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Marvin · 06-01-2001, 06:45 AM

Since the thread on the question about the "filler" material that Hugh has verified in the black plastic grips is down the page, i wanted to start another about this subject.

In my opinion, the grips are a compression molded pheonolic. This is what we refer to as "Bakelite". The Germans used a little different compound than the US and I feel it is a little more durable to warping from the years since they were made. This material is either in a powder form or a compressed "pill" form when it is placed/dumped into the mold cavity. The mold closes and through time and temperature, the powder is melted, taked the form of the mold and the mold opens. The time is reasonably quick for mold and cure and the parts must have the "flash" removed from the edges when it comes out of the mold. This material is very hard on the Durometer scale which makes it brittle, or break easy. The black plastic grips seem to have an additive to the compound which give a little more "flex" to the pheonolic and makes it an excellent material for grips. One additive could very well be small asbestos fibers. This would allow the grips to be hard, yet have good streangh and not break easy. Don't worry about the asbestos in them, just don't inhale the entire grip, ha, ha.

The plastic grips Mauser used on the P.38 pistols was an injection molded plastic which comes in pellet form, melted, and then hydraulically injected into a mold for forming. This type plastic is not near as hard on the Durometer scale as the pheonolic and will take much more flexing than the the compression molded plastic. The biggest drawback to the injection molded plastic is that the material will scratch and scuff much easier than the pheonolic material.

For grips, I would use the injection molded material. In a combat situation, I don't care if the grips get scratched or scuffed, but with the compression molded pheonolic, I don't want one of them to break. The Luger magazines have a good flat surface which does not allow flexing and the grips do not extend over any edges, so the material works well on them. If you collect the Czech CZ-27 pistol, the grips are a pheonolic material and most will have chips on the bottom front edge because the edge overhangs the frame and one "bump" and the corner is broken because the material is so hard. If they had used injection molded plastic, it would bend before breaking.

Hope this explains a little on the two differnt type materials the Germans used.

Marvin

06-01-2001, 06:45 AM	#1
Marvin User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Upstate S.C. Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Luger Plastic Grips Since the thread on the question about the "filler" material that Hugh has verified in the black plastic grips is down the page, i wanted to start another about this subject. In my opinion, the grips are a compression molded pheonolic. This is what we refer to as "Bakelite". The Germans used a little different compound than the US and I feel it is a little more durable to warping from the years since they were made. This material is either in a powder form or a compressed "pill" form when it is placed/dumped into the mold cavity. The mold closes and through time and temperature, the powder is melted, taked the form of the mold and the mold opens. The time is reasonably quick for mold and cure and the parts must have the "flash" removed from the edges when it comes out of the mold. This material is very hard on the Durometer scale which makes it brittle, or break easy. The black plastic grips seem to have an additive to the compound which give a little more "flex" to the pheonolic and makes it an excellent material for grips. One additive could very well be small asbestos fibers. This would allow the grips to be hard, yet have good streangh and not break easy. Don't worry about the asbestos in them, just don't inhale the entire grip, ha, ha. The plastic grips Mauser used on the P.38 pistols was an injection molded plastic which comes in pellet form, melted, and then hydraulically injected into a mold for forming. This type plastic is not near as hard on the Durometer scale as the pheonolic and will take much more flexing than the the compression molded plastic. The biggest drawback to the injection molded plastic is that the material will scratch and scuff much easier than the pheonolic material. For grips, I would use the injection molded material. In a combat situation, I don't care if the grips get scratched or scuffed, but with the compression molded pheonolic, I don't want one of them to break. The Luger magazines have a good flat surface which does not allow flexing and the grips do not extend over any edges, so the material works well on them. If you collect the Czech CZ-27 pistol, the grips are a pheonolic material and most will have chips on the bottom front edge because the edge overhangs the frame and one "bump" and the corner is broken because the material is so hard. If they had used injection molded plastic, it would bend before breaking. Hope this explains a little on the two differnt type materials the Germans used. Marvin