DDDWho said:
I will restate my pervious post "Its all about money", yours and the manufacturer. This is true of the Nylon 66 as well. If plastic is a better material they would make the entire gun out of it.
While cleaning my SR40 after a day at the range recently I had the gun apart holding nothing in my hand except the frame and the stamped parts that did not come off easily, no slide or magazine. It felt really light and as I gazed down into the empty shell I could not help but think ... this is a cheap POS.
It does shoot good tho.
Not that manufacturing costs aren't important, they are very much so, but it's not "all about the money".
It's also very much about offering the customers what they wanted, and that was a lighter carry weight. It's not that I was the worlds biggest fan of the AR15, I wasn't. But I did spend my time as an US Army Infantryman right during the changeover period from M14s to the AR15s and had the privilege of spending days on end humping both in the field. Try walking through rough terrain 10-12 hours a day with both weapons and their basic ammo load, you'll learn to appreciate the difference real quick.
Same holds true for the LE and CCW customers of today, a large percentage will tell you they don't want a haul around a 3+lb slab of steel all day when the same job can be accomplished with a tool almost 50% lighter.
Yep its 2012 and for better or worse things have changed, in large part cause manufacturers are responding to the customers needs and desires. And not just because the bean counters are looking to build they employers profit margins.
Sal