Polymers for weapons?
Polymers for weapons?
(OP)
Hey guys,
first off im not a chemical or materials engineer. I am just a guy in need of some information and i did not know where else to look. If i am in the wrong thread or even website, forgive me and feel free to redirect me.
I have built plenty of traditional AR's, but now it is time for a something new.
After i acquire my FFL, i am looking to develop a full polymer AR15 lower receiver to begin my polymer AR15 build.
Here is where i feel lost in a world of plastics.
I understand companies like Glock use Nylon6 for their modular pistols.
Here are my questions.
From expert opinion,
what would the best polymer or composite material be for the use in a firearm.
-is nylon 6 something to look into?
WHAT HAS?
-high tensile strength
-high stiffness
-high fracture toughness
-high abrasion, puncture, and corrosive resistance
-and most importantly, is lightweight
the material needs to withstand vibration
(heat is not an issue with a lower receiver)
i understand things like excessive UV exposure can break down certain polymers. (should i be weary about environmental exposures?)
When using a given material,
-can it only be formed in a mold?
-can it be machined like a block of aluminum?
What is the process for handling a polymer material?
-melting?
-forming?
-molding?
Is there any important information about polymer materials i need to be aware of before i embark on this endeavor?
any info will be greatly appreciated.
first off im not a chemical or materials engineer. I am just a guy in need of some information and i did not know where else to look. If i am in the wrong thread or even website, forgive me and feel free to redirect me.
I have built plenty of traditional AR's, but now it is time for a something new.
After i acquire my FFL, i am looking to develop a full polymer AR15 lower receiver to begin my polymer AR15 build.
Here is where i feel lost in a world of plastics.
I understand companies like Glock use Nylon6 for their modular pistols.
Here are my questions.
From expert opinion,
what would the best polymer or composite material be for the use in a firearm.
-is nylon 6 something to look into?
WHAT HAS?
-high tensile strength
-high stiffness
-high fracture toughness
-high abrasion, puncture, and corrosive resistance
-and most importantly, is lightweight
the material needs to withstand vibration
(heat is not an issue with a lower receiver)
i understand things like excessive UV exposure can break down certain polymers. (should i be weary about environmental exposures?)
When using a given material,
-can it only be formed in a mold?
-can it be machined like a block of aluminum?
What is the process for handling a polymer material?
-melting?
-forming?
-molding?
Is there any important information about polymer materials i need to be aware of before i embark on this endeavor?
any info will be greatly appreciated.





RE: Polymers for weapons?
Best shot at it within reason. Pun intended.
First off do not use non plastics related acronyms or jargon. We are not firearms specialists here.
I am sorry if I sound negative, but you basically just rushed in and asked me to write a very long text book for free. You have shown minimal consideration of the questions you asked as some answers are blatantly obvious at least at the first level.
Regards
Pat
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RE: Polymers for weapons?
RE: Polymers for weapons?
Styer also used a fair bit of plastic in their rifle at one stage.
I believe even Remington had a model called the Remington Nylon because of the nylon used in its manufacture.
Different components might require different materials.
Different designs might require different materials.
Different environments might require different materials.
Different performance sprcs or expectations might require different materials
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
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RE: Polymers for weapons?
A note of caution, before you just go off and pick a material to make an AR from, know that even with decades of r&d that every so often one of our carbon AR-15 uppers will fail...catastrophically.
RE: Polymers for weapons?
Regards
Pat
See FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on use of eng-tips by professional engineers &
http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm
for site rules
RE: Polymers for weapons?
TTFN
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: Polymers for weapons?
What is the primary goal you are trying to achieve? Weight reduction, resistance to metallic detection?
In my honest opinion, composites and synthetic materials have no place as the critical components of any firearm, barring those used for clandestine purposes. Even a lower receiver, which doesn't experience the full result of pressure containment, is still subject to shock and impact.
The carbon fiber filled material (polyamide???) that JavaMoose mentioned is probably one of the few materials worth considering. I had always though that I'd like to try one out of Ultem, as well, but really, it would be very difficult to improve upon forged 7075 aluminum, all material properties considered.
If one wants to make it an academic exercise just to say you did it, you've got a lot of research to do. You cannot rely on "5 minute advice" from a forum, even though some of the plastics guys in Eng-Tips are the best you'll find anywhere.
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Polymers for weapons?
This would require some more research and your reasoning is not very clear as to what the desired result is. PTFE coatings can be designed to create a self cleaning agent and provide durability; however, on a firearm where failure can be catastrophic and potentially deadly... I would browse something else close to your desired result. Cheers
RE: Polymers for weapons?