The polymer-frame Glock (top) set a trend that still in force. It's being carried on by such fine pistols as Springfield's XD.

I recall the on-target comment made by an executive of a major handgun company. He'll have to remain nameless, but his company was selling polymer pistols like beer at a German picnic. It was at the height of the so-called Wondernine Wars, and somebody had disparaged his products as cheap plastic guns. "Cheap? Plastic?" he grumped. "Our guns are polymer--it's plastic only when it costs less than $200!"

Well, his guns damned sure didn't cost less than $200, but the implications of his comment provoke some interesting observations on economics, terminology and progress in the world of handguns in the early 21st century. In the final analysis, polymer really is plastic, but the more cutting edge ring of "polymer" suggests all that is up-to-date, new, efficient, worthwhile, modern and, I guess, even sexy. It also helps justify a pricetag above the $200 cut-off point.

We live in a high-tech world that's bombarded with innovative technology. It was not quite thus in the early 1980s, when Austrian engineer/entrepreneur Gaston Glock cast about for a product on which to build a company. The Austrian military was looking for a new service sidearm and the rest is pretty much history. The Glock G17 pistol is now the service sidearm of Austria and several other NATO countries. In the mid-'80s, the G17 exploded on the American handgun scene. An instant success, the basic system evolved into other models in many other calibers and sizes. Glock model variations are identified sequentially from G17 upward. The latest is the G36, a flat 6+1 .45. The complete Glock story is too lengthy to report here, but there is a major point to be made.

Glock pistols were the first to have major portions of their structure made of polymer. I doubt Mr. Glock did this to make history. An inventive engineer with limited firearms experience, Glock used polymer to build his pistol because it made sense to do so. He had invented and obtained patents on other products, so he was aware of polymer's strength and versatility. Tradition always demanded that firearms be made of steel, but tradition had little to do starting with a proverbial blank sheet of paper and building a gun. It's a gun that changed the course of handgun history. And that's not only because it's partially made of polymer, but also because it has a completely different operating system.

I genuinely doubt we will see many new pistols from newcomers or established firms that don't have some kind of new trigger operation that is the same from one shot to the next. The great majority will probably be made from polymer, but the triggers are the real innovation.

Consider what has happened in less than two decades since we saw the first G17s. Every major pistol manufacturer--and a host of smaller ones--has introduced a new model made of polymer. The majority have a simplified trigger action that is the same from shot to shot. Before the mid-'80s, there was no such gun as the Springfield XD, HS 2000, Steyr M and S series, Vektor, S&W Sigma, S&W SW99, Colt All-American, Walther P99, CZ 100, FN49 or Kahr.

All of the forgoing (and I probably missed some) are loosely classified as DAOs and all are striker-fired. There are several other new guns that use polymer receivers and traditional-type trigger systems. The SigPro, Ruger P85, HK USP and EAA Witness are all such pistols. Even the beloved 1911is available with a polymer lower, courtesy STI, SVI and Wilson.

Another pistol that reflects the polymer trend is SIG Arms' SIGPro. It uses the company's established decocker/no safety lockwork on a polymer frame.

I don't mean to predict the end of the traditional metal pistol, because a world without 1911 A1s, Browning HiPowers and SIG Arms P220s is unthinkable. Since 1985 we have seen some fine pistols with traditional SA or DA/SA triggers developed and offered for sale. S&W's 3rd Generation and Ruger's P-series autos come to mind. But how long has it been since another all-new autopistol with metal construction and a conventional operating system has been introduced?

Beyond any doubt, handgun designers are on the road first traveled by Glock. The trend is to polymer guns with DAO-like triggers.

A 9mm Revolver?
Q: My wife shoots better with a revolver than an autoloader. To simplify my ammunition stock, I'm trying to find a 9mm Luger revolver. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck. Any ideas? --K. J., Redlands, CA

A: This is a good question and an excellent idea. Your problem used to be a little easier to solve. Several discontinued European revolvers were once offered in 9mm Luger, but both the Astra Police and FN Barracuda are no longer sold. Smith & Wesson also made 9mm wheelguns in both K- and J-frame sizes, but they are gone from the catalog. I also checked the 2002 Ruger catalog in the belief that the 9mm five-shot SP101 or six-shot Blackhawk .357/9mm Convertible might still be available. They are not listed. This situation forces you to the used gun market, which is still pretty good. Ruger Convertibles were produced in the tens of thousands and are your best bet. If you want a smaller, lighter DA revolver, look for a J-frame S&W or the Ruger SP101. Probably the best all-around compromise would be an S&W Model 547 (I saw one on gunsandammoauctions.com) or Ruger Speed-Six.

Spegel Grips
Uncle Mike's catalog literature tells us that its useful molded handgun grips were all designed by superb designer/craftsman Craig Spegel. It's not so widely known that Spegel hand-makes exotic wood grips for direct sale, one pair at a time. While he produces the very best grips you can find for Browning HiPowers and Colt Government Models, he's best known for the famous Boot Grip for Smith & Wesson revolvers.

Spegels are available for all four S&W frame sizes, but the best known model is the Boot Grip for the classic J-frame Centennial. Since that revolver is now made in .357 Magnum, a grip that helps a shooter manage recoil is more important than it ever was. Spegel does it by extending the wood upward to the top of the frame and includes a single finger groove to give the longest, strongest middle finger more contact surface. Using real magnum ammo, the gun still kicks, but much of the bite is removed by an excellent design. Boot Grips are a virtual necessity on lightweight S&Ws in any caliber.

Spegels can be had in a choice of woods, but he tells me he just got a small supply of really flashy cocobolo--better hurry! Contact Craig Spegel, Dept. GA, P.O. Box 387, Nehelem, OR 97131.