[denfoote]

Of what use is the full length on a 1911??
Does it add to the accuracy of the pistol??

[sm]

I don't use them, any that I might have had have been replaced to GI Stubby.

Now some make money by selling them, others get a kick by drilling a hole and using a paperclip so they can easily remove slide with spring intact (aw ain't that cute, trick, slick whatever), some say they can feel a difference in forward weight to get back on target quicker ( though I have switched a shooters gun and he didn't notice the difference, kinda freaked him out when I showed him he had just fired 3 mags w/o one).

Next to 9 vs 45 these questions often cussed/discussed, like cleaning and shock buffs. FWIW, for me Shock buff for range not carry, cleaning...your kidding right? :)

So how is the new toy doing?

[45auto]

No additional accuracy.

They do add weight to the gun and the takedown is a bit different with them. They prevent a "pinch check", whether that's good or bad is up to you.

Many people feel they "smooth" out the gun. That's a subjective thing so lot's of opinions on that. I have a tendancy to believe that on guns with a sloppy frame/slide fit.

But, on 1911's you can go either way... isn't that typical of this gun!!

[Tropical Z]

Ill keep my shorty-works great.

[C.R.Sam]

Amazing how much superflous stuff can be hung on and in a 1911 and it will still work.

Personally, I don't go for buffers, beavers, long rods etc on a work gun.

Fun to play with tho.

Sam

[10-Ring]

I met a loacl smith recently who's absolutely sold on the FLGR. His thinking is that the guide rod helps lock up & aids in accuracy. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. I don't think it really makes much difference one way or the other.

[Mute]

It has the uncanny and unfailing ability to lighten your wallet.

[stipilot]

It has the uncanny and unfailing ability to lighten your wallet.Yeah, the nerve of those scumbag rip-off artist custom 'smiths and high end gun manufacturers sucking a whole extra $5 or $10 outta ya on those $2000 and $3000 guns.

a) :barf:
b) :banghead:
c) :rolleyes:
d) a, b, and c

[BigG]

Yes. They are very good and excellent help. John Moses Browning was remiss in leaving it out. Bad JMB! /sarcasm :scrutiny: :neener:

[bountyhunter]

I don't think an FLGR affects performance, although some say it extends the life of the recoil spring because it keeps it from "stacking" (bunching up).

As far as cost: you can get a FLGR and reverse plug from dawsons for about $20 already drilled with the take down hole in it. That's chump change for the feature of never having to fight with a recoil spring or bushing wrench again. Some people wear that forehead imprint proudly...... personally, I got fed up real quick with fighting an 18# recoil spring. Life is too short to do things the hard way.

[1911Tuner]

There's one good thing about a FLGR...

Chuck it in a lathe and reduce the thickness of the head...Take it
down to about .065 inch, and take a like amount off the butt-end.
This regains some of the lost slide travel that results from using a
shock buffer. A two-piece rod works out well if you want to retain
the fit to the plug of the one-piece. You'll probably have to face off
the front to get it right...Then apply a little J&B Weld in the threads
to turn it into a one-piece. Presto! I use them so modified for
heavy range work, and go back to the standard system for carry.

This can also be done to the standard (stub) guide rod.

Cheers!
Tuner

[Sean Smith]

This is a dead horse that has been beaten into glue.

For those that like to stick their hand near the muzzle to see if their gun is loaded, they are a handicap. For those that like to keep their hands away from the part of the gun that belches lead and fire, it makes no difference. People say the short rod is better for a "practical weapon," but I don't think taking apart your gun in the middle of a gunfight is very "practical." "Suicidal," maybe. And if you are taking apart your weapon at home or on the range, who cares how easy it is? In that case, as has been noted earlier the FLGR with a reverse plug and a paperclip is probably more convenient than the old-skool setup.

And it is pretty funny how otherwise libertarian folks get all lathered up about how some ex-gunsmith is a Capitalist schwienhund because he's selling a $20 widget that, if it does no great good, does no real harm either.

For those that won't need to field-strip their gun in a foxhole, there is no real downside to the long rod. Of course, there aren't really compelling upsides to it either. But since it is a cheap part, it hardly matters either way. Use what you want.

Funny how the folks with the short rods get all worked up when the long rod comes up, though. Paging Doctor Freud... :D

[Nightcrawler]

My first pistol was a 4" Charles Daly 1911 clone with a full length guide rod. I was exceedingly green to pistol shooting then, however, I noticed what an amazing pain it was to take the weapon apart.

I mean, the guide rod had a hole in it, and you had to stick a paper clip or something through the hole (I kept using my mother's hair pins for this), to hold the guide rod outward to disassemble the pistol.

I haven't had a pistol since that was that complicated to take apart. My Colt is plenty easy enough to strip, with it's stubby little standard guide rod.

I'm curious as to what benefit the full length guide rod is supposed to have. On my CZ-97, one is required to install a heavier recoil spring, which in turn is necessary as the pistol comes undersprung from the factory. But I don't know if this is the case with any make of 1911, and on the CZ at least it doesn't affect disassembly.

[Andrew Wyatt]

I don't use FLGR's, as they do no good, and i press check my 1911s.


Sticking your hand near the muzzle isn't dangerous. Sticking it in front of it is.

[CWL]

I've always found my thumb and forefinger easier to find than a paperclip (or take-down pin) whenever I have to disassemble my M1911.