The original Ruger .44 mag Carbine buttplate was aluminum. From what I've seen, the plastic is actually as durable as any of these aluminum buttplates. I remember people looking to obtain steel buttplates for these rifles even in the 1970s, and I can not recollect any outfit offering such. Presently such buttplates are not in any of the gun parts suppliers catalogues I have, such as, Midsouth, Brownell's, Graf, Cabela's.
