Use of plastic in top competition pistols

[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