10 Steps to Building a Glock Using a Polymer80 PF940 Frame Kit

[Tactical-Life 34]

When the trigger pin is properly installed, you complete the locking block installation with a pair of screws. To do so, carefully squeeze the front of the trigger block into the frame using your vise. Place the frame on its side in the vise and apply just enough pressure so the holes in the locking block align with those in the polymer frame. After they line up, install the screw, and then flip the frame over and repeat the procedure for the other side.

When the locking block is installed, you can install the slide-lock lever and spring.

Step 9: With the frame complete, it’s time to fit the slide to the frame. Take a complete slide assembly and slowly push it onto the frame. Look for problems with misalignment, excess friction and parts being out of place. If everything is close enough, the slide will go onto the frame.

The instructions provided by Polymer80 go into great detail to help with this step, including tips on how to diagnose special problems, such as contact between the locking block and slide, which might prevent smooth operation. Additionally, Polymer80 offers phone and online support to help you get the build correct.

Be prepared to spend lots of time on this step. A finishing file and sandpaper can help take down any high spots that might be dragging. I also like to finish with a very fine-grit sandpaper to make the machined areas look more professional.

Step 10: After the slide is fitted to the gun and you’ve done a function check, it’s time to get it on the range and break it in. Unlike a factory gun, you should expect some malfunctions early. You’re wearing some parts down so they will operate more reliably. When you start, I’d recommend adding a little gun grease to the slide rails and across the top of the locking block. After you start shooting, you should see a fairly rapid reduction in malfunctions, ultimately resulting in a reliable pistol. If you’re shooting but don’t see any improvements, take the gun down and check it closely for wear points and other clues that will suggest where the problem is. If you find part of the frame is dragging on the slide, take the high points down and try again. For other possible problems, contact Polymer80 for assistance. When the gun is running the way you like, consider the job done.

 

Building your own gun isn’t difficult. In fact, it’s dead simple. At one time, I believed there was something mystical about building your own firearm. It seemed only someone with an engineering degree and years of training on a CNC machine could accomplish such a feat. Then I took the plunge and built my own AR-15 from an 80-percent lower that I machined in my garage. The gun shot great, and I had broken through the mental barrier on what I could accomplish with some simple tools and a little effort. The next project that caught my eye was the Polymer80 PF940 incomplete pistol frame. Essentially a handgun equivalent to an 80-percent AR lower, the PF940 lets you build a full-sized pistol using Glock parts. It’s not exactly a Glock clone, as the shape, style and construction are significantly different. However, the slide, barrel, magazines and all other parts from Glock pistols work.

 

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The Polymer80 PF940 frame is designed to work with third-generation 9mm, .40 S&W and .357 SIG Glock parts. For this build, I went with standard Glock 17 parts. However, I could have also gone with parts kits for the Glock 17 L, G22, G24, G31, G34 or G35. Completion parts are available in individual pieces from major gun supply shops such as Brownells and Midway USA. However, several specialty suppliers—such as Lone Wolf Distributors and GlockStore—offer everything from completion kits to race gun parts for the PF940.

 

Why would you build your own handgun? Various reasons, including the satisfaction of creating something to wanting to build something that isn’t available from any manufacturer. For example, Polymer80 offers frames in four colors—something that isn’t available on most pistols. Then you can add your own stippling, a custom slide and an enhanced trigger. Competitive shooters have been building their own 1911-style pistols for decades, and now you can compete with your own hand-built polymer gun.

 

You can use various methods to complete the Polymer80 PF940 pistol frame. First, the PF940 comes with a jig and the appropriate drill and milling bits. The company offers detailed instructions that seemed to work pretty well. For this particular method, you will need a sturdy vise, a hand drill, a finishing file, 220-grit sandpaper, a drill press with a cross vise and blue or red Loctite.

 

For this article, I deviated from the company’s suggested method and used a completion technique published by GlockStore. This technique also requires a Dremel tool. Safety glasses are a must for any method. A sliver of polymer can ruin your vision just as quickly as a piece of aluminum.

 

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In addition to the tools, you will need parts to turn the frame into a functioning firearm. I had a slide and barrel assembly on hand. If I had not, I could have purchased these parts already assembled from various sources, including some of the aforementioned businesses. I needed all of the parts that went into the frame, and I picked those up through the vendors I mentioned. I recommend using OEM Glock parts for your first build. The more you stray from the specific parts this frame was developed to use, the more you increase the possibility of problems.

 

This article was originally published in ‘Ballistic’ Summer 2017. To order a copy, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.

 

The post 10 Steps to Building a Glock Using a Polymer80 PF940 Frame Kit appeared first on Tactical Life Gun Magazine: Gun News and Gun Reviews.

 

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