JohnWayne, what are some "undeniable advantages" of polymer parts and high capacity magazines?
legion3 covered most of these, but here's my list:
-polymer parts come out of the mold made to exacting tolerances, without the machining required of comparable metal parts
-they are the same color all the way through, and do not show wear as much
-there is no protective bluing, parkerizing, or other coating required; thus they never need re-coating
-polymer parts never rust or get bent
-they do not transmit heat as well as metal, a big plus for keeping heat away from your hand or grabbing a cold gun in freezing temps
-they are often lighter and stronger than comparably sized metal parts
In some cases, polymer is just cheaper. In others, it's cheaper
and better--take the trigger guards on 10/22s for example: the old ones were aluminum, and showed wear with regular use. Also, if the rifle was bumped or dropped hard enough on the trigger guard, it could crack, or worse, bend and block the trigger. Polymer trigger guards are a lot more resilient and don't show wear like painted metal parts.
As for hi-cap mags, like legion3 said, you get more bullets
The only downside to this is that shooters who start out shooting hi-cap guns often do not have as much appreciation for accuracy since there are plenty more rounds on tap if you miss a shot. There is no reason, however, why you can't be just as precise with a 14+1 1911 as a 6 shot .45 ACP revolver.
I completely agree with the assessment that most gun owners aren't "shooters." I can't tell you how many people I've encountered, from security guards, CWP holders, and even cops, who can't even tell you what they're carrying. One or two boxes of ammo through the gun per year is a gracious plenty to them, and landing all shots inside a full-sized silhouette target at 10 yards is condisered adequate.
It also makes sense that gun manufacturers are looking for LEO and Military contracts, but I don't see why these respective institutions wouldn't want a SAO pistol. Maybe they would even less incidents with Single Action pistols, as that cocked hammer tends to grab your attention and demand respect (all guns should do this, but in practice, I feel shooters tend to pay more attention to a cocked hammer). Then again, DEA agents might go blaming the gun when they shoot themselves in the foot
The Springfield XDM is very close to a single-action-only striker fired pistol, with a simplicity of construction and reliability similar to that of Glocks, yet it ships from the factory with a 5-7 lb trigger with a lot of take up, IMO negating much of its potential.
I have a hard time understanding the success of the 1911, in comparison to the relatively lackluster sales of other SAO guns. The BHP is another "Saint John" design, but it's nowhere near as popular. Maybe Americans are just more familiar with the 1911, having been the standard issue sidearm for nearly a century?
