The recently released
Glock G44 .22" rim-fire pistol has a part-polymer slide riding on top of a mainly polymer frame.
The polymer or plastic used - is I think a Nylon 6 injection moulded thermoplastic .. maybe.
The gun writing experts are saying that the polymer slide is designed with it's lower and internal parts built from steel to ensure hard steel sliding on hard steel. - This is unquestionably correct but there is another factor that I have not seen in any review .. U S LAW requires that any firearms contain a minimum of 3.7 ounces of STEEL. They would not like a Plastic Phantastic.
The United States Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 (18 U.S.C. § 922(p)) makes it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm that is not as detectable by walk-through metal detection as a security exemplar containing 3.7 oz (105 g) of steel, or any firearm with major components that do not generate an accurate image before standard airport imaging technology.
- This was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 10, 1988.
- The Glock website specifies that the G44 pistol weighs (no magazine) 358 g | 12.63 oz
- Weight with empty magazine: 415 g | 14.64 oz
The "experts" say that the G44 is made in the Smyrna, Georgia Glock plant and I'd be pretty confident that management there have an accurate set of scales in the QC Dept. - If the G44 had an all polymer slide it might well not meet the minimum steel mass exemplar.
- There is another set of U S ATF regulations that allocates "points" to various features of handgun design - 925(d)(3), BATF` - and those scores dictate that an Austrian G44 striker-fired hammer-less small calibre pistol fails to rate high enough to be lawfully imported into USA.
- see my earlier piece linked here ..
Now - for an obvious good reason I'm not about to burn-off the slide's polymer to weigh it's steel insert .. that would be a very silly way to destroy an expensive $1,200 plus in NZ gun - and for some reason these new 'two-twos' have been very late arriving down-under in New Zealand - despite the NZ Police HQ apparently having type approved a sample months ago.
- Having read more than a few Made in U S A reviews of the G44 .. I was surprised here in NZ to see that my new G44 is proudly labelled with 'MADE IN AUSTRIA' signage and European Proof Marks CIP over N plus an Austrian Eagle mark .. CIP for Commission internationale permanente pour l'épreuve des armes à feu portatives ("Permanent International Commission for the Proof of Small Arms".
I really like the look of that Glock bevelled "pig snout" plus the largest beaver-tail back-strap seems to fit my long boned hands .. I've found over the years that my hand's shape & size makes it difficult to properly squeeze a grip safety fitted to the rear of pistol grips - such as in a '1911". - when I have a tight grip with proper trigger contact .. the web of my hand does not fully contact or depress a grip safety.
- I'm very much looking forward to testing my new Austrian Glock G44 on range
.. see Part II.
Marty K.
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