I'm certainly not ant authority on polimer guns; I don't own one and I can't remember ever firing one. I think polymer is wisely used in some rifle and shot gun stocks, but I formed that opinion from reading test data and gun rag articles-some very good I think. As To the one we are addressing here, hand guns, and primarily pistols, I have arrived at somewhat of a position. I think that the way these plastic guns are made now, that the useful application is somewhere right at or below 9mm in its "standard" form, not +P or certainly not +P+. etc. I followed a discussion here on the forum of younger (than me) guys talking about the problems they had encountered with one of the S&W 40 s&w polimer pistols. The problem seemed to be caused by sharp recoil. Now, I have owned a Browning Hi-Power in 40 S&W-and, of course, it is a metal gun, but not a heavy one, about 28 OZ's unloaded, and I found the recoil quite sharp in it, and I shoot 44 magnum revolvers on a regular basis, as well as a 10mm, etc. The 40 S&W has what I call a sharp recoil-not so much a heavy recoil, but a sharp one, and I think that in a service size pistol in 40 S&W, there needs to be an all around heavier mechaism because of this "shock," as well as a need for the weight that this heavier mechanism would bring, to make shooting the gun rapidly, more managable. I recently got a S&W 4006, supposedly the first gun designed specifically for the 40 S&W, and I think they got it right, right out of the gate, and frankly, I can't imagine it being any smaller/lighter, while continuing to be as good a handling gun as it is. I have a model 59 with the alloy frame, and it weighs 30 OZ's unloaded. I have owned it for over 25 years, and it is a fine 9mm, but I wouldn't want it to be any lighter than it is! I think that the personality in the metal guns will win many younger folks over eventually, and there seems to be a brisk market for the 3rd gen guns-police trade ins, etc right now. Might be good to have a few stuffed in the back of the safe for that day. Oh, and what if, like metal, there is fatigue in polymer at some point, radically termanating the service life of guns made out of it? Just a thought. Flapjack.
