Aluminum and polymer frame guns--question?

[jimdana1942]

How can you tell if an alum. or polymer frame semi's have too much wear? What would one look for if buying a used one? What would a tell-tale sign of too many rounds been thru the gun?

 

[Gus McCrae]

Slop in the frame to slide fit or barrel lockup.

 

[Gumbo]

Are you inquiring about a specific manufacturer?

 

[dwr461]

I saw somewhere but I can't find it right now what colors the anodized aluminum turns as wears.

Dave

 

[smith625]

Silver or black usually.

 

[jimdana1942]

Are you inquiring about a specific manufacturer?

Ruger P85.

 

[smith625]

You can't break that gun. I don't like them, but I would guess, in all seriousness, it would take over 50,000 rounds to even being to hurt that frame.

At that point, your hands would be so cut up from the crappy ergonomics and sharp parts, and the arthritus in your trigger finger so bad, that it wouldn't matter anyway...

 

[slinkyonrampage]

Yea, I am going to second Pangris, those P series Rugers are tanks.

 

[dwr461]

I don't believe I've ever purchased a handgun that was even close to being worn out. The vast majority of shooters will never even come close to putting enough rounds through a handgun to wear it out.

Dave

 

[CUJOHUNTER]

I don't believe I've ever purchased a handgun that was even close to being worn out. The vast majority of shooters will never even come close to putting enough rounds through a handgun to wear it out.

Dave

I second that. You will hardly come across a gun that's even close to halfway it's breaking point...unless it's a Hi Point or something crappy like that. Need not worry about the life cycle of a gun...you'll never get there..Idon't care what knid of gun you have,unless your Rockefeller and have money to burn on ammo and time to shoot it...that would be everyday for hours.

 

[CUJOHUNTER]

And that, young braves, is exactly how Dawg23 "wore out" a G19.

110,000 rounds and it developed a cosmetic flaw. That is staggering performance.

It was still completely functional but Glock replaced it anyway.

Impressive! I shoot alot but not that much. Gotta work too so I can shoot more! LOL

 

[dwr461]

This thread hijacked by the GLOCK Perfection Committee.

Motto: The sights are perfect. The handgun is perfect. If it doesn't work you are the imperfect one.

Dave

 

[CUJOHUNTER]

So help me God, I don't want to like them. I much prefer 1911s. I just can't escape the simple fact that they are a superior product, despite my best efforts.

True that on the Glock. I own a G19 and yes,it's great. However I never drank the Kool Aid and don't plan to either. I'm still a revolver guy at heart.

 

[dwr461]

I have no problem with the GLOCK pistol. It's the religious cult that's sprung up around it that bothers me.



Dave

 

[Yrdawg]

I have no problem with the GLOCK pistol. It's the religious cult that's sprung up around it that bothers me.



Dave

Aaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmm Aaaaammmmmmmmmmmm Aaaaaammmmmmmmmmmmm

 

[dwr461]

Posted February 28, 2009 04:14 PM
I've had a handful of recent emails asking how to tell if a used Sig is still in good shape or not, after writing the same email over and over for the last 4 1/2 years I figured it was time to post my thoughts on what to look at when you're gonna purchase a used Sig.

The first thing to look at is the Frame rails. These will tell you everything that you need to know about how well the gun has been taken care of. The Following is how the colors of the under side of the frame rails will change as your gun wears.

1) Dull Black - No Wear, perfect finish.
2) Shiny Black - Slight wearing in of the pigment in the Anodizing, this is normal after around 200 rounds
3) Dark Gold/Orange - The Pigment in the Anodizing is starting to wear, this is perfectly normal and not a problem, the metal is still protected and your frame is still perfectly viable. Most guns reach this phase between 2000 and 4000 rounds.
4) Bright Gold - The pigment in the anodizing is wearing in. Your frame is still protected and your gun is still perfectly viable. Most guns reach this phase and remain static from here on out as long as proper lubrication is used.
5)Light Gold - The pigment in your anodizing is wearing through, your frame is still protected, but you should keep an eye on it.
6) Shiny Silver - This is where you need to start to worry. The pigment in the Anodizing is worn through, your frame is still protected, but you need to monitor your frame rails very closely and make sure they remain greased thoroughly for the rest of your gun's life.
7) Dull Silver - You're screwed. Your Anodizing has worn completely through in the areas you see dull anodizing. From here on your frame is unprotected and it's time to buy a new gun. It may still shoot and function perfectly, but your frame rails will continue to wear at a much accelerated rate.

The next thing to look at is the disconnector tab on your trigger bar. That's the part of the trigger bar that sits up highest in the frame. A factory new trigger bar will have a nice radius across the top, a heavily used one will have a flat worn into it. The best way to check and make sure it's still functioning correctly is to pull the slide back by 1/4 of an inch and pull the trigger, if the hammer doesn't try to fall you're ok.

The Next place to look at is the barrel. You will notice the "smileys" on the barrel on the muzzle end. If you run your finger down the barrel and feel a dip, you may want to have the gun looked at by a professional, the slide should not be abrading the barrel enough to remove any metal at all. The presence of a dip in the metal would indicate that your slide has a burr in it.

If you look at the front of the chamber section at the top of the barrel you will see a ledge that steps down just before the tube part of the barrel starts. The ledge there should be at a clear 90 degree angle, any rolling of that sharp corner would indicate a soft barrel or one which hasn't been lubricated properly.

The slide should also be inspected. The slide lock lever detent on the slide should be looked at for burrs or any rounding on the rear or the notch. A burr sticking out can abrade your thumbs if you shoot a thumbs forward grip. A burr on the slide could indicate a slightly soft slide or that the previous shooter kept their thumb on the slide lock lever. A rounded off notch at the back would indicate an improper heat treat of the slide.

Post by Flork on www.sigforum.com

This is a list of the colors I was trying to find the other day.

I know you don't need it anymore. But it was nagging at me.

Dave

 

[smith625]

So help me God, I don't want to like them. I much prefer 1911s. I just can't escape the simple fact that they are a superior product, despite my best efforts.

Exactly.

 

[Gus McCrae]

I don't believe I've ever purchased a handgun that was even close to being worn out. The vast majority of shooters will never even come close to putting enough rounds through a handgun to wear it out.

Dave

This. If the gun wasn't abused, it probably doesn't have 2000 rounds through it.... it's probably fine.

 

[mnop308]

Back in the olden days, they did test on aluminum framed Colt Comanders that ended up showing cracks in the frame just above the slide stop in if I remember right around 5k rounds. They milled that part of the frame out, and the problems went away. Apparently that was a stress point. I have a 5 inch and 4 inch Kimber with the aluminum frame now, and I don't think that will be a problem. The aluminum frames are SO much better now. My match and heavy shooting gun is steel, but I carry the aluminum, and they run just as well. As far as polymer, I have had several Glocks through my hands, and it has never been a a concern. It is still steel on steel. My wife XD has not been through the torture test, but all the reports are that it is good to go. I think this is a problem with the older guns, but forgetaboutit with the newer generation of guns.