[John Sabato]

Thanks for confirmation Viggo...

Al Eggers, I only did ME work for a couple of years and most of it was focused on Aluminum and stainless steel...

You have to remember that the Titanium cylinders do not take any pounding... they meerly contain the pressure of the detonated cartridge... The Frames (like taurus) get "pushed" by the recoiling cartridge case which causes the frame to stretch and contract, but not get hammered...

If there is a 1911 type frame being cast of Titanium, I am sure that there is a buffer in use to keep the bottom face of the recoil spring and plug from hammering the forward edge of the magazine well... this is a tough area of a 1911 frame, but I doubt that a 1911 made of the stuff would last anywhere near as long as the steel frames. The aluminum frame 1911's are lightweight for carry purposes, but don't last as long as a steel frame...

The only rifle on the market with an action made out of titanium (that I know about) is some of the clone AR-15 receivers... These only hold all of the trigger group and support the magazine... again there is no hammering stress on the action.

The Luger design on the other hand, requires the toggle knobs, made of hardened steel to be thrust back to solidly impact on the hardened tempered steel ramps of the frame ears in order to unlock the action in the moment of discharge. It is this "hammering" that causes peening of the metal even in a steel Luger...and this same peening would happen much quicker with Titanium if it didn't shatter the "ears" because of it's brittleness.

It makes me shudder to think that anyone would consider making a Luger frame out of Zinc... but they did and they failed miserably... just the wrong design for lightweight material.

In short, I think titanium would work great for any application where light weight and sturctural strength are required, but not where constant hammering or impacts with steel hardened surfaces are commonplace... like the Luger.

Just my $0.02 worth of experience and research...