Trade Titanium for Scandium???

[Dr.Rob]

Back in the old days we had this stuff called blue steely-um. It was the bee's knees for ages.

Then we got nickelplatey-um. it was price and fancy and flaked off.

Then we got stainless steely-um.. and all was good and proper in the world.

Then somebody said alumininy-um, but wasn't strong enough.

Then Gaston Glock made a gun out of plasticy-um, but it was ugly and it wasn't a revolver.

The came the all vaunted titaniy-um and it was pretty and light and the end all of end alls and lo..

Wait we have Scandiy-um! Newer better more expensive lighter... more environmentally friendly! And it used to be a russki only deal ye hah we beat them ruushins!

Me? I'm holding out for a carbon fiber 5 shot .480 Ruger with cera-malloy bullets. the whole thing should wigh no more than a pack of smokes loaded and generate 2000ft/lbs at the muzzle. SURE it will dislocate my shoulder if i shoot it.. but hey my shoulder is replaceable.. the gun is disposable.

Really at what point is lighter NOT better? I have friends who swear they hate shooting +p out of a steel j-frame snubby. Isn't reliabilty and durability the thing to look for in a firearm? I' like to see some of those 10k torture tests on these new "wondermetal" guns.

 

[dairycreek]

Personal experience with...............

titanium and scandium. I have had the opportunity to fire each in 38 spcl and 357 respectively. I shoot purely for fun. Shooting these guns was not, in my opinion, the least bit fun. I'll stick with my 442 thank you! Just one shooter's opinion, that's all.

 

[SGT405]

I have a 386PD Scandium which is an L frame 7 shot 2 1/2" revolver. It is now my ccw gun. It weighs 17.5oz's. Yes, I can shoot 125gr 357 with a little effort, but 38 +p is very easy to shoot. Mine like Federal 125 sjhp +p. Shooting the standard qualification course is for me as easy as with my 686plus or 66. I forget that I am wearing this gun all day.

 

[don't shoot it's me]

Yes, but the snubbies we are talking about are in the 12 ounce range....I'll stick with my 14.5 ounce 442....any lighter just doesn't feel like gun....I fired a 342 and it is not fun...also, the action is much grittier than my airweight...

 

[BigG]

I fired a box full of full house 158 gr Soft Point 357 Magnums through my S&W Model 360 Scandium Chief's Special, which I picked up yesterday. It is not a picnic by any means but it is doable to somebody seasoned to shooting loudenboomers. Certainly it is much more comfortable to shoot it Double Action than Single Action due to the more secure grip and trigger control shooting DA.

Subjectively, I think it is more comfortable to shoot than the Model 640 Stainless 357 Centennial. Probably due to the excellent design of the factory grips on the Scandium. Certainly a much nicer piece to carry as it is about 1/2 the weight of the stainless steel model.

By the way, the S&W 360 Sc is second hand so no need to rave.

 

[Stoic]

So our U.S. Space Race developed "Titanium alloys" and the Russian Space Race developed "Scandium alloys." Which is better?

 

[denfoote]

Scandium Smith!!!

.357MAG out of a 12oz gun!!!! Heck, I damn near tore my hand up, touching off mags out of my steel framed Taurus 605!!! Not for me, Jack!!!! If you guys want to torture yourselves, go right on ahead!!!

 

[Cthulhu]

To anyone who wants more info than they could possibly enjoy about the element Scandium, check out

http://www.scandium.org

It even has a page dedicated to its enhanced yield strength properties when mixed with aluminum alloys. I've seen it quoted at $10.64/gram in 1000g lots. Pretty pricey! At 2% by weight of the frame, it seems worth the extra cost for the added tensile strength.