Tungsten Guide Rods?
- Thread starter NVMM
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bountyhunter
member
No
MrTuffPaws
Member
Yeah, but they are so tacticool. 
Black Majik
Member
Full length guide rods are not necessary. They're only used because it looks prettier when the slide is racked back, and it adds one more thing to the list of mods done to the gun. i.e.
Kimber Custom II:
- Alumagrips
- Wilson bulletproof slidestop
- Wilson extra wide super duper thumb safety
- super duper power extractor
- hardchrome finish
- guide rod that doesn't do anything but look cool
- 18 novak mags, 12 chip mccormick mags, 200 stock colt mags with ISMI springs... etc etc...
But hey,I have a FLGR in one of my 1911s cuz yeah, it does look cool. And it changes the process to take apart each 1911 so it doesn't get redundant. And its fun to see how far I can shoot the plug. Other than that, I dont use that gun for defense, so no point changing it out to the GI rod and plug.
The GI plug is also advantageous since you can rack the slide by depressing the recoil plug if one of your hands were disabled in a gunfight etc...
etc etc etc..... save your money etc etc etc....
Kimber Custom II:
- Alumagrips
- Wilson bulletproof slidestop
- Wilson extra wide super duper thumb safety
- super duper power extractor
- hardchrome finish
- guide rod that doesn't do anything but look cool
- 18 novak mags, 12 chip mccormick mags, 200 stock colt mags with ISMI springs... etc etc...
But hey,I have a FLGR in one of my 1911s cuz yeah, it does look cool. And it changes the process to take apart each 1911 so it doesn't get redundant. And its fun to see how far I can shoot the plug. Other than that, I dont use that gun for defense, so no point changing it out to the GI rod and plug.
The GI plug is also advantageous since you can rack the slide by depressing the recoil plug if one of your hands were disabled in a gunfight etc...
etc etc etc..... save your money etc etc etc....
possum
Member
When i bought my Kimber Tle II it came with one and I really didn't think that it did much at all, like was said above maybe in a polymer pistol but in the 1911 it doesn't make much sense to me. if it didn't come with it i wouldn't have ever bought one.
NVMM,
OK, looks like I'm the exception. Both my Kimber and Wilson 1911's came with full length guide rods. I replaced the Wilson rod with a tungsten FLGR to get a little more weight on the front end since I like my pistols muzzle heavy. Do I think FLGR's are necessary? No. Do I use FLGR's? Yes. Why? Because I like the "full length guide" capability theory and I like the weight forward. They are my guns and I use FLGR's because I want to. Make your choice and know that your pistol probably will run fine either way.
Good shooting and be safe.
LB
ps: Would advise staying away from two piece guide rods. From what I hear they are a PITA! Choose either full length guide rod or short (std) guide rod.
OK, looks like I'm the exception. Both my Kimber and Wilson 1911's came with full length guide rods. I replaced the Wilson rod with a tungsten FLGR to get a little more weight on the front end since I like my pistols muzzle heavy. Do I think FLGR's are necessary? No. Do I use FLGR's? Yes. Why? Because I like the "full length guide" capability theory and I like the weight forward. They are my guns and I use FLGR's because I want to. Make your choice and know that your pistol probably will run fine either way.
Good shooting and be safe.
LB
ps: Would advise staying away from two piece guide rods. From what I hear they are a PITA! Choose either full length guide rod or short (std) guide rod.
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I had a Kimber with a full length tungsten guide rod in it. I put it in there to give the gun more weight out front. That along with a steel mag well made it a pretty soft-shooting gun (not like a 45 is snappy by any means, but it ended up being a fun gun to shoot).
Mine was a 1-piece, and it did not change the takedown procedure. I don't mind full-length guide rods in my 1911s, so long as they aren't those pain-in-the-arse 2-piece rods.
Mine was a 1-piece, and it did not change the takedown procedure. I don't mind full-length guide rods in my 1911s, so long as they aren't those pain-in-the-arse 2-piece rods.
eclipse1
Member
depends on your purpose. if you want to lessen muzzle rise and percieved recoil, its a good thing. tungsten rod adds weight to the front of the gun and balances the overall weight.
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
Whether or not JMB put X into the gun or if Alvin York didn't have something is completely immaterial. Keep in mind that those folks were shooting unjacketed corrosive ammo and were getting hammer bite. Apparently JMB felt that everyone shooting "his" 1911 would have perfect vision and that is why he made the sights so darned small. Therefore, all you folks on the JMB and Alvin York bandwagons with your middle-aged or farsighted eyes need to remove you Ashley big dots, oversized combat sights, etc. because you don't seem to understand that you don't need those things. If JMB had meant for you to be able to see your sights, he would have made them big enough for you to see. Personally, I think JMB was a closet point shooter.
R.H. Lee, the 1911 most definitely does need a guide rod. What it does not need is a full length guide rod. I have yet to see a 1911 come without a guide rod. So it isn't another variable to cause problems, just a different variable.
Is thetungsten worth the price? I think so. Where a full length stainless guide rod adds about 1.5 oz to the muzzle end, a tungsten adds about 3 oz. The difference is felt recoil can best be summed up by a buddy of mine who shot my CQB after I put one in. He asked me, "When did you start reloading [underpowered] match ammo?"
R.H. Lee, the 1911 most definitely does need a guide rod. What it does not need is a full length guide rod. I have yet to see a 1911 come without a guide rod. So it isn't another variable to cause problems, just a different variable.
Is thetungsten worth the price? I think so. Where a full length stainless guide rod adds about 1.5 oz to the muzzle end, a tungsten adds about 3 oz. The difference is felt recoil can best be summed up by a buddy of mine who shot my CQB after I put one in. He asked me, "When did you start reloading [underpowered] match ammo?"
Who is Alvin York??
LHB1, thanks, I'm buying a one piece.
MrTuffPaws "Yeah, but they are so tacticool." Thats why I gotta have one.
eclipse1, Thats all I'm looking for.
I started a project on an old colt and I needed to buy a guide rod. So Instead of having a couple of the same I'm going to steal the FLGR that came with my SW1911DK and put that one in the colt and put that tacticool Wilson Tungsten in the S&W.
Thanks for all the positive replys. I ordered a wilson today.
Michael
LHB1, thanks, I'm buying a one piece.
MrTuffPaws "Yeah, but they are so tacticool." Thats why I gotta have one.
eclipse1, Thats all I'm looking for.
I started a project on an old colt and I needed to buy a guide rod. So Instead of having a couple of the same I'm going to steal the FLGR that came with my SW1911DK and put that one in the colt and put that tacticool Wilson Tungsten in the S&W.
Thanks for all the positive replys. I ordered a wilson today.
Michael
DNS, I may be wrong, but I seriously doubt that while corrosive, the US military in the Alvin York era(or any era for that matter) was issuing unjacketed 45acp ammo.
NVMM, you don't know who Alvin York is? Do a internet search on that name and read up on it. He was a very famous WW1 medal of honor winner whos amazing exploits were accomplished partly with the help of a 1911 pistol. A movie was also done about him.
NVMM, you don't know who Alvin York is? Do a internet search on that name and read up on it. He was a very famous WW1 medal of honor winner whos amazing exploits were accomplished partly with the help of a 1911 pistol. A movie was also done about him.
possum
Member
SGT York conssiencsious(I know the spelling is wrong! ) objector turned war hero and Medal of Honor awardee. Took out many enemy machine gun inplacements and killed many Germans in the trenches. What is so cool about that you ask? He did it in a way that the german unit thought that they were being fired on by a company sized element of sharpshooters! the ones he didn't kill he took many many more prisoner. He did it all with an 03 springfield.
) objector turned war hero and Medal of Honor awardee. Took out many enemy machine gun inplacements and killed many Germans in the trenches. What is so cool about that you ask? He did it in a way that the german unit thought that they were being fired on by a company sized element of sharpshooters! the ones he didn't kill he took many many more prisoner. He did it all with an 03 springfield.Bart Noir
Member
Gotta argue! The recent American Rifleman article on him and his deeds, said that his sons swore to their last days that their dad used the 1903 S'fld. Yes, his unit was issued the 1917 Remington, but some troops were able to barter for the 1903 (or steal them!) and York wasn't too happy using those new-fangled peep sights.
Also, he shot several of the enemy with his Colt 1911. With the internal guide rod.
Bat Noir
Who is neutral on the FLGR.
Also, he shot several of the enemy with his Colt 1911. With the internal guide rod.
Bat Noir
Who is neutral on the FLGR.
uhhhhh.....it's called a 'recoil spring guide'. A 'guide rod' goes all the way through to the bushing, dontcha know.
Here's the story of Alvin York
http://www.alvincyork.org/
They add weight out front, and help a little with muzzle flip. They also slow the gun down between targets. An all steel 1911 is already PLENTY heavy, so I prefer not to use the tungsten guide rod. A fellow competition shooter has one for his all steel 1911 and absolutely swears by it. It really is a pretty personal feel.
If you get one look at the ones by Cominoli, they are very nicely made and are clearanced for buffers on both sides of the head. If I were going to use one I would buy a Cominoli.
If you get one look at the ones by Cominoli, they are very nicely made and are clearanced for buffers on both sides of the head. If I were going to use one I would buy a Cominoli.
Island Beretta
Member
I hear so many mix reviews about guide rods- tungsten,mercury filled, sprinco that I am confused...in the end I went back to the original setups and decided to spend the money and time on ammo and training...
A fl guide rod doesnt slow you down between tagets, it simply requires a different technique. Instead of sweeping with the gun left-to right, (lets say youre shooting a plate rack...) move your head right-to-left as well. At one time I had a comp gun that tipped the scales at 60 ounces. Then....tendonitis entered the picture.
Once I got the weight back down to a more manageable number, the tendonitis went away. That being said, when it was at 60 oz the gun was murder on plater racks, rows of poppers, anything where you could 'sweep' the targets.
Once I got the weight back down to a more manageable number, the tendonitis went away. That being said, when it was at 60 oz the gun was murder on plater racks, rows of poppers, anything where you could 'sweep' the targets.
Master Blaster
Member
Who here knows what the purpose of a guide rod, recoil spring guide is???
Its not to add weight to the gun , make the gun more accurate, look cool,
It serves one purpose:
It keeps the recoil spring from kinking, so the spring lasts longer.
The GI guide rod does this job very well, and it lets you rack the slide one handed in an emergency, and disassemble the gun easily without tools two important features in combat.
The full length guid rod does what???????? Make the gun heavier by 1/2 an ounce??????
Its not to add weight to the gun , make the gun more accurate, look cool,
It serves one purpose:
It keeps the recoil spring from kinking, so the spring lasts longer.
The GI guide rod does this job very well, and it lets you rack the slide one handed in an emergency, and disassemble the gun easily without tools two important features in combat.
The full length guid rod does what???????? Make the gun heavier by 1/2 an ounce??????
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