Took In Another Stray Today....
- Thread starter mk70ss
- Start date
Wow great deal. While polymer pistols seem to be able to get the job done, I think it means something when bridges and skyscrapers are still being made out of metal instead of polymer. Sure there are cost savings to using polymer, but those savings don't seem to be passed down to customers as much as they could be. When a Beretta 92 FS goes for $550 (pre-covid) and the latest Glock goes for more, something is up.
44caliberkid
New member
Great buy. The Lady Smith version of that pistol is one of the best looking pistols in a beautiful woman's hand, that there is.
I have and like a few polymer framed guns. But my current wish list consists mostly of discontinued metal framed classics. My last acquisition was a BHP MKII that I found at a Cabelas Gun Library. I couldn’t believe the gun had been sitting there for about a week but that was my lucky opportunity. The had the darn thing trigger locked which didn’t come off until the new owner takes it home. Since I couldn’t test the trigger before I bought the gun, I was able to knock $75 bucks off the tag price, and the trigger was fine with the mag disconnect still intact, which made me happy.
I'd take a polymer gun any time over the alloy frame gun as it's stronger and more durable. Of cause the steel guns like my 659 are the best, but it's heavy. You can't touch the weight advantage of Glock. Have to get to the 21st century.
I have the S&W 659 which is related to 669 which I believe is the predecessor of this gun. I had to do quite a bit of work to make it reliable. The design is old, the ejector port is small, I had to shape the extractor to fix the FTE. Also, I had to polish the feedramp and the ejector port to make it very reliable. The new guns have improved, most noticeably is the much bigger ejector port, that really help the reliability. I examine my new Glock 26, it's polished so much nicer that the 659, even the very expensive Colt Gold Cup( which is NOT reliable because of the old design with small ejector port and two stage feed ramp that creates a discontinue in the middle of the feed ramp). I also had to do a lot of work to make the Gold Cup reliable.
I have plenty of old guns, the only reason I even get back into buying guns is mainly because I want to buy the new polymer new designed guns.
Main thing about my 659 is FTE with weaker rounds, OP should buy some lower power rounds and test it to make sure it can function reliability. If not, the extractor might need work. At least I fixed mine doing that.
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tuckerdog1
New member
YES!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XacmPBlm8DM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvMHLaiY1I
It is amazing how strong is the polymer frame.
Just because it's "metal" doesn't mean anything about they are more durable and stronger. Science has improved tremendously. Sig P226 had cracked frame in qualify test for military, Beretta Tomcat has crack frame problem. On top of that, aluminum alloy frame rail wear out fast. This is the frame of my Beretta 950 BS 25ACP. It has less than 700 rounds through it, look at how bad it wears out. You can see the anodized layer worn through, the "ear" of the rail shows obvious wear and the side of the frame also has noticeable wear. If it's on a tight fit gun that accuracy depends on tight fitting, you'd lose it.
This is only less than 1000 rounds.
Polymer guns like Glock have steel rails on the frame, they should last a whole lot longer. Dogs might chew the polymer guns, who's fault is that for letting them chew the gun? But if anyone drop a gun on rocky surface, the polymer one will survive, you better hope the aluminum alloy frame won't crack. Those polymer are so resistance to crack it's not funny.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUvMHLaiY1I
It is amazing how strong is the polymer frame.
Just because it's "metal" doesn't mean anything about they are more durable and stronger. Science has improved tremendously. Sig P226 had cracked frame in qualify test for military, Beretta Tomcat has crack frame problem. On top of that, aluminum alloy frame rail wear out fast. This is the frame of my Beretta 950 BS 25ACP. It has less than 700 rounds through it, look at how bad it wears out. You can see the anodized layer worn through, the "ear" of the rail shows obvious wear and the side of the frame also has noticeable wear. If it's on a tight fit gun that accuracy depends on tight fitting, you'd lose it.
This is only less than 1000 rounds.
Polymer guns like Glock have steel rails on the frame, they should last a whole lot longer. Dogs might chew the polymer guns, who's fault is that for letting them chew the gun? But if anyone drop a gun on rocky surface, the polymer one will survive, you better hope the aluminum alloy frame won't crack. Those polymer are so resistance to crack it's not funny.
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Plastic is quite practical, but not very interesting. Reach into a barrel and pick one at random -- they're all the same. I don't expect that to change. Plastic is so much cheaper to produce, all-metal designs are destined to be an expensive niche market in the future.
But used guns are another story.
It's not much trouble to refinish a 50-year old, all-steel pistol at home, with minimal equipment, and have it looking better than new. Rust blue, etc. Try refreshing an old plastic frame with accumulated gouges (which happen easier than on steel). The penalty is weight, but there are always trade-offs.
But used guns are another story.
It's not much trouble to refinish a 50-year old, all-steel pistol at home, with minimal equipment, and have it looking better than new. Rust blue, etc. Try refreshing an old plastic frame with accumulated gouges (which happen easier than on steel). The penalty is weight, but there are always trade-offs.
Why think about 50 years down the road, plastic or metal aside, the design is so much better today than 30 years ago. I think I laid it out in detail in post #12 already. Like someone said the old gun designed by J Browning 100 years ago and was popular for a long time, that it set the standard of semi auto pistol. He was a generous, he created the original design, BUT people improved his design and make it better and better. Like Bruce Lee changed the whole martial arts scene, made a quantum leap in the 70s in fighting. But people learn and improved upon it. I don't think Bruce Lee would last 5 minutes in the Octagon of UFC today. That doesn't mitigate his achievement and contribution. What is the best today might not be worth looking back in even 20 years.
Von Braun invented the rocket and designed the Apollo that went to the moon, but you serious think it can compare to the new rockets today? People moved on.
I won't worry about whether Glock would still worth keeping in 20 years. All it matter is the new guns are much improved in terms of reliability than the old ones. I have enough old ones to say this. I got the best at the time, none are that reliable without a lot of work I had to do myself. What make you think guns still use gun powder in 20 years? They might come out guns using lazar or something else!!!
I never knock on steel frame guns, only the aluminum alloy ones. I said steel frame is the best, just the weight.
Von Braun invented the rocket and designed the Apollo that went to the moon, but you serious think it can compare to the new rockets today? People moved on.
I won't worry about whether Glock would still worth keeping in 20 years. All it matter is the new guns are much improved in terms of reliability than the old ones. I have enough old ones to say this. I got the best at the time, none are that reliable without a lot of work I had to do myself. What make you think guns still use gun powder in 20 years? They might come out guns using lazar or something else!!!
I never knock on steel frame guns, only the aluminum alloy ones. I said steel frame is the best, just the weight.
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What did you do to that poor 950? Mine has at least 3000 rounds through it and shows barely any real wear, just a little cosmetic wear from carrying it in my pocket for a couple of years as a BUG. I've had it about 42 years. I'll try to remember to take some pics and post them.
I have 3 950, the main spring broke, I have too many rounds through it, so I just took it apart.
One on the right does not wear as bad, the one on the left shows sign of wearing, but I stop shooting it after like 200 to 300 rounds, it all depends. I take good care of my guns, it just is.
I won't trust the gun like this small after 3000 rounds. Things start to break, the main spring broke on that one, one side of the spring just broke off!!! Of cause it's easy to replace the spring, but then you don't know what other part might break next. Worst is it break at the time when you really need it. I separate the gun I use for self defense from the practice ones. The one on the left is my self defense gun, it might look bad, it's very new, just 200 to 300 round to proof reliability and that's it.
Even my big S&W 659, after I proofed reliability, I stopped shooting it at about 500 rounds.
One on the right does not wear as bad, the one on the left shows sign of wearing, but I stop shooting it after like 200 to 300 rounds, it all depends. I take good care of my guns, it just is.
I won't trust the gun like this small after 3000 rounds. Things start to break, the main spring broke on that one, one side of the spring just broke off!!! Of cause it's easy to replace the spring, but then you don't know what other part might break next. Worst is it break at the time when you really need it. I separate the gun I use for self defense from the practice ones. The one on the left is my self defense gun, it might look bad, it's very new, just 200 to 300 round to proof reliability and that's it.
Even my big S&W 659, after I proofed reliability, I stopped shooting it at about 500 rounds.
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