Question on Polymer Guns

[Underdog 1,593]

This is mostly a Glock question... but maybe applicable to a majority of new guns that are being made out of plastic.  And, I like both all-metal ones and polymer ones. The trend is plastic...  even revolvers and 1911s (blasphemy) are now plastic.  There are many older revolvers, 1911s, CZs, Hi-Powers, Astras, that are still going strong and are 40 or more years old of steel, but perhaps back then they weren't shot as often...  My question is, how are the original Glocks holding up?  Do people have them and still shoot them frequently?  Have they been relegated to the back of the safe and newer models going to the ranges?  Are owners not as confident in them, now?  Since I don't see them too often for sale, etc., I wondered if people still have them, if they were holding on to them and cherishing them, etc... How is an almost 30-year old Glock, or even 15-year old one holding up in terms of its frame, barrel, etc, as compared to the steel-framed icons?   What will a Glock 23 be like in 40 years or more? 

[checko 180]

Even if it broke down I can't fathom a glock owner ever admitting it

[laabci 0]

I'm not a Glock owner but I'd guess that it's not the age but the mileage that really matters.

As long as it was properly maintained I don't see a reason an older polymer gun would  be any differently than an all-metal gun.

[gfl216 226]

This is a great question. I'm looking forward to the responses.

[GRIZ 3,369]

A friend of mine has a G17 he bought early in 1986 just when Glock started bringing them to the US. He carried it as a duty weapon until there was a change in firearms policy in 1999 and started carrying it again 2003. It retired when he did in 2010 so he carried it as his primary duty weapon for 20 years. He was a firearms instructor so he got to send more rounds down range than the average agent. Conservatively he has put over 60,000 rds through it, never malfunctioned never had any parts replaced. When he retired he got a great job doing executive protection for a single client and carried a G27 to keep him out of trobule in restrictive states but has switched to a LC9 since the SAFE act as he travels in NJ and NY daily.

 

Glocks started to become popular in the early 90s and many agents bought them for duty weapons. We went to issued Glocks only for about 5 years and then back to authorizing personal owned Glocks before I retired. When I retired I oversaw about 150 agency 17s, 19s, and 26s and had knowledge of what was going on with over 500 Glocks. I recall maybe 10 bad magazines. There were also about 10 Glocks requiring repair. Half of these were to improper operator maintenance, one broken recoil spring guide, and 4 or 5 loose front sights. That's it.

[Geek 4]

You won't see as many Gen 1 Glocks because not as many were sold as newer models.  Some of the earliest ones have become collector items for Glock fans as well.  Since the differences are minor from generation to generation almost all the parts are interchangable with later models, making maintenance painless.  They obviously have less of a rust problem than earlier steel guns.  As of now, there is no reason to think they won't hold up indefinitely.

[raz-0 1,259]

Age wise they tend to fail with a frame crack by the front block somewhere between the takedown doohickey and the pin that retains the block. They can still function with a crack, but if it migrates to the pin hole you can wind up with non repairable frame damage that affects function.

 

Given historical performance, I'd guess a 9mm flavor has at least 18years or 50,000 rounds to its lifespan, assuming glock hasn't made positive revisions to their polymer formula.

 

Given that there are many examples past both numbers, I suspect environment has a lot to do with it. Uv exposure, solvents and lubes, etc. There's also the random chance factor of where that crack migrates and if the user considers it failed when it appears or when it stops running right. I suspect a 10mm will not make the round count of a 9mm, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

[Old School 611]

Age wise they tend to fail with a frame crack by the front block somewhere between the takedown doohickey and the pin that retains the block. They can still function with a crack, but if it migrates to the pin hole you can wind up with non repairable frame damage that affects function.

 

Given historical performance, I'd guess a 9mm flavor has at least 18years or 50,000 rounds to its lifespan, assuming glock hasn't made positive revisions to their polymer formula.

 

Given that there are many examples past both numbers, I suspect environment has a lot to do with it. Uv exposure, solvents and lubes, etc. There's also the random chance factor of where that crack migrates and if the user considers it failed when it appears or when it stops running right. I suspect a 10mm will not make the round count of a 9mm, etc.

 

 

All so true... Now the design has been changed from two pin to 3 pin as well. How does this affect the crack situation?

An additional question is,,,Based on GLOCK's warrantee policy will they replace a cracked frame?  I think they might even well past the original purchaser.

[Parker 213]

I had a pair of Glock's that were twenty years old before Sandy swept them away. An early G19 with a single-pin crossbolt, and a Gen II G21. The plastic sights on the G19 were worn down some, but the pistol functioned fine. Never had one hiccup. The G21 cracked the extractor hook during a falling plate match in its early days. (It still worked through the remainder of the match, only gave a less-than-lazy ejection.) A replacement came at my expense. I never had a problem with either gun other than the extractor issue. Don't think I reached the 50,000 round mark.

[NJJim 37]

I wonder the same thing.  Being in the auto repair business I see many failed "plastic" parts after only 6 or 7 years.  Coolant fittings and intake gasket frames crumbling are the worst.  Also many plastic trim parts become brittle and break when subjected to the stress of disassembly. Guns are not subjected to the same environment as engine parts but it makes me wonder. 

 

I have one polymer frame gun and don't plan on more.  I know steel guns last at least 100 years as long as they are kept free of rust.