I don't usually post but have to put in my 2 cents on this. I think plastic (injected moulded striker fired) guns are cheaper to make than steel revolvers or reinforced aluminum. A lot of the younger crowd is use to the throw-away mentality and want cheap instead of quality. Gun manufacturers can probably crank out a plastic semi-auto for pennies of what a revolver costs.

Another, previously mentioned issue is concealability. I saw in one of my gun magazines where a manufacturer has a curved frame now to better fit the curves of a person's body.

I have a couple plastic guns but most times carry a Colt Agent or a S&W Airweight, both 38s. The Airweight is not as succeptable to sweat rust when it is hot. Sometimes when it is cold enough to wear a coat a stainless 7 shot S&W 686 .357.

As a side note, if I buy a long gun it has to have a wood stock, not a rubber stock.