Polymer Experiment Continues

[SuperNaut]

Update to a long-term experiment on Polymer deterioration started back in 2015 in this thread:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...er-ar-magazines-from-sun.783489/#post-9954725

Updated further in the same thread and then in 2017 Here:

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/polymer-experiment-continues.823735/

Latest update is:



No cracking, the poly has grayed over the years but is still flexible and strong. Some might be dust too, the last time I took pics I ran it under water and the gray washed-off.

 

[BigBore44]

Pretty impressive.

 

[BreechFace]

Very impressive, everyone always talks about polymer guns not lasting like the 'ol iron' well seems like your doing well exposed to the elements there and with no rust to boot.

 

[SuperNaut]

Very impressive, everyone always talks about polymer guns not lasting like the 'ol iron' well seems like your doing well exposed to the elements there and with no rust to boot.

Yep and this test is nothing like normal wear, this has been exposed to all weather 24/7/365 for 5 years. I haven't measured the temp on that West facing sill in July, but I promise it's hot!

For normal use, going in-and-out of doors, occasional exposure to wet and freezing on a hunt, I think a polymer stock and/or magazine will last more than a lifetime.

 

[jmr40]

Plastics were 1st used a lot during WW-2. Some of that stuff is still usable today and today's plastics are much better.

I don't know how long this gun had been in the elements. The cheap metal frame is gone. The plated steel slide is still in decent shape. We found no magazine. The barrel and springs are almost completely rusted through. I'd trust today's plastic as much as steel, more than aluminum alloy.

My wife and I volunteer with a search team that looks for missing people. The subject had been missing for years and was a suspected suicide. He was last seen purchasing a shotgun and box of shells from a pawnshop a few blocks from the wooded area where we found this. This probably isn't related to the search, but I suppose it is possible he traded the shotgun for this pistol. We also found some tattered clothing scraps and one shoe nearby. But the cadaver dogs didn't seem interested and no bones were found.

 

[BigBore44]

Plastics were 1st used a lot during WW-2. Some of that stuff is still usable today and today's plastics are much better.

I don't know how long this gun had been in the elements. The cheap metal frame is gone. The plated steel slide is still in decent shape. We found no magazine. The barrel and springs are almost completely rusted through. I'd trust today's plastic as much as steel, more than aluminum alloy.

My wife and I volunteer with a search team that looks for missing people. The subject had been missing for years and was a suspected suicide. He was last seen purchasing a shotgun and box of shells from a pawnshop a few blocks from the wooded area where we found this. This probably isn't related to the search, but I suppose it is possible he traded the shotgun for this pistol. We also found some tattered clothing scraps and one shoe nearby. But the cadaver dogs didn't seem interested and no bones were found.

View attachment 936781

Couple shots of WD40 and she’d be good as new.

 

[crest117]

I have a Stevens straight pull bolt 12 gauge shotgun that was made around 1950. It has what Stevens called a tenite stock (some kind of plastic forerunner to today's polymers). It still looks great and is as usable as it was when new. I'm told these stocks were prone to failure but this one is still going strong. I am sure today's polymers are far superior.

 

[22250Rem]

Thanks for the update. I remember that thread. I know there are many types of polymer out there and the bed liner on my 2009 Tacoma is also black polymer but probably not the same variety. The truck is never garaged and sits outdoors all day every day. It, too started to get a little grey ( after almost 10 years), but not cracked, until I cleaned it and applied some Armor-All and it looks like new again. There's a lot of products like that for plastic & rubber and they seem to work well, based on my experience. One of the reasons I recall this thread is my Glock 19 which seems to have a very good grade of polymer but barring things like a fire I know it should outlast me by several lifetimes. I might even hit it with some Armor-All some day just for good measure.