the new tech. Done properly it can outlive the old stuff.
What is the problem? Fear of change? Fear of the unknown?
Gun parts (with a few exceptions) are very lightly loaded. This is especially true for the trigger group. The hammer has to be the toughest part of this group because it whacks things and get whacked back on auto loaders. Even those don't see excessive force.
Metal injection molding can build surprisingly robust parts. The more technology advances the better the parts become. Different alloys are developed to increase life expectancy and overall strength of the parts.
Sintering is taking a bunch of powder, heating it up, and mashing it into the shape you want. Sounds extremely weak, doesn't it? SURPRISE! It's used to make connecting rods in the Chevrolet LS series of engines. The correct alloy makes the part really strong.
The same holds true for MIM. It's not like they are making barrels and bolt faces with MIM. I'm sure a properly designed slide would take the impact of repeated firings but a barrel would be a bit too thick with today's metals.
Who cares if a sear or disconnect are MIM? What difference does it make? The surface of the part can be made to be just as slick as a forged part while costing much less.
Ruger is willing to cast nearly anything gun related. They have developed the alloys that give the strength they need in a cast part.
S&W concentrated on using a more conventional alloy and much more expensive forging process to give their parts the strength they deemed necessary.
Technology is advancing. Demanding that gun mfgs stay in the dark ages only guarantees that costs will rise dramatically and production will fall.
Embrace the new tech. Done properly it can outlive the old stuff.
What is the problem? Fear of change? Fear of the unknown?