USA Carry
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Maps
  • State Guides
    • A-E
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • American Samoa
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
    • F-J
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
    • K-M
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
    • N-O
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Northern Marianas
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
    • P-U
      • Pennsylvania
      • Puerto Rico
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
    • V-Z
      • Vermont
      • Virgin Islands
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • Washington D.C.
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Maps
  • State Guides
    • A-E
      • Alabama
      • Alaska
      • American Samoa
      • Arizona
      • Arkansas
      • California
      • Colorado
      • Connecticut
      • Delaware
    • F-J
      • Florida
      • Georgia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Idaho
      • Illinois
      • Indiana
      • Iowa
    • K-M
      • Kansas
      • Kentucky
      • Louisiana
      • Maine
      • Maryland
      • Massachusetts
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Mississippi
      • Missouri
      • Montana
    • N-O
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • New Hampshire
      • New Jersey
      • New Mexico
      • New York
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Northern Marianas
      • Ohio
      • Oklahoma
      • Oregon
    • P-U
      • Pennsylvania
      • Puerto Rico
      • Rhode Island
      • South Carolina
      • South Dakota
      • Tennessee
      • Texas
      • Utah
    • V-Z
      • Vermont
      • Virgin Islands
      • Virginia
      • Washington
      • Washington D.C.
      • West Virginia
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
USA Carry
No Result
View All Result
  • DAILY GUNS & AMMO DEALS – CLICK HERE!
Home Articles

Why We Shouldn’t Worry About Polymer Handguns

Luke McCoy by Luke McCoy
August 16, 2016
in Articles, General Firearm
Reading Time: 2 mins read
Why We Shouldn't Worry About Polymer Handguns
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Why We Shouldn't Worry About Polymer Handguns

Glock and Steyr-Mannlicher were two of the most widely distributed pistol manufacturers in the early 80s that featured a polymer lower receiver. The core components that fire a gun need to always be made of metal because of the ballistic configuration of a modern pistol round. However, almost all of the support components can be made of polymer.

Polymer isn’t just “plastic”. There’s many different varieties and each is chemically unique and has properties great for stability. In almost all cases, using polymer in the gun makes that gun far lighter than using metal.

The main complaints about polymer handguns:

  • Cheap looking
  • Feels flimsier than steel or aluminum
  • Worried about cracking it if it gets dropped
  • Brake cleaning fluid may dissolve or weaken polymer

Okay, if we were going to honestly evaluate these, we’d need some test footage to keep our reading audience entertained. Here’s a video of a man throwing his Glock through a crazy number of torture tests including drops, drags, and everything.

Not to give a spoiler alert but — the gun works just fine.

Modern firearms are made with a startling amount of high precision engineering. They’re made to take a lot of abuse and continue working. There are pistols that are made of steel and aluminum and still have a poor record of performance (Jimenez and Hi-Point).

However, the most valid complaint is that some polymers can become brittle in extreme cold. We’re talking extended below freezing exposure. In any video you find on YouTube featuring a frozen Glock, the action will freeze. One FPSRussia video featured a Glock frozen in a cube of ice that he shot free with his 1911. He then threw it in the furnace and then blew it up with explosives.

Surprise, surprise, the lower receiver is the point of failure in these extreme circumstances.

If you operate as a lone wolf in the Arctic, perhaps a polymer lower receiver is not for you.

If you regularly bathe in brake fluid, a polymer lower receiver is not for you.

Outside of those two extreme situations, everyone else should be perfectly fine.

And while Conan the Barbarian did admire the virtue of steel, he also had to fight off a dude that transformed into a giant snake. So, let’s withhold judgement and pay a little respect to modern chemistry.

In conclusion, there’s no good argument for why you shouldn’t use a handgun that uses polymer. There shouldn’t be a value judgement on whether or not a handgun is made purely out of metal alloys or a mixture of alloys and polymer. The gun’s true test is the range and in real life. If it ever fails at the range, it’s probably not the handgun for everyday concealed carry. Polymer is the least of all things factoring into that equation.

Tags: glockhandgunpolymer
Luke McCoy

Luke McCoy

Luke McCoy is the founder of USA Carry. In 2007, he launched USA Carry to provide concealed carry information and a community for those with concealed carry permits and firearm enthusiasts.

Next Post
Can Carrying Concealed Everyday Be Better For Your Health?

Can Carrying Concealed Everyday Be Better For Your Health?

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Connect with
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Please login to comment
7 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Previous Post

Whatever Happened to Red Ryder? A Look at the Olympic Class Air Guns

Next Post

Can Carrying Concealed Everyday Be Better For Your Health?

Related Posts

Armed Good Samaritan Stops Violent Carjacking Spree | Tackles & Detains Suspect at Gunpoint
Articles

Armed Good Samaritan Stops Violent Carjacking Spree | Tackles & Detains Suspect at Gunpoint

June 11, 2025
Concealed Carry Expanded: PA and VA Finalize Firearm Reciprocity Agreement
Articles

Concealed Carry Expanded: PA and VA Finalize Firearm Reciprocity Agreement

June 11, 2025
Articles

“People That Want To Kill You Don’t Care About Your Feelings”

June 10, 2025
Masked Gunman Killed by Employee During Attempted Robbery at Sugar’s Crab Shack
Articles

Masked Gunman Killed by Employee During Attempted Robbery at Sugar’s Crab Shack

June 9, 2025

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

Navigate Site

  • State Guides
  • Maps
  • Articles
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Store
  • Deals
  • Giveaway
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps
  • Concealed Carry Permit Guides By State
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • American Samoa
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Guam
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Northern Marianas
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Puerto Rico
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virgin Islands
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • Washington D.C.
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Giveaway
  • Store
  • Daily Deals
  • Contact

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity Maps
  • Concealed Carry Permit Guides By State
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • American Samoa
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Guam
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Northern Marianas
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Puerto Rico
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virgin Islands
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • Washington D.C.
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Articles
    • Defensive Gun Uses
    • Concealed Carry
    • Gun Reviews
    • Gear Reviews
    • Training
    • Firearm Laws & Litigation
    • CCW For Women
    • General Firearm
    • Open Carry
    • Self-Defense
    • Survival
    • Home Defense
  • Forums
  • Podcast
  • Giveaway
  • Store
  • Daily Deals
  • Contact

© 2025 USA Carry LLC

wpDiscuz
7
0
Join the conversation, please comment.x
()
x
| Reply
You are going to send email to

Move Comment
Gun Deals
Gun.Deals