Plastic Guns

[AaronUSP]

It's so funny that Glock people claim that everything else "polymer" is a Glock Rip off. The fact remains is that HK is the first handgun that produced a "polymer Pistol." BTW, I love Glock, I am just laughing at others ignorance

[quikz]

Well...Hk 'polymer' is fiber-reinforced plastic.

[AaronUSP]

Well...Hk 'polymer' is fiber-reinforced plastic.

Polymer, and plastic in the sarcastic sense, is the same thing from my previous post.

[BuckSolly]

All plastics are polymers, regardless if they're reinforced with fibers. It's just a type of material. Why else are there so many different types of plastics? They're obviously not all the same, just like metals, but it doesn't mean any of them aren't plastic, just like gold is as much a metal as carbon steel is.

[quikz]

Yes, I'm being sarcastic too... :)

I too don't understand why people refer to plastic as 'polymer'.

Like 'Sanitation Engineer', 'Patroleum Transfer Technician', etc...

We Americans LOVE 'Marketing'. :rolleyes:

[AaronUSP]

Yes, I'm being sarcastic too... :)

I too don't understand why people refer to plastic as 'polymer'.

Like 'Sanitation Engineer', 'Patroleum Transfer Technician', etc...

We Americans LOVE 'Marketing'. :rolleyes:

I know, I was basically posting to get a rise out of the Glock guys.......half of them over on Glock talk know nothing about that fact!

[BuckSolly]

Because polymer is a stronger word than plastic. If it's a polymer it won't break because it has fancy word voodoo powering it...unlike plastic. :)

[AaronUSP]

I know, I was basically posting to get a rise out of the Glock guys.......half of them over on Glock talk know nothing about that fact!

The fact about HK coming out with the first Polymer pistol.

[djlethalweapon]

The fact about HK coming out with the first Polymer pistol.

Tell them to look up the VP70. That should set them straight. ;)

[quikz]

I know, I was basically posting to get a rise out of the Glock guys.......half of them over on Glock talk know nothing about that fact!

I would suggest that half of them know nothing about Glocks either! ;)

[IMTHESKI]

I like Glocks too, I also like the fact there are people out there who buy Glocks and not HK's! It creates less of a demand and makes HK's semi affordable. Can you imagine the price of VP70's if every Glock fan suddenly felt the need for one:90:

[Scooter]

It's no worse than people that think Ford made the first car.

[cmdrdredd]

Yes, I'm being sarcastic too... :)

I too don't understand why people refer to plastic as 'polymer'.

Like 'Sanitation Engineer', 'Patroleum Transfer Technician', etc...

We Americans LOVE 'Marketing'. :rolleyes:

Because it differentiates the polymer material used in your gun from that used in a coke bottle.

[Scooter]

Because it differentiates the polymer material used in your gun from that used in a coke bottle.

Now your gun is in the same family as protein and cellulose. lol

[w9zeb]

I dunno, I think I'd rather hear my $800 gun is made of Polymer than Plastic.

A Plastic gun, that's like a Hi-Point or something right?

*snicker*

[Scooter]

Plastic is technically a more specific definition than polymer. It is really a thermoplastic.

If you were to arrange a heirarchy of the terms from broad to specific like:
Animals>Vertebrates>homo sapiens

The equivalent is:
Polymer>Plastics>Thermoplastics

[steelshooter]

The Wright brothers were not the first to fly, Henry Ford did not invent the first automobile and Columbus was not the first to discover America. They are all famous because they made their inventions or discoveries mainstream and Glock certainly gets credit for making polymer pistol mainstream.

[steelshooter]

Well thats true. GT is very high noise and low signal.

I would suggest that half of them know nothing about Glocks either! ;)

[BuckSolly]

Plastic is technically a more specific definition than polymer. It is really a thermoplastic.

If you were to arrange a heirarchy of the terms from broad to specific like:
Animals>Vertebrates>homo sapiens

The equivalent is:
Polymer>Plastics>Thermoplastics

Why are they thermoplastics? Cause they don't deform easily under higher temperatures that are commonly found on the inside of a firearm during normal operation?

Not to be confused with a thermal set plastic, which is pretty cool. Melt 'em down, form 'em, and then they don't melt at that temperature anymore.

[H&K 4 LIFE]

I love plastic pistols! :D

The people here on HKPRO are, how should I say... a bit more refined then those on Blocktalk.com. :)

Yes the VP70 was the first polymer pistol out the gate. However, the Glock 17 was the first commercialy sucessful polymer pistol. The G17 is the "plastic" pistol that paved the way for all the other "plastic" pistols we know and love today.

That and you can sneak them through metal detectors... right? :p

[Scooter]

Why are they thermoplastics? Cause they don't deform easily under higher temperatures that are commonly found on the inside of a firearm during normal operation?

Not to be confused with a thermal set plastic, which is pretty cool. Melt 'em down, form 'em, and then they don't melt at that temperature anymore.

Thermoplastics are formed by the addition of heat. Once you get to the glass transisiton temperature, the plastic starts becoming soft. Basically your gun starts as little pellets of plastic. The pellets get heated up and injected into the mold. If you were to take your frame and grind it up, you can re-make it. The thermoplastics used in guns can melt from firing, just look at the XM8.

Thermosetting plastics are formed in a chemical reaction. Epoxies are a thermosetting plastics. Combined the two chemicals together, either an endothermic or exothermic reaction occurs, and it becomes solid. Once solidifies, it cannot be formed. However even with thermosetting plastics, application of heat can cause them to deform.

[dtheman]

I've never seen a picture of the XM8 melting. Can someone post it?