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Mark Milton · May 14, 2009, 07:33 AM

Back in the 80s I saw a Raven .25 that partially melted after being left on the dashboard of an old Monte Carlo.

This is not an anecdote.
One of my cop buddies had seen other cheap zinc guns with the same problem.

Some of the RG revolvers would have cracked grips too and I have seen an HR revolver that wouldnt work and I did not know why for years. Later I found out they have a plastic tip on top of the mainspring in that model and I am guessing the plastic tip warped.

It can get up to 198 degrees inside a car on a hot day. In my old neighborhood I can recall seeing heat cause windshields to shatter, which is why I leave my window cracked and my vents open in my vehicle in the summer.
I don't know if thats enough to melt a modern glock or XD, but I have no doubt it will mess with the Zinc junkers still on the market.
You just cant make a good gun out of Zinc. Even smith and wesson tried and failed.

I knew a guy in law enforcement who moved to Florida and he sent me and another buddy pictures of a Glock once with a warped frame supposedly due to being left in a hot car.
I don't know if it was legit or not, but considering the 'soft' nature of the Glock polymer frame (compared to Rugers original polymer guns and the HKs with their fiberglass) it certainly could have been legit.

To be on the safe side I don't carry my Glock around in the summer for that reason though.

I wouldn't worry about an ammo cook off. However, ammo pressures can get high when ammo is stored in a hot place and ammo can lose velocity when stored in cold. We tested that one with a chronograph...

May 14, 2009, 07:33 AM	#21
Mark Milton Junior member Join Date: January 30, 2006 Posts: 504	Back in the 80s I saw a Raven .25 that partially melted after being left on the dashboard of an old Monte Carlo. This is not an anecdote. One of my cop buddies had seen other cheap zinc guns with the same problem. Some of the RG revolvers would have cracked grips too and I have seen an HR revolver that wouldnt work and I did not know why for years. Later I found out they have a plastic tip on top of the mainspring in that model and I am guessing the plastic tip warped. It can get up to 198 degrees inside a car on a hot day. In my old neighborhood I can recall seeing heat cause windshields to shatter, which is why I leave my window cracked and my vents open in my vehicle in the summer. I don't know if thats enough to melt a modern glock or XD, but I have no doubt it will mess with the Zinc junkers still on the market. You just cant make a good gun out of Zinc. Even smith and wesson tried and failed. I knew a guy in law enforcement who moved to Florida and he sent me and another buddy pictures of a Glock once with a warped frame supposedly due to being left in a hot car. I don't know if it was legit or not, but considering the 'soft' nature of the Glock polymer frame (compared to Rugers original polymer guns and the HKs with their fiberglass) it certainly could have been legit. To be on the safe side I don't carry my Glock around in the summer for that reason though. I wouldn't worry about an ammo cook off. However, ammo pressures can get high when ammo is stored in a hot place and ammo can lose velocity when stored in cold. We tested that one with a chronograph...