Longevity of Polymer Frame Guns?

[John222]

Just wondering. The CM9 is my first polymer frame gun and I was quite startled when I stripped it down and seen how little there is to the frame assembly. Especially where the slide attaches to the frame. I'm wondering how well these will hold up with wear. Not just Kahr, but all polymer frame guns.

[QuercusMax]

I suppose it depends upon how much you are going to use it.

Several people have said in other threads that most people only fire a small number of rounds (< 1000) ever. Certainly wouldn't be an issue for them.

And then there are people like jocko who has fired 32,000 rounds through one of his Kahrs.

While I am far from approaching jocko's ammunition expenditure in all of my guns combined, it seems to me that "wearing out" a polymer gun isn't likely to be an issue with anything like normal use and proper maintenance. And if you can afford to shoot the number of rounds that might actually wear it out, you can probably afford to buy a replacement if and when you need to.

[John222]

Good point. 32K rounds.. Wow! I would expect to do about a 1000 round a year with this gun. And at my current age and family history, I can assure I will never hit 32K.

[jocko]

ask your self this question. HAVE U EVER SEEN A POLYMER GUN SHOT OUT, HAVE U EVER SEEN A POLYMER FRAME WORN OUT. hOW MANY STEEL FRAMES have u seen rusted, pitted etc from neglect. sit a polmer frame and ANY steel frame in ur dfrawer for 5 years and see which one still looks exactly the way put put it in the drawer.

I think we relate polymer gun frames to nickel and dime plastic. There is a major major difference. A kahr slide runs on 4 rails, it is not meant to run on any [part of the polYmer what so ever. Most all polymer guns work in some way like that.

SHOOT THE FOKKER LIKE U STOLE IT and quit worryng about WHAT IF'S. If u seen my Pm9, u would swear that it is new with less than 200 rounds through it. My frame is absolutely perfect WHY becuase the slide is never touching the polymer and is running like smooth glass on the 4 rails, like all poymer kahrs do. Once a owners slide gets properly matted up with the lower portion of the grip (meaning the 4 rails), the gun just gets so smooth, that U can't believe it. My rails look like new.

I do propelry lube my guns though. I leave neglect to the other guy.

[skiflydive]

The four rails are the sides of stable "cages" molded into the polymer "matrix"

[jocko]

ur right the front and back rails are really one peace rails molded into the polymer. I have never seen one ripped out, I am sure anything can happen but!!

[Longitude Zero]

I suspect that virtually all polymer weapons have a lifespan exceeding the owners ability to surpass it.

[jocko]

probably right thereto. Look at glocks kthey have been around forover 25+ years, more rounds throgh them than probablyall other guns combined. They act likie the duracell battery still today. Probably some day a million years from now some antropolgists willbe digging and come up with a polymer lower section with no upper steel slide left and wonder what the hell it is.

[Popeye]

To be honest never really thought about it with my Kahr PM9. It's not the type of pistol I'd expect to be a duty type weapon. Shoot it just enought to keep proficiant with it. For me it's a SD weapon to be kept in pristine condition in the event of a SHTF situation. Who knows how long I'll keep it as I've been longing for an MK9 recently and I usually carry it on my hip so the extra weight would not be a problem. Find I'm slowly turning back to all steel pistols. One thing I've learned about guns is to never say never when it comes to making a trade for something else that strikes your fancy. Loved my XD9 SC it was a great gun fit my hand like a glove,and then one day I saw and held a CZ75B and next thing I knew I didn't own an XD anymore. I have at least a half dozen stories like this one. So one never knows what tomorrow might bring.:biggrin1:

[ripley16]

The first commercial polymer gun, in 1968, made by HK, the VP70, is still going strong. Evidently polymer frames can hold up many decades and through high usage of tens or even hundreds of thousands of rounds.

Here's a link to the little known HK. A neat gun.
http://www.hkpro.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=42:the-vp70&catid=6:the-pistols&Itemid=5

[jocko]

do u own this gun???nice peace only 22K made even, wonder how many ever made it over to the U.S.?

[MO_Soldier]

My frame is absolutely perfect WHY becuase the slide is never touching the polymer and is running like smooth glass on the 4 rails, like all poymer kahrs do. Once a owners slide gets properly matted up with the lower portion of the grip (meaning the 4 rails), the gun just gets so smooth, that U can't believe it. My rails look like new.

I take immaculate care of my PM9, but mine has grooves/scratches in the polymer rear rail on the lower. Is that the matting that you're referring to, or did I do something wrong?

[O'Dell]

There are known to be Glocks and HK's with hundreds of thousands of rounds. I understand that Glock has a G17 that has over 500,000. That's more than I shoot in a year. :rolleyes:

[WMD]

I take immaculate care of my PM9, but mine has grooves/scratches in the polymer rear rail on the lower. Is that the matting that you're referring to, or did I do something wrong?

It is very easy to scratch the rail when, after disassembly, putting the slide back on the gun. A right handed person (like myself :o ) is prone to scratch the right front polymer guide rail. Scratches on the rear could be from the slide mating with the rail.

In anycase, scratches on the polymer guide rails are nothing to worry about. The slide is held on the gun by the metal rails molded in the frame.