Composite/Synthetic????
Are synthetic and composite stocks the same thing?
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Maybe, maybe not. Fiberglass, carbon fiber etc. or like layered wood glued together perhaps with other stuff in the layers or solid plastic.
added For durability fiberglass or one of the other fibers is sweet. I do like nice woods to look at.
I think you need to examine the manufacture's definition of their stock's construction for the correct application of the terms.0 -
Wow that's like, deep man... What have you been toking [:D]?
"Synthetic" isn't found in nature while bits and pieces of "composite" can be. Either case it's all man made.0 -
I use to work in the commercial aerospace industry. Composite is one of their favorite weasel words. Because they don't want to admit, their planes are made of plastic.
Every time I see their press releases. Touting how their new state of the art planes, are mostly made of composites. I fall down on the floor laughing.0 -
quote:Originally posted by penguin
Are synthetic and composite stocks the same thing?
Not exactly. There is overlap, but the terms mean different things.
"Synthetic" means the materials are made made.
"Composite" means the stocks are made of more than one type of material combined together. Done right, this can give you "best of both worlds" combining properties from different materials. EG, concrete is a "composite" made of stone and cement, it offers better properties than either of the two separately.
All composites are "man made", and in practice, most composites are also made of man-made materials (synthetic), but they don't necessarily have to be.
For example, an injection molded plastic stock is synthetic, but if its made of only one piece or type of material its not composite.
A stock that's made of one type of plastic injection molded over a second type is both synthetic and composite.
Glass fiber reinforced polymer is both synthetic and composite. A stock made of plastic and fiberglass layers laminated together with epoxy would also be both synthetic and composite.
In contrast, a stock made up of WOOD layers that are laminated together with glue is a composite, but (arguably) its not "synthetic" since most of its made of natural wood. Laminate vs solid wood has been debated to death, but in general laminate can offer significantly increased strength, resistance to humidity and moisture compared to solid wood, perhaps at the cost of decreased cosmetic appearance.
I'd say in general, its better not to get too hung up over these terms; just understand what any given stock is built from and how it might perform for you.0 -
Thanks Beaner 0 -
which is better, plastic or polymer ?
[:D]0 -
quote:Originally posted by 47studebaker
which is better, plastic or polymer ?
I might be wrong? But polymer is just another weasel word for plastic, like synthetic.0 -
Plastic and polymer are interchangeable. Where you might run into problems is the type of plastic/polymer.
Had someone bring me a Savage 10 and Six Enterprise stock for glass bedding and camo paint job. Gave the inlet a light scuff with 360 garnet paper, wiped it out with wax and grease remover and bedded with Agraglass. When I removed the metal after curing the bedding fell out.0 -
quote:Originally posted by rufe-snow
quote:Originally posted by 47studebaker
which is better, plastic or polymer ?
I might be wrong? But polymer is just another weasel word for plastic, like synthetic.
That why the smilie0 -
quote:Originally posted by 47studebaker
which is better, plastic or polymer ?
[:D]
Polymer is ALWAYS better. [;)]
To be clear, "polymer" is any substance that has a molecular structure comprised of repeated units. So a diamond is a "polymer". DNA is a "polymer".
All plastics are polymers. . .not all polymers are plastics.
Technically WOOD is a "polymer" because its made of cellulose and cellulose is a polymeric polysaccharide molecule.
Yes, WOOD IS A POLYMER. COTTON (also cellulose!) is a polymer, etc [:p]
Anyway, 99% of the time when someone is trying to sell you something, they'll say "polymer" just to refer to plastic.
IMO, there is nothing "wrong" with plastic. . .its just a question of how/where its used. If its used to replace something that SHOULD be made of metal, that's not good. But sometimes its used to do things either you can't do with metal, can't do in a cost-effective way, or just to save weight. Eg plastic ("polymer") is a time honored consituent of AR-15 stocks. Its water and temperature resistant, impact resistant/shock absorbent, tends to be durable (depends on formulation), and inexpensive.
I see why people might not like it, particularly when it comes to asthetics, but used correctly it gets the job done.0
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