The arrival of a new product is always a remarkable occasion for the whole market. And even if you can hardly call polymer-framed pistols a novelty (they are several decades behind this title), they were quite an innovation in their time. At the end of the 20th century, the traditional school of metal frames acquired a competitor, and their competition persists to this day. It’s not too active, though, nobody’s displacing anyone from the shelves, but the duality of pistol frames may leave some potential buyers in two minds. Which one is better? In fact, is one better than the other? Here’re some thoughts from a long-time firearm dealer.
We’ll nip all speculations in the bud: there is no winner in this theoretical confrontation. Otherwise, one of the competitors would dominate the market, leaving the other biting the dust. But even if neither of them is superior, they are quite different from one another. So instead of giving crowns based on our personal preferences, we’d rather describe how they are different and which one will suit you better in this or that situation.
Polymer vs Metal Pistols
Materials’ Overview
Before we get down to the features, it might be useful to know a bit more about the materials themselves so that we know where all the characteristics come from.
Polymer
It’s quite hard to talk about the introduction of polymers into firearm making without mentioning the company that was first to do so. Glock earned their worldwide fame with the first commercially successful line of polymer-framed pistols, which remain the brand’s specialty to this day. Polymers in the context of firearms, as you might know, are a fancy word for plastics. But, obviously, it’s not the same material plastic bags are made from. Synthetic plastics are a wide range of materials that use polymers as their main ingredient. The main properties of plastics include adaptability, light weight, durability, and low manufacturing prices. As you can see, they make for a reasonable choice for firearm frame production. So when technologies became advanced enough, polymers arrived at the gun market to become one of the most widely-used materials for pistol frames.
Metal
Metals are good old classics of human craft: we have been making things from them since the dawn of time (Bronze Age, actually, but who counts). If we talk about firearms, steel is the alloy used for the majority of frames, not the only one, though. Scandium and aluminum alloys are also used in frame production. Alloys have different properties depending on their metal composition, but they are usually very robust, relatively weighty, and steadfast.
So, how do these two materials compare in terms of qualities?
Weight
One of the differences you note at once is weight. Polymer materials are significantly lighter than their metal counterparts. And weight is a crucial characteristic of a weapon. If it’s too heavy, it is more challenging for you to use it effectively. This issue is not as acute for handguns because of their small size, so you should not have a hard time holding a steel pistol. But the question is how often you plan to carry your gun. Lifting weights two or three times a week is not the same as carrying a dumbbell on your person the whole day. The same thing with firearms.
Maintenance
This one is a bit tricky. Every firearm maker treats their products with different compounds to increase the gun’s resistance to external factors like rust, corrosion, etc. Polymers are not metals, so they don’t rust, you can cross one point off your maintenance list. But the frame is not the whole firearm – even in polymer framed pistols, there are metal parts that need the same maintenance as steel pistols. To solve this problem, Glock came up with an anti-corrosion surface treatment, called ferritic nitrocarburizing.
The maintenance problem is closely tied with the frequency of your shooting sessions. Most people don’t use guns every day, so they do not degrade that fast. Your living conditions also matter: warm and humid climates make both steel and polymer pistols more susceptible to external influence, thus having you maintain your gun more thoroughly. You could say that steel handguns need more attention, but that’s not big of an issue. If you are an avid range shooter, you would probably take good care of any of your guns. If you keep a firearm for home defense, you probably don’t need to worry about maintenance more often than once a year, just to check if everything’s still operational.
Ammo Capacity
What does the material have to do with ammo capacity, you ask? It’s not a direct dependence, rather a correlation. Most of the metal pistols tend to house 7, 8, or 9 rounds, no more than 10 as a rule. At the same time, polymer-framed handguns enjoy a vast round capacity, beginning with the same numbers up to 15 cartridges. Ammo capacity is always a debatable question since you are more likely to fire a whole round rather than count shots. Buying a high-capacity handgun might turn out more demanding in terms of money, as you’ll need to buy more ammo.
Recoil Management
The laws of physics are on the metal’s side. The heavier the handgun is, the more recoil it absorbs. And since steel-framed pistols tend to weigh more, they transmit less impact to the shooter’s hand. Of course, polymer frame manufacturers are aware of this issue and try to come up with ways to improve the situation. Glock, for example, introduced an advanced recoil spring system that helps to absorb the kick. We should be honest, though, it’s not like the recoil difference between the two is huge. But if we were to choose the winner in the category, metal pistols would win.
Feeling
This is the most subjective point that is really hard to talk about since it varies from person to person. It is still a difference, so we should note it. Some people like feeling the weight of the gun, while others prefer to keep things light. Metal pistols feel more solid, while polymer ones feel and actually are lighter. So, everything’s up to your personal preference.
Price
Synthetic plastics are cheaper than metal alloys, so here’s that. Steel is a robust but pricey material, so metal-framed handguns might not be affordable for all social strata. Polymer handguns, on the other hand, are easier to manufacture and cost less. No matter how you look at it, saving money is a significant advantage.
Which One Is Better?
Got you there, we already said – neither of them is superior. Polymer framed guns might be more suitable for everyday carry since they are lighter, and weight matters. If you are looking for a gun for range shooting, metal pistols might seem more appealing due to their higher recoil control. Both types have their appreciators and not without a reason. At the end of the day, different doesn’t mean better or worse. It’s just not the same.
