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When it comes to getting new people to shoot and supplying them with knowledge gunshops seem to be substandard.
It is ashame that we are shooting (pun intended) ourselves in the foot with these certified dremel gunsmiths.
It's certainly possible if somebody were to take the time to correctly engineer the lower WITH the proper material. From what I've seen of most polymer lowers, the designers made a part virtually identical to a forged aluminum lower, except it's polymer, essentially assuming that it will behave the same way under repeated loading, which is a complete fallacy.
Well designed carbon fiber has strength values close to that of steel and weight in line with plastic.
Biggest issue with CF is that if you overload it, it's not just going to bend, it's going to break. Secondarily there are damage tolerance issues that would have to be solved. Nicks and dings that make an AL lower ugly, can severely compromise the structurual integrity of a CF part.
ETA
In the end manufacturing concerns may keep CF from ever being used in a gov't issue weapon. It's quite a bit easier and cheaper to consistently forge and machine an AL lower than it is to manufacture a CF component that's structurually consistent.
Last edited by nova3930; 11-09-12 at 15:11.
I saw this same discussion when the poly framed pistols came out.
I've had an idea about the Poly lower and wish to change my mind
It seems these may be OK? for a .22 plinker???
That's what I thought anyways...
*ETA*
In the latest issue of "Tactical Weapons" there is an add by Bushmaster for a poly lower.
Last edited by Mr.Anderson; 11-09-12 at 17:24. Reason: to add
Nope - no liner - poly on poly - another reason they don't last.
Just ordered one of the New Frontier Armory polymer stripped lowers to try on a dedicated .22 that I am putting together. I figure for $42, it's worth a try. It will be pretty much for plinking at the range, so if it breaks, I'm out $42 & cut my plinking day short. We'll see how it does in this role. I agree that at this point, I wouldn't want to be trusting it for use in a duty or defensive weapon. It will be interesting to see how the evolution for the polymer lowers progresses, or not. I am surprised that we haven't seen some sort of skelotonized aluminum lower with a polymer shell around it.
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