1911 guide rods

[acmax95]

I have two 1911's, a Taurus and an RIA tactical, both have full length, one piece guide rods. I have a heck of a time putting them back together due to the guide rod. Would a two-piece rod make it much easier to reassemble my guns?

Thanks

 

[rcmodel]

Put GI plugs & guides in them like John Browning intended for them to have.

There is no proven need for, or benefit from a full length guide rod, be it one or two piece.

rc

 

[silversport]

I would agree...I haven't changed the two I have only because I haven't felt the need to change but my other 1911s have the G.I. Plug and they are a breeze...
Bill

 

[Demitrios]

Two piece guide rods are easier to disassemble and reassemble but the argument you might hear from time to time is that there is a very, very slight chance that a two piece guide rod could come loose (albeit slightly) during shooting. Which means if you're putting over two hundreds rounds through your 1911 before cleaning it your pistol might be somewhat less accurate, but it's highly unlikely.

 

[acmax95]

Thanks for the help guys. Just ordered some Ed Brown 1 piece GI guide rods and plugs for my 1911's.

 

[Zach S]

Two piece guide rods are easier to disassemble and reassemble but the argument you might hear from time to time is that there is a very, very slight chance that a two piece guide rod could come loose (albeit slightly) during shooting. Which means if you're putting over two hundreds rounds through your 1911 before cleaning it your pistol might be somewhat less accurate, but it's highly unlikely.

The guide rod in my Para Companion would shoot loose after a box and a half of ammo, no matter how tight I torqued it down.

 

[BattleChimp Potemkin]

+1 on the GI plug and rod. I have yet to see a degradation in accuracy from the "step down" to a GI rod and yet to see a reliability failure due to the conversion.

 

[mljdeckard]

A few years ago I asked about this, and as far as I can discern, there MAY be a VERY slight advantage with more weight in the front in SOME guns. Other than that there is no advantage to the FLGR. Someone said that it prevents the spring from bunching/tangling up, but I still haven't ever heard of a single case where this has actually happened. Go G.I.

 

[stork]

I concur with the consensus on the full length guide rod. Talk about a stupid solution to a non existent problem. The second thing I did with my wad gun (started life as a Loaded Springfield) was to get a standard guide rod and plug. First thing was a trigger job.

 

[Randall]

If I remember right the FLGR was mostly used for weight out front when they became popular,not for any reliability reasons,and were made from tungsten I believe.

 

[Walkalong]

Two piece rods bite. One piece rods are tolerable, and can be made so you can take the gun down normally. The GI set up is time proven.

 

[DanielW]

I have a full length on my kimber and I really don't see the issue with it. I can disassemble or reassemble in a matter of seconds.

 

[vzwnnj]

I had a two piece rod in my SA TRP...replaced it with the normal GI type short guide rod...works flawlessly. I had no issue with the two piece except when you go to take it apart you need a tool...it was a pain.

As for competition, I doubt most people would derive any benefit from that very small amount of weight that a FLGR would add

 

[DanielW]

You don't need a tool. Just use the bottom of any mag to disassemble it.

 

[LancerMW]

i like the guide rod simply because it puts a little more weight up front, albeit a small amount, but im all for it

 

[Clifford]

For general use I use the GI plug setup. Though I really like the extra weight of a FLGR out front on my race gun, it comes down faster for me.

 

[DeepSouth]

Put GI plugs & guides in them like John Browning intended for them to have.

There is no proven need for, or benefit from a full length guide rod, be it one or two piece.

rc

That says it all, I would not own a 1911 with a full length guide rod in it.

 

[Billy Shears]

Two piece guide rods are easier to disassemble and reassemble but the argument you might hear from time to time is that there is a very, very slight chance that a two piece guide rod could come loose (albeit slightly) during shooting. Which means if you're putting over two hundreds rounds through your 1911 before cleaning it your pistol might be somewhat less accurate, but it's highly unlikely.

Yes, there is such a slight chance that it used to happen on a regular basis with a Springfield Armory 1911 I once had with a 2 piece guide rod from King's Gun Works. It only took a magazine or two at the range to make this happen. And it didn't make the gun "somewhat less accurate" it made it jam when the two pieces separated just enough to expose the threads, and the spring started dragging on them.

Stay away from two-piece guide rods.

 

[weisse52]

i like the guide rod simply because it puts a little more weight up front, albeit a small amount, but im all for it

Just a question and not an attack.

What kind of guide rod do you have that you can really feel the extra weight?

 

[Oro]

Other than that there is no advantage to the FLGR. Someone said that it prevents the spring from bunching/tangling up, but I still haven't ever heard of a single case where this has actually happened. Go G.I.

Well, it DOES make the spring compression more linear - maybe that is what you mean. This is a fact and discernible sometimes.

IF a gun has a loose slide/frame fit, a guide rod can smooth things out a little bit. I have felt this in some guns (notably a Norinco I have). This is more pronounced with long, smaller-diameter coil springs than shorter, thicker ones (they tend to compress more linearly by their physical nature).

The older guide rods for weight were usually filled with Tungsten or Mercury to really add weight. The plain-steel models just don't add enough weight to really be contributing in that category.

About 1/2 the 1911s I own have guide rods, and 1/2 don't. I do not rush to replace them if I have them or add them if the gun doesn't have one. But that one Norinco sure benefits from it, and I am sure there are plenty of other 1911s out there that could benefit from them. Equipping a new, well built and fit gun with one is a bit of "me-too"-ism just to add do-dads, I think. Another observation is so very, very many other autos use them and no one seems to throw a fit with them in those applications...

 

[rcmodel]

so very, very many other autos use them and no one seems to throw a fit

Yes, but none of them field strip the same way a 1911 does.

I have no objections to a full-length guide rod in a SIG or whatever, because they don't have a barrel bushing that has to be turned to get them apart.

rc

 

[PT1911]

I keep hearing people talk about how difficult it is to field strip a 1911... I dont see it... I dont understand what is difficult about it. I have a taurus with a full length and a springfield with a two piece... the springfield works its way loose pretty frequently. disassembly on either is a simple matter.

 

[the hudge]

I know that a heavy guide rod like tungsten coupled with the right recoil spring tailored to your load of choice will make a noticeable difference in perceived felt recoil. However, I choose to replace full length guide rods in my 1911's with the standard one.

 

[dmazur]

I tried 2-piece FLGR's and had them unscrew. Troubling, to say the least.

I went with 1-piece FLGR's and have not had any difficulty with disassembly, even in the Commander length.

The trick, for me anyway, is to tip in the guide rod from the rear, then slide the spring on. This provides just enough clearance. Trying to tip in the guide rod with spring already installed just doesn't fit.

I use a magazine held sideways as a "tool" to press in the hollow recoil spring plug, which then permits turning the barrel bushing. I understand a bushing wrench will do this as well, but my bushings aren't tight enough to require a wrench. (And then I don't have to carry a tool...)

 

[cyclopsshooter]

rcmodel +1