Use of plastic in top competition pistols

[zooma]

This is the reason I love old match guns over newer ones. Sure newer one can out perform. I just appreciate the materials and craftsmanship in the older models. I don't believe anything that costs that much should use a cheaper process without passing that manufacturing cost savings on to the consumer.

Many of the "older" match pistols (and rifles) also made good use of plastic mouldings with all of the top quality manufacturers using moulded plastic in one way or another and have been doing so since the second world war when target shooting with .177 airguns started to become a more popular pastime.

I have a mint condition Original Model 6 date stamped October 1978 that has the large brown moulded plastic grip - one of the later ones (of its type) I believe. This pistol has had all the internals updated by Dave Mercer (the early plastic seals tended to rot over age - even faster if they did not have regular use) and we have now invented a "one pistol competition" at RMTC as an excuse to get a lot of pellets through it to get it "run-in" nicely.

The pistol is an example of the type that probably made the most extensive use of moulded plastic and it is beginning to perform well as its small oil clouds become less frequent, and is a pistol of the type that I shot in various national NARPA, EALY and NSRA competition in the early 1970's with some success.

Not only is the main grip moulded in a fairly large lump of brown plastic ( earlier ones were moulded in a light grey coloured plastic) but the trigger and trigger guard as well as the complete front and adjustable rear sight assembly are also moulded in plastic - although some of the very early types had a small stamped metal reinforcement strip along the top of the rear sight before confidence in plastic improved and the design was modified to the later type that was used on the majority of all Model 6 pistols produced..

Look inside many "classic" match pistols and rifles to see plastic pistons and seals being made extensive use of.

As an aside, I have been collecting match airguns of all types since I started in the 1960's and have noticed the use of plastic in many "top quality" and highly desirable early match rifles - Walther especially made very good use of plastics - so this is not a new idea and is most certainly not restricted to "modern" or "current" match pistols and rifles.

[Mark D]

Many of the "older" match pistols (and rifles) also made good use of plastic mouldings with all of the top quality manufacturers using moulded plastic in one way or another and have been doing so since the second world war when target shooting with .177 airguns started to become a more popular pastime.

As an aside, I have been collecting match airguns of all types since I started in the 1960's and have noticed the use of plastic in many "top quality" and highly desirable early match rifles - Walther especially made very good use of plastics - so this is not a new idea and is most certainly not restricted to "modern" or "current" match pistols and rifles.

Bob, which Walther match rifles ? If you mean LG55 springer then yes,trigger guard. If you mean ssp LG90, LGM-1 and LGM-2 and 210 then apart from the actual trigger blades there is no 'plastic' that I have ever seen 'in' them.

The LGR Walthers first ground breaking ssp only had the same plastic trigger guard as the 55 and a plastic cocking handle.

[zooma]

Bob, which Walther match rifles ? If you mean LG55 springer then yes,trigger guard. If you mean ssp LG90, LGM-1 and LGM-2 and 210 then apart from the actual trigger blades there is no 'plastic' that I have ever seen 'in' them.

The LGR Walthers first ground breaking ssp only had the same plastic trigger guard as the 55 and a plastic cocking handle.

There are a few more plastic parts that that Mark.

The LGR Match Universal ( like the LGR and LGR Match) has plastic parts used in the piston, trigger guard and trigger blade as well as the butt plate spacers. The cheek piece raising mechanism is almost 100% plastic mouldings ( I bought the last complete set from Bills Walther Spares just before Bill died).

Not so obvious is the working internal moulded trigger mechanism component that the trigger also mounts onto.

The use of plastic was further extended with the LG90 when the rear diopter adjusting knobs became plastic mouldings and the cheekpiece spacers. The moulded trigger mechanism component looks to be the same as used on the LGR range of rifles.

The use of plastics helped to keep the price down, the production costs and speed higher and the weight lower.

Intelligent use of good quality plastics should be applauded and the durability of these parts (at least in the Walther and FWB rifles) has been time proven.

It is possible to look at these similar components in the top quality match rifles such as the FWB 300 etc. The German air gun industry was obviously "switched-on" with the use of plastics and made good use of them in the most appropriate places.

[Mark D]

Intelligent use of good quality plastics should be applauded and the durability of these parts (at least in the Walther and FWB rifles) has been time proven.

It is possible to look at these similar components in the top quality match rifles such as the FWB 300 etc. The German air gun industry was obviously "switched-on" with the use of plastics and made good use of them in the most appropriate places.

Hi Bob

Conceded I think, those two sentences sum up the approach taken by the best factories perfectly.

[PAXIL]

Hi Bob

Conceded I think, those two sentences sum up the approach taken by the best factories perfectly.

agreed