AW93 all steel

[Two Shanks]

From what I understand the frame on the AW93 is all steel. What about the rest of the pistol. I asking about the newest regular model not the light model. Are all parts steel or do they use mim parts. I tried a search but could not come up with anything definitive. Thanks.

[High Left]

I haven't fully stripped mine, but I don't recall seeing anything that's visible inside looking like anything other than machined steel.

I can't imagine they'd ever make enough of these to justify the tooling for MIM parts in it, unless they've got some common parts between this and their air guns.

Beautiful handling pistol, but it's got a few quirks with regard to mounting an optical sight, if you want a quick switch back to irons, or like to pull the slide to clean it.

[Two Shanks]

Thanks for the reply. I have a Pardini but I like the fact the AW93 has a steel frame. I talked to George last week and he said he was working on another mount for the AW93 A detachable barrel mount using an earth magnet.

[Leon]

All steel, non MIM parts

[-TT-]

Definitely all steel. The silver-colored parts (frame, barrel) are nickel-plated.

The Light model has an aluminum recoil weight, but the rest of the pistol is the same in both models.

[High Left]

A magnet sounds interesting.

I drilled and tapped the barrel on mine, and made an aluminum base with an Anschutz dovetail. Hacked out a couple mounts playing with a compact red dot, Aimpoint style mounting, and then made a mount with integral rings for an Ultradot. Haven't yet had a chance to fire and zero it, but the previous versions would repeat zero well enough I could pull them off to clean it.

[BobGee]

Can I ask: what is the issue with MIM parts in a gun?

Bob

[Azmodan]

i was about to ask the same.
didn;t know what MIM is, but apparently is also a metal part (steel) but injection molded instead of forged

http://www.mimsupplier.com/what-are-mim-parts.html

so why the prejudice against mim parts?

[Two Shanks]

so why the prejudice against mim parts?

I prefer a part that is machined from bar stock over a part that is from a mold of sintered metal. An expensive pistol like the AW93 should not have any mim parts. Now what is wrong with MIM? Nothing. Most production guns like SIG Sauer are full of MIM parts and they serve their purpose.

Some people want only parts that are drop forged but that just would not be cost effective. There is a lot of back and forth in the web on this topic.

[High Left]

so why the prejudice against mim parts?

They're generally considered to not be as durable as wrought steel. Usually in terms of trigger parts, the edges aren't as hard and tough to maintain a consistent pull.

[BobGee]

They're generally considered to not be as durable as wrought steel. Usually in terms of trigger parts, the edges aren't as hard and tough to maintain a consistent pull.

I guess its the usual "horses for courses". So it's down to the designer to determine if a MIM part is OK in its application. Seems that sears and hammers need not apply.

Thanks for the clarification.

Bob

[Leon]

Fatigue strength, shear strength, torsional shear strength are more accurate measures of strength as concerned with firearms parts.

Hardness is independent of grain size, porosity, or any other physical attribute of the part. A MIM 4140 steel part will be the same hardness as a forged or cast 4140 steel part. Hardness is more of a factor of heat treatment.

If you have identical parts, MIM will be superior to casting. However, even the slightest changes in part geometry will require a more thorough examination to determine which is "stronger". For instance, a forged part that includes sharp 90 degree angles in its geometry will be weaker than cast or MIM parts that have more oblique radii.

From GlockTalk

[Two Shanks]

Cant believe anyone from Glock Talk would be an expert on metallurgy. Maybe plastic. Pretty sure the forged part will be stronger due to the grain of the metal going in the same direction.

[Leon]

Cant believe anyone from Glock Talk would be an expert on metallurgy. Maybe plastic. Pretty sure the forged part will be stronger due to the grain of the metal going in the same direction.

Not really. When Browning changed the frames of Hi Power pistols from forged to machined cast frames, they found out that the machined cast frames were stronger.

"The forged frames were the original method up until into the early prod mkIII when they tried .40 and discovered the frames weren't strong enough. The cast frames also took better heat treating, which enabled a stronger gun.

While forging is credited with "orienting the grain" of the metal, sometimes you don't WANT an oriented grain which makes the part stronger in one dimension but weaker in another."

GE use MIM for the turbofans of the jet engines they produce - so MIM can't be all that bad.

[Two Shanks]

Yeah you're not going to make me believe cast or mim parts for firearms is better than forged. For turbofans maybe to be lighter. Completely different deal. They use cast and mim parts in firearms because they are cheaper to mass produce. As in cheap. Ever see a cast or mim part in a Korth revolver? No and you won't.

[Two Shanks]

Any way got the AW93 today and really like it. It works better than the Pardini for me. YMMV.

[Leon]

Oh, I've just read today that FWB have outsourced the entire production of AW93s to China, where they are completely made of MIM (and plastic).

By some strange and eerie coincidence, it seems that the the one you have just bought is the first one manufactured there.

[-TT-]

Oh no! The town where FWB is located will never be the same. It has been making munitions for centuries

Do you have a link for this?

[Two Shanks]

Well the one I got was made in Germany and all essential parts are made from quality steel. So I guess You are maybe WRONG. But thanks for playing. Of course he does not have a link.

[Leon]

Calm down, just jesting..

The AW93 is a fine pistol, and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it