Is plastic now acceptable on airguns

[Barryg]

I can remember when most of us hated plastic on airguns but lately plastic seems to be accepted.

Any opinions or views on this ?

[junglie]

It all started to go downhill when they started making open sights out of it as far as i'm concerned......

[dvd]

I do not like plastic on guns either but there is no escaping it. Trigger guards and trigger blades are reluctantly acceptable to me if done and finished well in plastic. It's everywhere, from luxury cars to spaceships and (plastic) money. What do you do?

[aris]

There are many types of polymer. Some better than others. Most would not say the polymer on a Glock is poor. It is one of the best selling brand of handgun in the world.

[TonyL]

Although I'm not a massive fan of plastic being employed too liberally, and consider myself a traditionalist, I don't mind many of the synthetic stocks as long as they're not "brittle" feeling. I've found a fair few of them offering good comfort levels and, especially on a "working" gun, will stand up well to knocks and adverse conditions.

[gc93]

i dont like a lot off it but there isn't much choice with a lot of guns nowadays, theres so much of the one time use and throw away items, the maintain and repair world is gradually shrinking.

[Phil Russell]

The word 'plastic' seems to be a derogatory term these days to indicate something that won't last and is made of inferior, brittle, naff materials. At one time this may have been true ... think back maybe 50+ years (those that are old enough). But these days 'engineering' plastics are far superior to the old days. While I too like the tradition of metal / steel I have no objection to the use of 'plastic' where its properties are matched to the requirements of its intended use.

But it can still annoy me ... small tabs on components designed to snap parts together have a nasty habit of 'snapping off' and there is no easy way of repair except buying a complete new unit ...

Cheers, Phil

[derekm]

For those who use guns professionally, some modern plastics may be acceptable, even desirable, but most "amateur" gun enthusiasts also get satisfaction from the fine engineering point of view.

Plastic, of any quality or performance does not equate to engineering in most people's minds.

A cheap plastic Casio watch keeps better time than a Rolex or Omega, but does not give the wearer the satisfaction of a piece of exquisite precision engineering.

[Saxmaniac]

Traditionally I’m a firm ‘NO!’, but I’m warming to the polymer actioned HW110KT Laminate

[vestlenning]

There's plastic and there's plastic ...

[angrybear]

For those who use guns professionally, some modern plastics may be acceptable, even desirable, but most "amateur" gun enthusiasts also get satisfaction from the fine engineering point of view.

Plastic, of any quality or performance does not equate to engineering in most people's minds.

A cheap plastic Casio watch keeps better time than a Rolex or Omega, but does not give the wearer the satisfaction of a piece of exquisite precision engineering.

Equally some of us find Rolex's or Omega's to be over blown, gaudy, ostentatious & vulgar
The same can be true of guns & stocks,
Plastic/polymer stocks on guns are very practical & I imagine HW have opened the gate somewhat with the 110 polymer block.

[ratbuster2240]

When I was young I loved shooting my grandfathers Lincoln Jeffries design rifles,I still have his Haenel mkIV and the sights are lovely fine and of course metal. I've often thought modern airguns came with horrible plastic sights that fall off and have thick posts in order to make you buy an optic.

[Tony.T]

I have no problem whatsoever with polymers (FFS not 'plastic') on modern guns. When did you see a L82A1 (aka wrongly known as a SA80) with walnut stocks?? Or a M4A1? You haven't because wood would disintegrate in use.

Some years back I was lucky to own and shoot a Glock 22 (.40S&W, a very whacky round) I used this pistol for police pistol and IPSC comps. To this day every morning I look in the mirror when I shave and I'm not surprised that I haven't got a hole in my face because the slide never flew backwards off the frame when I shot my pistol
I had a Remington PA shotgun with polymer 'furniture', excellent gun. I also had a Remington 700 police (bull barrel) rifle with a custom designed polymer stock- quite superb. Due to life changes those two have gone- but I bought a Remington Express springer with a polymer stock and it's surprisingly good. A few mates bought theirs with woodstocks. Guess which one we judged to be best... (hint- not the one with knots)

What I'm really saying is embrace the modern world, fine walnut is wonderful on a best London shotgun or fine rifle. But a tool to be used in all conditions? Don't think so.

[Geezer]

Much as I like walnut and fine blueing, there is absolutely nothing wrong with good polymer, or, indeed modern protective metal finishes.

For the record, the SA80 was in military service designated the L85 series, and the first A1 variant was truly awful in almost every respect.

A major reason for service rifles moving from wooden to polymer stocks in the 50s and beyond was that sustained rapid/burst fire would actually set the front hand guards on fire. An issue to this day with older AKs, and the reason why back in the 70s and 80s you would often find British L1A1 SLRs with wooden butts and pistol grips, but polymer fore-ends.

None of which applies to airguns. But good polymer, used right, is great. Cheap plastic (think 70s Crosmans) isn’t the same thing.

[mrto]

Imagine if gorgeous 18th century Pennsylvania rifles had incorporated the use of polymers in their patch boxes,butt plates or trigger guards!