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The Glock frame should not be boiled in water?

23K views 194 replies 78 participants last post by  Bradd D 
#1 ·
This guy suggests he heard from someone who had something to do with the development of the polymer Glock uses in the frames. He says that this person said that heating the gun with hot air won't hurt the polymer, but that boiling water will.

Bunk or no? What do you think?

 
#3 ·
It's a common fix for the pignose frame to boil it in water before setting toothpicks or q tips between the frame and the slide while it cools.

I did it the other day. It helped some, but my pignose starts further down the frame then where I set the toothpicks, so I'm considering doing it again, but I came across this video and am wondering what others think.
 
#9 ·
This guy suggests he heard from someone who had something to do with the development of the polymer Glock uses in the frames. He says that this person said that heating the gun with hot air won't hurt the polymer, but that boiling water will.
Chin Forehead Smile Pleased Photo caption
 
#10 ·
The Glock frame is made of Dupont Nylon 6 and contains water. It will become very brittle with age.

The Remington Nylon 66 .22 rifle was so tough when it was introduced, you could run over one with a pickup, then hit a baseball with the stock and it wouldn't hurt it at all.

Today, you can get a made in 1973 Remington Nylon 66 and easily shatter the stock with a mallet.

The Glock frame is made of the same Dupont Nylon 6 Polymer and with time, it will lose it's water and becomes brittle.

Google Nylon 6 and check for yourself..

Boil your Glock for a few hours every 10 years and you should be GTG.

If you have a 20+ yr old Glock, weigh the frame before boiling it, then weigh the frame after and see how much water it absorbs.
 
#11 ·
The Glock frame is made of Dupont Nylon 6 and contains water. It will become very brittle with age.

The Remington Nylon 66 .22 rifle was so tough when it was introduced, you could run over one with a pickup, then hit a baseball with the stock and it wouldn't hurt it at all.

Today, you can get a made in 1973 Remington Nylon 66 and easily shatter the stock with a mallet.

The Glock frame is made of the same Dupont Nylon 6 Polymer and with time, it will lose it's water and becomes brittle.

Google Nylon 6 and check for yourself..

Boil your Glock for a few hours every 10 years and you should be GTG.

If you have a 20+ yr old Glock, weigh the frame before boiling it, then weigh the frame after and see how much water it absorbs.
This is some of the awesomest news I've ever heard.

You, sir, are a scholar and a gentleman for revealing such a brilliant method to maintain one's Glock.
 
#12 ·
Useful information:

At the molecular level, nylon contains hydrophilic amide groups. Therefore nylon is water-absorbent. Water absorption will result in dimensional change. Assuming ordinary atmospheric conditions (23°C/60%RH), the equilibrium water absorption is 3.5% for nylon 6, 2.5% for nylon 66, and 1.5% for nylon 610.
 
#13 ·
Useful information:

At the molecular level, nylon contains hydrophilic amide groups. Therefore nylon is water-absorbent. Water absorption will result in dimensional change. Assuming ordinary atmospheric conditions (23°C/60%RH), the equilibrium water absorption is 3.5% for nylon 6, 2.5% for nylon 66, and 1.5% for nylon 610.
So it sounds like you shouldn't give it the full boil for a couple hours but once every decade, otherwise it may get chubby.
 
#15 ·
Interesting reading on this stuff.

Nylon 6 fibres are tough, possessing high tensile strength, as well as elasticity and lustre. They are wrinkleproof and highly resistant to abrasion and chemicals such as acids and alkalis. The fibres can absorb up to 2.4% of water, although this lowers tensile strength. The glass transition temperature of Nylon 6 is 47 °C.
 
#16 ·
Anecdotal, but as a kid I flew R/C airplanes.
We would get props made of nylon because they didn't break quite as easily as wood (more elastic, ya' see).
We would boil them to restore moisture content and to remove the internal stresses caused by the moulding process. These were NOT fiber-impregnated nylon though.
 
#19 ·
Water transfers heat 25X more efficiently than air. Any SCUBA diver can tell you that. So, it makes sense that boiling would have a faster and more deleterious effect on polymer than hot air.

David
 
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#22 ·
I haven't submersed a frame in boiling water, but not because I'm afraid of hurting the frame. I've used steam and shims as well as dry heat and shims. Both work. Steam is a little less worrisome since it won't melt the plastic. Using 'touch' with dry heat will keep overheating from being a problem. One of the G17's I sold took 4 steam treatments before the pig nose stayed straight. I doubt I hurt it. If you consider they're using polymers under car hoods, now, and they get hot and cold, everyday, for years, I can assume, through common sense, a little boiling water or steam will not hurt a Glock frame. I'd hope it's made of plastic that's more durable than a windshield washer reservoir.
 
#24 ·
I agree that it's bunk. Boiling water gets to only 212 degree Fahrenheit.
I think boiling would be safer than heating (air heater, etc.) for that very reason. Your temperature is limited.

I am no chemist, but my thoughts as follows:

If you boil it, don't use anything you plan to drink or eat out of. Lead safety, and all...
Nylon 66 and similar compounds break down a few ways. One is hydrolysis. Water and time will have a negative impact on the frame. Having said that, so will UV light. Boiling a frame once in a while, and having the sun hit your gun will absolutely increase decay... but it isn't as if it is instant. UV inhibitors are in the plastic, and heating a gun for a bit will not cause immediate damage.

Decision Tree:

Are you a museum curator (Y/N)?
Y: Don't boil it (ever). Also, keep it behind UV protective glass, with humidity and temperature control, under a noble gas. You should be able to keep it for hundreds of years.
N: Don't boil it frequently, and don't leave it in the sun all day, every day. It will likely be good for your lifetime.
 
#26 ·
I heard a guy at a gun store who knew this dude whose brother was a cop that had a friend that boiled his Glock in water. I think it must be real..... Why bother to look up known absorption rates of plastics. It's only been measured for the last 50 years. Roughly 2%, but it also returns to normal weight after a short time.
 
#31 ·
I'm all for Glock haters to be boiled in oil, but boiling nice Glock frames in anything seems a bit harsh just to straighten out it's nose......:cool:
 
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