full length guide rods for 1911s

[trackskippy]

Ive owned a couple of 1911's that came with them installed and function was always better once they were removed. Same goes for the guns that came with buffers installed.

I think they are both more a marketing gimmick than something beneficial.

 

[Tallball]

Some of the long ones are annoying to field strip. Otherwise it doesn't seem to matter.

 

[tark]

I could tell you what Les thought about guide rods...but the Moderator would delete the post ( for obscenities ) and send me a nasty PM. Suffice it to say that Les had no use for them.

I have always thought they were the solution to a non existent problem.

 

[CapnMac]

FLGR is much like a captive spring for a 1911--an interesting notion, but nothing earth-shattering.
Most observed reactions seem to emulate placebo effects--if you think it improves things, you get improved results. YMMV

For my 2¢, there's no difference between a two-piece and a solid FLGR.
Either pretty much mean you'll want to get good at the hold the slide back and push out the slide stop pin method of disassembly.

There are those who will point out that a FLGR will interfere with doing a press check.

 

[roval]

I could tell you what Les thought about guide rods...but the Moderator would delete the post ( for obscenities ) and send me a nasty PM. Suffice it to say that Les had no use for them.

I have always thought they were the solution to a non existent problem.

i do think they make reassembly of models with full length dustcovers simpler in tightfitting 1911s like the Les Baer monoliths. no more of the" lay slide upside down on a table whilst keeping the spring captured with one hand". sometimes worked sometimes the spring and gi guide rod flew off.

 

[Slamfire]

There are those who will point out that a FLGR will interfere with doing a press check.

Not only that, but clearing a round that won't chamber. I used to set my OAL based on the hood of the barrel, that is the cartridge OAL was exactly to the hood when a cartridge was in the chamber.



Exactly to the hood only works in the one 1911 that OAL is correct for. Found that out when shooting my reloads in a Kimber Clackamus. Rounds that fed fine in my Colts were too long for the Kimber. What happened was the Kimber slide was almost in battery. And the Kimber had jammed those over length cases into its throat. The round was jammed in so hard I could not rack the slide by hand. And because the slide was not fully in battery, and I could not make it go into battery, I could not shoot that round out. And to make things more fun, the Kimber had a FLGR. To clear a jammed round, I would hang the muzzle over the edge of the table, and have the recoil spring plug just on the edge of the table. Then I could push down on the handle, and that always extracted the jammed round. That does not work with a FLGR.

I ended up having to press the sights of the Kimber on the table edge to clear the round. I did not like doing that, there is not enough of a ledge, and it messes up with the sights.

That was the last I used a FLGR. It does nothing in terms of accuracy, and it takes away one method of clearing a jam.

The FLGR is just another example of snake oil salesmanship. Useless devices promoted as the next great thing, and they make someone a lot of profit as long as the hoopla lasts.

The more 1911's I buy, the more I find, I have to set my bullets deeper and deeper. A little deeper is not a function nor extractor problem, to date. The firing pin has plenty of reach, and the rounds extract.

 

[ms6852]

When it comes to shooting with either type of guide rod, there is no discernible difference felt when shooting the 1911's. It is a personal preference at this point and I changed all of my 1911's to GI guide rods for one reason only. I do not have to use a tool to field strip at the range when I need to do a quick clean or lube it.

 

[Zendude]

I prefer the GI short guide rod for disassembly. It’s how Uncle Sam taught me. The older I get, I am getting tired of having to learn something new in order to accomplish the same thing.

 

[nettlle]

I've put about 40,00 rounds through 1911's. The guide rod's never crossed my mind.

 

[12Bravo20]

The only full size 1911 with a FLGR is my RIA Tactical. And there is not difference in how it shoots or function compared to my other 1911's with GI guide rods. And the RIA is no harder to disassemble either. The only tool I use for disassembly is a mag base to push the spring cap in to remove the barrel bushing.

 

[DeepSouth]

I was always told a FLGR helped with extraction and ejection. As in they extract and eject money from your wallet.

The only real benefit I can see to them it to help learn patience during disassembly.

 

[Nicky Santoro]

Put one in my house gun. Makes racking a little bit smoother. I perhaps notice slightly less felt recoil due to the small amount of added weight, or perhaps not. Would I do it again? Maybe.

 

[JKP]

My 2 government models have standard guide rods, my Prodigy 4 1/4" has the long 2 piece. I think reassemby is easier with the standard size.

 

[doubleh]

I have never been able to tell any difference between the two when shooting. I have one 1911 now with a full length rod and It is a bit of a PIA when disassembling and reassembling the gun.

 

[Riomouse911]

Three of my 1911’s have full length guide rods; a SA Loaded .45, a Kimber Ultra Carry II 9mm and a SA V-16 .45 Super long slide.

Of these three, the V-16 is the biggest PITA to reassemble because of the guide rod and heavy recoil spring. It literally takes three hands to hold everything in place while the flat blade screwdriver fits in the slot at the end of the rod. (I wish it was a hex key, at least those help hold the tool in place!)
The loaded is second on the PITA list, the captured Kimber set up is much easier to work with.

Because of the hassles with dealing with these two full sized 1911’s, I have grown to hate the long rods. Only because these two guns came with them do I keep them, I don’t want to fiddle with guns that are reliable as-is.

Stay safe.

 

[lysanderxiii]

My opinion on full length spring guide rods:

If you are going to design a pistol from a blank sheet of paper, a full length guide rod is a good idea. (Mainly, because if you're smart, you'll make it a captive spring.)

If you have a pistol that was designed without a full length guide rod, you probably aren't 'improving' it by putting one in.

 

[Lafitte]

Ive owned a couple of 1911's that came with them installed and function was always better once they were removed. Same goes for the guns that came with buffers installed.

I think they are both more a marketing gimmick than something beneficial.

It is my opinion that full length guede rods for 1911,s are made to sell. I know of no other purpose.
Lafitte

 

[mljdeckard]

Any new 1911 I get, I order a short rod and plug to ditch the full-length rod.

In about 35 years of running 1911s, I have never even heard of a recoil spring twisting or binding.

If there is a difference in muzzle-flip, it's not enough for me to notice much amid so many other factors that can affect it.

What it DOES do is prevent me from being able to do an emergency rack against a hard edge, like a counter or table. Bottom line, Browning didn't need one. I really think that most modern manufacturers adding them is like hotels having pools. They don't have them because people like to use them a lot. They add them because a perception has been created that if they DON'T have one, they are sub-standard.

 

[hutch51]

I posted this elsewhere. Member Zahn suggested I throw it in a 1911 thread. It's an old War Department 1911 manual.
The distinguishing feature is specifying sperm oil for lubricant. Page 10.
https://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/FM/PDFs/FM23-35.pdf
Enjoy.

 

[KyJim]

FLGs can be a PITA when field stripping a 1911.

 

[mjsdwash]

Yep, got all of mine converted right after I put a 6' spoiler on my Honda Civic.
I wonder why no full length guide rods are available for AR's yet? I mean the same "coil bind" crap can happen to them. 870's, all lever actions, and how many others?
Goofy gimick's.

 

[mjsdwash]

Used both, did not notice differences in performance.
Prefer the short guide rod for disassembly so that's what I install in all of them.
A stock 1911 can be knocked down to springs and pins without tools - except for safety glasses and one round for the grip screws.

standard GI screws can be done with the sear spring if they aren't stupid tight.

 

[md7]

I haven’t seen much difference in shooting mine with or without guide rod. So my preference is standard gi set up. One less thing.

 

[Whiskeyhotel2020]

I have two Springfields and two kimbers. All four of them had FLGRs. I put a gi rod and recoil spring plug in one of them and I like the latter just a hair more. I like the gi set up because one handed malfunction clearing and the second reason in simply it looks better when the slide is locked. The second one may be a little silly bit I am a of it's not broke don't Effing touch it.

 

[someguy2800]

Pointless. If I ever bought a 1911 that had one I would toss it in the bin and put the GI type parts in.