Plastic? Tupperware? Polymer? Yes? No?

[Questor]

What do you think about plastic components in guns. It came up in another thread and I'm wondering what others think about it.

Personally, I think it's fine so long as it's good quality plastic that's formulated for long service life. In some ways it's better than other materials I've used. For example, I've pretty much had it with wood in centerfire hunting rifles because I got fed up with having to re-zero every time the weather changes. Give me a top quality fiber and foam model, like a McMillan. I have one on my .375 and it's great. I zeroed it once, and it has held that zero through all seasons, temperatures, and humidities-- dee-lightful!  I also note that Hammerli stopped using wood in their target pistols and replaced them with really nice synthetic grips.  Our Mossberg youth shotgun has some plastic parts that keep the cost down and don't seem to compromise the construction of the gun.

What do you think about plastic in guns?  Where do you find it acceptable, and where is it not acceptable? Do you think the future will hold more use of plastic in guns?

[Lloyd Smale]

I can go for it for stocks or grips but thats it. No tuperware guns for this guy.

[Dee]

Being an old timer, when the glocks first came out I used to delight in intentionally jamming the 17 with a loose grip just to aggravate the officer I was training on the range (back then we bought our own sidearms). As the younger officers continued to gravitate to the glocks I found that this could only be done with the weak round 9mm pistols. Running a SWAT unit I forbade the calibur. However, I later was sent (against my will) to a glock armorers school put on by glock in Dallas Tx. While there I was handed a glock demo pistol and all the ammo I wanted to shoot. The pistol had over 230,000 rounds ran thru it and the lower receiver had been replaced 3 times (maybe more it's been a long time ago). This pistol was accurate enough for a fighting pistol and was absolutely reliable. Later on, the last three years of my career I was fortunate enough to get a new Chief from Canada with seven years of actual street experience in a suburb. What a moron! My 1911 was forbidden. Glocks were in. I carried two glock model 23s in 40 calibur. Both these pistols were undoubtedly two of the finiest duty pistols I had ever carried and in 20 years of furnishing my own, I have carried them all. But! I could never get attached to one. When I retired I went back to the 1911. It is still my personal carry pistol. I guess I shot all the glocks that were out up until 12 years ago. I never shot a bad one but, I never shot a pretty  one either. Plastic! Yukkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11