Sample-Guide Rod

[Jammer Six]

Dave, I thought of another way.

I was beginning to sense that approaching the guide rod problem the way we were, all we were doing was annoying you.

So I took the link off my milspec, put it on the slide lock, and took this picture.

As you can see, the head of the guide rod doesn't touch the link when the guide rod is in the frame.

It might appear to when it's in the slide, but when the slide is installed on the frame, it just doesn't happen.

As a matter of fact, I measured it, and there's more than .070" of space between the guide rod and the link.

At that point, I was stacking feeler gauges, and I don't think I could measure that big a gap accurately.

Anyway, there's a space between the head of the guide rod and the link.

A big space.

I have two questions for you:

How did you get the head of your guide rod past the ledge in the frame that stops it when the slide is installed on the frame, and why would you want to?

Thanks, Dave!

 

[Wichaka]

Nice pic Jammer...........you takin' Cap'ns on line course on photography too?

 

[Jammer Six]

Thanks, Wichaka.

Nope, I haven't taken a course from him of any kind.

 

[1911Tuner]

Explanation

Okay...Before this one goes hot...I'd better get into the technical part.
Read carefully and visualize, grasshopper...

Commander and Officer's Model frames have modified spring tunnels and frame rails. Commanders are .100 deeper (optimum) and I believe that OMs are a little more...something around .120 inch. Additionally, the forward
section of the lower lugs are modified, being nearly vertical instead of having the angle like the 5-inch guns. This puts the butt of the guide rod nearly in contact with the lug and link...and in some guns will allow it to barely touch.

That doesn't create an interference problem, because the barrel moves backward, away from the rod head as the gun cycles, and provides the clearance necessary for the link to pivot.

In order for the guide rod to exert a positive influence on the link to the point of forcing it back into the slidestop pin, the butt of the rod has to sit beyond the position of the front of the lug as installed. That requires that the rod be
something smaller than the width of the link in order to position itself between the two sides of the barrel lug...AND...It has to exert that pressure
through tension provided by the recoil spring. The only way to provide that is
to make the rod long enough to actually push the flange forward of the abutment in the frame when the slide is installed.

When that is accomplished, the guide rod will push the link backward far enough to take up the clearance between the slidestop pin diameter and its hole in the link, and force the pin backward into the lug feet. The problem
with that design is that...due to the guide rod flange being held off the abutment and under increasing spring tension...as the barrel moves backward in its effort to unlock...the guide rod will follow it until the flange hits the abutment. Since the link begins to pivot as soon as the barrel movement
begins, the link will try to kick the rod upward, and when the flange contacts the underside of the barrel, you have a crash that will probably break the link and possibly crack the spring tunnel.

Cheeers!

 

[Dave Sample]

I am not annoyed with you guys. I am annoyed with me, myself and I. My pal Tuner has finally got to the situation that that I did not describe right to you people. The Officers lower lugs are not sloped like a 5" barrel and they are Slightly straighter than a Commander which has different lugs. The guide rod head really has no adverse effect on this gun, it simply kisses the bottom of the link when it's in Battery. What I was trying to say was that the link allowed the slide stop pin to mark the barrel and that the guide rod was part of that recoil system. It was a bad post and I am sorry that I did not explain myself clearly. I am sorry about that and will strive to make things clear from the start. THANKS TUNERfish!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[1911Tuner]

Cleared Up

Mighty Welcome Cap'! I tried to get us to that point on the other thread,
but you was too :banghead: to see it...
Glad we're on the same page. Thanks to Jammer for startin' the thread again
from cold so we could cut out all the clutter that was cloudin' the landscape.

This one has served its purpose, so I'm gonna close it so it can't get wound up in another firefight.

...But your barrel IS lockin' on the link there Cap'n.

Cheers!

Tuner<-------