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alloys,steel or poly

knoxvilleman
[ I notice some semi-autos have frames made of steel, alloy and poly. My question is how do these differences effect the use and life of the guns? any suggestions? I am thinking of buying a bersa 9mm or a sig 9mm/40. haven't decided yet. Bersa is cheaper.
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  • shoff14
    Frames all work the same and hold parts that make the gun go bang. Don't worry about what type of material it is as long as your not buying a Saturday night special your good to go.

    As far as your pistol choices, your comparing a Cadillac to a Chevy caviler. The Bersa pistols are decent pistols for the price. The fit and finish isn't the best, but they will go bang every time for a long time. The Sig will also go bang every time for a long time, but looks nicer doing it.
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  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by knoxvilleman
    [ I notice some semi-autos have frames made of steel, alloy and poly. My question is how do these differences effect the use and life of the guns? any suggestions? I am thinking of buying a bersa 9mm or a sig 9mm/40. haven't decided yet. Bersa is cheaper.

    The biggest practical difference between the frame types is weight.

    All else being equal heavier guns have less recoil, exhibit greater practical accuracy (since the extra mass contributes to inertia to help keep the gun sights "planted" in place when shooting), and are more fatiguing to carry around.

    If the gun is made properly, regardless of the frame type, it should provide a lifetime of service use. If its not made properly (eg steel, Al alloy, OR polymer) then you may have a problem.

    For example, there are Glocks from the 80s with tens of thousands of rounds through them still going fine on the original polymer frames. Conversely, I think everyone whose been involved with guns for years has seen examples of steel pistols with cracked frames.

    How you pick?

    I wouldn't pick solely based on frame material, but rather based on overall design, size and weight. First figure out what you want to do with the gun, then figure out what action type you like (eg single action, double-action, Glock-striker fired "safe action"), then caliber, then which one(s) fit your hand and budget. After you narrow things down this way, I think the frame material will probably pick itself.

    In terms of Bersa vs Sig, Sig is the better brand, though that doesn't necessarily mean that for YOUR purposes it will be better.

    In GENERAL Sigs are going to offer more accuracy, a better trigger pull, and a MUCH higher price tag. If you would say exactly which models you are interested in and what you would like to do with the gun, then I think better advice could be offered on pros and cons of each.

    Edit: Before anyone jumps down my throat about how they can shoot the hairs off a fly's back with their polymer Glock, I should say that in general heavier guns POTENTIALLY increase accuracy. Consider that match-type shooters invariably use all steel guns. They're usually trying to get as much mass as possible even going so far as to add barrel weights to their guns! Its for the reasons listed above. Heavier guns offer less recoil and muzzle flip (making followup shots faster), and the increased mass helps reduce the amount of "wobble" at the muzzle for precise shooting. On the other hand, while it doesn't hurt to have it, match-type accuracy is completely unnecessary for defensive-type shooting, and in guns that are carried a lot and shot a little, increased mass is more a liability than benefit.
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