Polymer80, Spectre Frame

[Nelson_2016]

One side of the material is treated so as to make adhesives stick to it (if you want to glue it in). The treated side is brown, and the other side is white.

But it's held in tightly by the trigger housing itself, so there's actually no need to glue it in.

It's just an inert, high temperature capable (not that you'd need that capability) piece of plastic that seems like just the right material for the job. And being cut to match the profile of the front wall of the trigger housing, it does a nice, neat job.

[pklin1297]

I just canceled my order with Rainier Arms. Pre-order pricing was $99.00. With Glocks I would rather just get the factory pistols. I'll save my hobby for the 1911s and Sigs...

[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by pklin1297

I just canceled my order with Rainier Arms. Pre-order pricing was $99.00. With Glocks I would rather just get the factory pistols. I'll save my hobby for the 1911s and Sigs...

Wise choice for now. The new handle may prove to be better.

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[Nelson_2016]

On my Spectre frame, I noticed that when the slide is moving back and forth, the bottom of the striker drags over the top of the rear wall of the trigger housing pocket. It left a small mark on the top of the wall.

When I looked at my Glock frame, I can see that there's a notch in the rear wall about 0.2" wide by 0.020" or 0.025" deep.

So now I have to take it apart again put it in the milling machine and cut a notch just like the one on the Glock frame. What a PITA this thing is.

[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by Nelson_2016

On my Spectre frame, I noticed that when the slide is moving back and forth, the bottom of the striker drags over the top of the rear wall of the trigger housing pocket. It left a small mark on the top of the wall.

When I looked at my Glock frame, I can see that there's a notch in the rear wall about 0.2" wide by 0.020" or 0.025" deep.

So now I have to take it apart again put it in the milling machine and cut a notch just like the one on the Glock frame. What a PITA this thing is.

Mine fires ok. Sometimes it has failure to eject issues. I wouldnt trust it in battle. It had been a disappointing project. Cost to benifit ratio is bad.

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[philc]

Originally Posted by Kayo Kelly

BTW all the parts are available at glockstore.com
G17 slide complete is $400
Lower parts kit $125.

The learning part and sense of acomplishment sounds like fun. But at those prices, an oem Glock with warranty sounds like a better value...

[Tripper]

Originally Posted by philc

The learning part and sense of acomplishment sounds like fun. But at those prices, an oem Glock with warranty sounds like a better value...

lower parts kit on sale, 50 bucks, plus shipping,
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/974...k-17-9mm-luger

i've seen complete uppers for 300 from time to time

[djwinsdcal]

My take on it, it's a hobby. If I end up not liking mine when it's done, I will probably end up getting a oem Glock 22 Lower, which are around $175 on gunbroker.com. I already have a .40 upper with magazines and a .22LR upper with magazines, so no money lost, other then the $99 for the the Spectre frame.



David...

[djwinsdcal]

I only paid $250 with shipping on ebay for my Glock 22 complete slide and only $49 for my lower parts kit.

David...

[Nelson_2016]

I haven't fired mine very much yet, mainly due to bad weather, but for the little bit I did, it worked flawlessly.

Anyway, I just cut the notch on the top of the rear wall of the trigger pocket, so that the striker now clears it by a comfortable margin. I made it about 0.2" wide by about 0.02" deep...approximately the same as on the Glock frame.

In my case the striker was just barely touching the top of the rear wall, so it didn't cause any kind of malfunction (yet), but in the interest of maximizing the reliability of the pistol, I was compelled to do it.

I think if the rear rails are cut properly, the trigger housing is shimmed and the notch is cut out, this thing could be reasonably reliable.

Edit: This project could've been easier and less painful if Polymer80 wasn't so irresponsible. They could've at least created a section on their web site, e.g., "known issues" or something like that, where this kind of thing is documented.

Originally Posted by Kayo Kelly

Mine fires ok. Sometimes it has failure to eject issues. I wouldnt trust it in battle. It had been a disappointing project. Cost to benifit ratio is bad.

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[philc]

Originally Posted by djwinsdcal

I only paid $250 with shipping on ebay for my Glock 22 complete slide and only $49 for my lower parts kit.

David...

Once upon a time, me too. But ever since the specter came out, price on slides seems to have doubled. I have been looking for a cheap slide for a few months now with no success.

[djwinsdcal]

Just the other day I got out bid on ebay for a 9mm Glock 17 complete slide and the guy won it for $271 with free shipping. Not bad.

I am shooting for three calibers, 9mm, .40 and .22LR with my lower. If the Spectre is a keeper, I will get two more, to make three different caliber guns.

With all the issues I have seen thus far, I am looking to relocate the trigger pin location, so I will not need the shim.
As for the slide, for Christmas I got a big Gun Smith Tool kit with all kinds of special files to do the fit and finish.
My Vertical Mill will also give me a more accurate finished product over just using a drill.

We shall see.....



David...

[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by philc

The learning part and sense of acomplishment sounds like fun. But at those prices, an oem Glock with warranty sounds like a better value...

Oem is a better value. I will take a look at the new handle but stick with metal builds from here on. The Spectre is too light and tends to be inacurate for me compared to metal guns. Even with the tungsten guide rod.

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[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by djwinsdcal

Just the other day I got out bid on ebay for a 9mm Glock 17 complete slide and the guy won it for $271 with free shipping. Not bad.

I am shooting for three calibers, 9mm, .40 and .22LR with my lower. If the Spectre is a keeper, I will get two more, to make three different caliber guns.

With all the issues I have seen thus far, I am looking to relocate the trigger pin location, so I will not need the shim.
As for the slide, for Christmas I got a big Gun Smith Tool kit with all kinds of special files to do the fit and finish.
My Vertical Mill will also give me a more accurate finished product over just using a drill.

We shall see.....



David...

Setting that mill up may be fun but all you need is a dremil, drill, files and sandpaper.

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[Nelson_2016]

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that a shim is a better solution than trying to relocate the pin.

Without the shim, I believe that the trigger housing will not be properly supported and the pin will be subject to a mechanical force that it wouldn't normally experience. This may or may not result in eventual failure, but why gamble with reliability? (It reminds me of the apparently higher rate of trigger pin failure in AR-15s that are converted from locked-breech 5.56mm to 9mm blowback; the increased impact load on the pin results in a higher failure rate).

You can see what I mean if you take a Spectre frame, drop a trigger housing into the pocket, hold the trigger housing in with light downward pressure (e.g. with one finger) while applying force against the ejector with your other hand. Compare the situation with and without the shim.

Originally Posted by djwinsdcal

Just the other day I got out bid on ebay for a 9mm Glock 17 complete slide and the guy won it for $271 with free shipping. Not bad.

I am shooting for three calibers, 9mm, .40 and .22LR with my lower. If the Spectre is a keeper, I will get two more, to make three different caliber guns.

With all the issues I have seen thus far, I am looking to relocate the trigger pin location, so I will not need the shim.
As for the slide, for Christmas I got a big Gun Smith Tool kit with all kinds of special files to do the fit and finish.
My Vertical Mill will also give me a more accurate finished product over just using a drill.

We shall see.....



David...

[djwinsdcal]

Originally Posted by Kayo Kelly

Setting that mill up may be fun but all you need is a dremil, drill, files and sandpaper.

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That is true, but that maybe the issue people are having with things not fitting right. It does seem the jig is not as accurate in some areas like the trigger needing a shim.

David...

[djwinsdcal]

Originally Posted by Nelson_2016

I could be wrong, but it seems to me that a shim is a better solution than trying to relocate the pin.

Without the shim, I believe that the trigger housing will not be properly supported and the pin will be subject to a mechanical force that it wouldn't normally experience. This may or may not result in eventual failure, but why gamble with reliability? (It reminds me of the apparently higher rate of trigger pin failure in AR-15s that are converted from locked-breech 5.56mm to 9mm blowback; the increased impact load on the pin results in a higher failure rate).

You can see what I mean if you take a Spectre frame, drop a trigger housing into the pocket, hold the trigger housing in with light downward pressure (e.g. with one finger) while applying force against the ejector with your other hand. Compare the situation with and without the shim.

I will have to look at it closer when I get out the micrometer. The relocation of the trigger pin sounds to be off by .020". I could see that being a result of using hand tools instead of a good drill press or mill.

David...

[Kayo Kelly]

The jig is plastic. Even if you drill straight it could be off some.

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[philc]

Originally Posted by fixitsteve

Followed the directions exactly. Used a bench top drill press and the smallest milling vice from amazon.com. not great quality, but you can make anything cheap work once if you know what you are doing.

I came into some amazon gift cards. Do you remember which mill vice you picked up? Or does anyone know the dimensions of the jig?

[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by philc

I came into some amazon gift cards. Do you remember which mill vice you picked up? Or does anyone know the dimensions of the jig?

I bought a $13 vice from Harbor Freight. The one that has a clamp.

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[philc]

You didnt use the one that "drags/moves" the jig across the rear frame channel? Hopefully, that made sense.

[Kayo Kelly]

Had my Spectre engraved last night. It is correct depth and meets criteria.

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[djwinsdcal]

Originally Posted by Kayo Kelly

Had my Spectre engraved last night. It is correct depth and meets criteria.

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That's cool. I'm going to do that to mine also.

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[atlastrekker]

Doesn't it have to be engraved in metal?

[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by atlastrekker

Doesn't it have to be engraved in metal?

Not sure but if for some unusual reason I were to be stopped and searched that would be better than nothing.

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[jacobglee]

Kayo Kelly where did you get it done?

[Kayo Kelly]

South Orange County


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[Kayo Kelly]

Originally Posted by jacobglee

Kayo Kelly where did you get it done?

Check for PM

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[KoshNarek]

Originally Posted by atlastrekker

Doesn't it have to be engraved in metal?

I do know that the new PF940C frame come with a metal plate on the bottom of the Picatinny Rail for engraving a serial number.
Don't quote me on this, but if I'm not mistaken the new law allows you to add your own serial number before a certain date and you're still in compliance with the law and don't have to register it.

[Kayo Kelly]

Correcto thats why I had mine done. I never read any thing about having it engraved in metal. I think only Glock does that. All the other plastic guns put right in the plastic handle.

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[Quiet]

Originally Posted by Kayo Kelly

Correcto thats why I had mine done. I never read any thing about having it engraved in metal. I think only Glock does that. All the other plastic guns put right in the plastic handle.

Under Federal laws/regulations...

For polymer frame/receiver, serial numbers are required to be engraved on a metal plate that can not be removed without significantly damaging or destroying the frame/receiver.

All other information (make, model, caliber, city/state/country) can be engraved on polymer.

[Awesomesauce]

I am working on a small engraved/etched/stamped plate similar to the original glock ones. Once it's marked, I will set into the bottom of the dust cover, but above the pictinny rail. I will melt nylon into the gap to encapsulate it and call it good. The Spectre is glass-filled nylon.

[djwinsdcal]

Originally Posted by Awesomesauce

I am working on a small engraved/etched/stamped plate similar to the original glock ones. Once it's marked, I will set into the bottom of the dust cover, but above the pictinny rail. I will melt nylon into the gap to encapsulate it and call it good. The Spectre is glass-filled nylon.

I was thinking of the same idea, but with epoxy to fill the void.
I have never worked with glass-filled nylon, is it easy to use compared
To epoxy. Any pro or con to either?

Thanks for sharing your idea.

David...

[shawnmitchell]

Originally Posted by f308gt4

Answered my own question.

Not the prettiest job, but looks OK, and functions OK. Need to finish building out the pistol to really do a full test, hopefully soon.

Prior to the chop (measure twice, cut once):



Post chop with G19 mag inserted:



Here it is with a G17 mag for comparison.

I like this idea. Just ordered another V1 on clearance and I'm planning on cutting and grinding on the grip extensively.

[shawnmitchell]

Speaking of chopping on Spectres, has anyone chopped the nose off the frame to accommodate a G19 slide? I have a P940c on pre-order but I'm thinking I might use this clearance full size frame to build a Spectre G26L by chopping the front down to G19 length and cutting the grip all the way down to accept G26 mags.

[shawnmitchell]

Originally Posted by shawnmitchell

Speaking of chopping on Spectres, has anyone chopped the nose off the frame to accommodate a G19 slide? I have a P940c on pre-order but I'm thinking I might use this clearance full size frame to build a Spectre G26L by chopping the front down to G19 length and cutting the grip all the way down to accept G26 mags.

Ah apparently putting a G19 slide on a G17 frame is not quite as simple as chopping down the dust cover. Guess I'll go for a 19 grip length with a 19 or 22 slide.

[Awesomesauce]

the PF940c will have metal rear rails, which I think will alleviate much of the break-in drama folks are having.

[shawnmitchell]

Got an email this morning from MidwayUSA that the P940c is "overdue"

[shawnmitchell]

[Nelson_2016]

Everywhere I've found that these new compact frames are being "pre-sold", the price is presently at $149.99.

After all the BS I endured with the Spectre frame, I'm not inclined to pay top dollar until I see that the new frame doesn't have a bunch of issues. Does anyone know of anyplace "pre-selling" at a better price?