Steel or Polymer pistols?

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 3/25/2019 | M Burchett

[w1n1]

A 1911-style Guy Sounds Off Against A Glock Guy
The question of classic or plastic bubbles into conversation more often than not. Some guys are staunch supporters of the classic 1911-style .45 pistol. Notice I said “style.” You see, the 1911 (A1) has been around for over a century. Many manufacturers have their own 1911 pistol. Some are like the original, single-stacked single actions carried cocked and locked. Others are double stacked with a double action only trigger system.
Is one better than the other? You can come to your own opinion on that, but here’s a little piece of fat to chew on. I only know of one double action 1911 on the market, and see very few of them at the range. Whether it is a 3 ½-inch Officer’s Model or a 5-inch Government Model, each one can be traced back to John M. Browning.
Browning was a world changer with this weapon. This was the first automatic-loading handgun in the U.S. military. Developed to provide substantially more firepower over the currently used .38 caliber revolver, the 1911 rode the Cavalry into history.

Another world changer was Glock. In the early 1980s, the Austrian government was looking for a new sidearm. This new weapon was required to carry at least 8 rounds, check, require no tools to field strip and clean, check again, and meet a vigorous torture test to make the selection process. Glock entered the race with no firearms experience. Glock had a vision and vast experience with polymer (plastic). Read the rest of steel vs polymer pistols.

[FreedomPoster]

Yes

Next question?

[riverrunner]

Yes

Is totally correct.

Next question.

[Reno89519]

When are people going to get over Glock? I very much prefer my Sig. I like both steel and polymer. They both have respective advantages.

[yarddog]

I used to work with a Federal Agent who was a country boy and served in WWII. He once told me a funny story.

When he went for pre induction physical the Dr. told him to look at his hands and tell him: Do you like girls or boys? Herb answered, “Well I like em both” in his deep Southern drawl.

The Dr. just looked sort of disgusted and said: “Pass”.

[ThunderSleeps]

Agreed. Celebrate diversity. We have steel and polymer semi-auto pistols, even one revolver (so far) between us. Our handguns range across 5 different calibers from .32 ACP to .45 ACP.

[central_va]

[MachIV]

I use to hate Glocks. Now I am a huge Glock fan. It is the only semiauto I have thadt has ZERO failures for any reason.

[eastexsteve]

I own both Colts and Glocks. My favorite Colt is a Kimber Custom II in Government model. My favorite Glock is a model 23. I shoot the Colt a lot, but the Glock is the one that travels with me and rides in the truck door or my coat pocket. It has many, many rounds fired through it, and it doesn’t get cleaned very much. However, it’s light and a physically smaller gun, the sights acquire fast, it’s accurate, and it will go bang 13 times without a misfire or a hang up before I have to reload. It just is what it is.

[Yo-Yo]

It’s like asking “fiberglass body or steel body” for a car.

Polymer construction has greatly reduced the cost to manufacture a pistol, even if that cost savings isn’t always passed on to the consumer. Glocks have been rumored to cost less than $150 to manufacture, but sell for over $600 to civilians.

Glock in the past has used the low cost of manufacture in order to vastly undercut bids from Colt and Smith for police contracts.

The last military contract, Sig undercut Glock with their own version of the polymer framed P320 that became the M17/M18.

I can tell you that I much prefer to carry my Glock 26 or Ruger LCP than I do my S&W Model 60 J-Frame, just because of weight.

[Do_Tar]

> Others are double stacked with a double action only trigger system.

How can that be called a “1911”?

[Rappini]

I just ordered my first Polymer Sig 2022 in FDE can’t wait to get it.

[FLT-bird]

Steel. I hate polymers. I hate the way they look. I hate the lack of heft and the increased felt recoil and longer time to reacquire the target. I refuse to buy polymer guns.

[mosaicwolf]

The Glock is by far the ugliest pistol ever made. I love my Sigs too!

P-220, P-226, P-229, P-239, and P227.

I have found the best for routine recoil therapy is the P-226.

[Pollster1]

The Glock is by far the ugliest pistol ever made, sort of. There’s competition, but Glock is a contender. The Glock is also a star in the vast majority of “oopsie” negligent discharge videos. Still, I love my Glocks.

My 1911 is my go-to home defense handgun; after many thousands of rounds, it seems to hit on its own. If 8 rounds are not enough though, I’m switching to a Glock 17. With 33 rounds, and two full spare magazines, I’m not even going to count my shots once I switch over. Running out of ammo or even reloading are VERY unlikely with my Glock!