Polymer80 PF9SS
- Category
- Pistol
- Barrel
- 86 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
- Introduced
- 2016
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Polymer80 PF9SS is Polymer80's iconic 80-percent unfinished pistol frame, designed to be home-completed into a fully functional Glock-pattern handgun (single-stack subcompact Glock 43). Sold as a frame-and-jig kit rather than a complete firearm, it is built from glass-reinforced nylon polymer and is compatible with Gen3 Glock fire-control and slide components. The frame features Polymer80's hallmark ergonomics: an aggressive grip texture, redesigned grip angle, double-undercut trigger guard, extended beavertail and a thumb ledge. Once finished with the included jig and bits, the builder installs a compatible slide assembly to produce a complete pistol. The specifications listed reflect a representative completed build on this platform.
Polymer80 was founded in 2013 in Dayton, Nevada by Loran Kelley Jr. and David Borges, rising to prominence as the dominant maker of 80-percent unfinished pistol frames that let hobbyists legally build their own Glock-pattern handguns at home. The company became a flashpoint in the 'ghost gun' debate; following years of regulatory and legal pressure under ATF Final Rule 2021R-05F, Polymer80 ceased operations in 2024.
BUILD PLATFORM: Sold by Polymer80 as an 80% frame-and-jig kit, NOT a complete serialized firearm. Builds a Glock 43-compatible pistol using Gen3 Glock-pattern parts. Specifications represent a typical completed build. Polymer80 discontinued all products in 2024.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Polymer80, Inc.
- Category
- Pistol
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 2016 to 2024
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 86 mm
- Overall length
- 159 mm
- Height
- 108 mm
- Width
- 26 mm
- Weight, empty
- 480 g
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Short recoil
- Firing mechanism
- Striker fired
- Trigger
- Single action
- Capacity
- 6
- Magazine
- Detachable box
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Polymer
- Slide
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Finish
- Black nitride
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 50 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Accessory rail
Aggressive texture grip
Double undercut trigger guard
Extended beavertail- Thumb ledge
Glock magazine compatible
1911 grip angle
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 560 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 480 g | 765 g | Lighter than about 90% |
| Overall lengthAmong 559 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 159 mm | 191 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 569 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 86 mm | 105 mm | Shorter than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 571 9x19mm Parabellum pistols | 6 | 15 | Holds fewer rounds than about 90% |
Its place in the rankings
Answers
Questions about the Polymer80 PF9SS
How much does the Polymer80 PF9SS weigh?
The Polymer80 PF9SS weighs 480 g (1.06 lb) empty. It is the 8th lightest of 560 9x19mm Parabellum pistols in the catalogue.
What caliber is the Polymer80 PF9SS?
The Polymer80 PF9SS is chambered in 9x19mm Parabellum.
How many rounds does the Polymer80 PF9SS hold?
The Polymer80 PF9SS holds 6 rounds, fed from a detachable box magazine.
How long is the Polymer80 PF9SS?
The Polymer80 PF9SS is 159 mm (6.26 in) long overall, with a 86 mm (3.39 in) barrel.
Who makes the Polymer80 PF9SS?
The Polymer80 PF9SS is made by Polymer80, Inc. (United States). It was designed by Polymer80, Inc..
When was the Polymer80 PF9SS introduced?
The Polymer80 PF9SS was introduced in 2016 and discontinued in 2024.
How does the Polymer80 PF9SS operate?
The Polymer80 PF9SS uses a short recoil action, and its firing mechanism is striker fired.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
62%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/polymer80-pf9ss' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "polymer80-pf9ss", "name": "Polymer80 PF9SS", "manufacturer": { "id": "polymer80", "name": "Polymer80, Inc.", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 2013, "website": "https://www.polymer80.com", "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "updatedAt": "2026-05-26 23:17:02", "version": "ef2182dbe338ff5fa18dc9b335c547424909a3d059b5942cf17d590aa7d23edc" }, "category": { "id": "pistol", "name": "Pistol", "description": "Handguns designed to be fired with one or two hands" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 2016, "barrel_length_mm": 86, "weight_empty_g": 480, "action_type": "short_recoil"}