Sorry if this has been hashed out already…If so, can somebody point me in the right direction?
I tried to do a search and the site kept locking up on me. Don’t know if that’s because of the scty settings on my computer or the site itself…
Anyhow, I was looking at the stainless steel replacement guide rods (w/spring) for my G23. (glockstore.com)
Sounds like a good idea in theory. Anybody got any direct experience with these? Are they a legit option for adding a little weight up front and reducing recoil/aiding controllability (sp?) ?
Quoting from a much more experienced member of the community,
“If you want your Glock to run reliably, particularly in its role as a PDW or a self-defense gun, I suggest keep the screwing around to a minimum; i.e., to sights, OEM connectors, trigger spring configuations, etc. I’m a big believer in practicing, competing, and training with one’s gun, with a minimum of necessary modifications to said gun.”
However, since you are using a .40, and my question was directed toward modifying a 9mm, I would assume that there is some benefit to be gained from an aftermarket spring.
I just recently replaced an OEM guide rod on my primary G19 that had 8500+ rounds through it. It never broke or detonated like a hand grenade as some suggest. I don’t recommend running that long but if you replace them at their manufacture suggested interval you’ll be fine.
That goes for the G23 as well. I have no problem running my G23 with the OEM guide rod.
All of the Glocks that I have seen that failed to run (5~6) had an aftermarket recoil spring assembly. Once the recoil assembly was replaced with the OEM part, all problems ceased. Not a large sample, but enough for me to stick with OEM parts. YMMV.
May have been coincidence but shortly after changing the OEM rod and spring with an aftermarket rod and spring my slide lock spring broke…May have been unfortunate timing but it happened.
When I was shooting Glocks, I would always install a lighter spring on a steel guide rod. Full-size and compact Glocks tend to be pretty badly oversprung from the factory. The Gen3 ones anyway, I have no experience with the Gen4 models.
Anyhow, I ran some tens of thousands of rounds through two G35s and one G19, and had no malfunctions save a handfun of user-induced ones. YMMV.
Stick with the OEM assembly, you don’t need the stainless one. My experiences are exactly like ChrisG19, I’ve encountered 2 Glocks on the range in the past year that failed to run with the replacement guide rod assembly. We fixed one right there on the range by putting the OEM part back in the gun. The other guy didn’t have his with him so I don’t know if he fixed it, but that was only his second trip to the range since changing the OEM part for the stainless. (Less than 100 rounds before the failure to cycle.) Do as M4arc recommends and just replace yours with an OEM part at recommended intervals. Especially if it is a duty or personal defense weapon. M4arc got nearly 3 times the rated life out of his with no problems and I know many people who go 4 or 5 thousand rounds before changing with no noticeable problems. I change them at 3k for my carry, but that is probably a little paranoid. And I’m even weirder than gotM4, I’m the only guy on the planet that runs my Glocks absolutely dead stock. Good luck.
I have used a steel guide rods for 4k rounds through a 17L, and 2k rounds through a 19 with no problems, except the first spring in the 19 was too weak, and I got a replacement. It was so weak that if you pointed the pistol in the air and put tension on the trigger, the slide would start moving rearward like it might go out of battery. As far as reducing muzzle flip, I don’t think there is a difference. I got it because I just don’t trust the plastic, even though it is a well proven design.
Once I shot a range rental subcompact 357 sig. While I was shooting, the guide rod broke. I don’t know if it was factory or not, but considering it was a range gun it was probably factory and high round count.
Try one out and see for yourself, but be sure to try it out VERY thoroughly before you adopt it in your carry sidearm. Run it with your preferred defensive ammo. Run it with a light attached. Run it after it’s been in a hot holster for 12 hours, etc…
As for myself, I stick to the OEM guide rod assembly, and keep spares on hand (they’re very inexpensive), but my Glocks are 9mm.
I never realized that Glocks are oversprung from the factory. It makes sense considering I followed the conventional wisdom that many European pistols are undersprung from the factory and went with heavier springs and a Wolff steel guiderod. The result has been less recoil but the sldie doesn’t always lock back on an empty mag.
I am going to switch back to factory spring weights or even return to the factory plastic guiderod setup.
My only reason for switching in the first place is because someone I trust in the industry said he witnessed the plastic base of the guiderods break off on a few service pistols and render the pistols inoperable.
When I was shooting a 17 in USPSA I swapped the OEM out to a non-captive Wolff steel guide rod, simply because it made experimenting with different spring weights a much easier process. For the record I shot that gun with everything from a 17lb down to a 13lb recoil spring and over the course of 8K+ rounds the only two malfunctions I have had were related to sand in the mags.
The "weight’ of the steel guide rod itselt never made any difference I was able to see, however, changing the spring weights did noticeably change the sight tracking of the gun.
If we’re talking about a Gen 3 or earlier, those pistols have billions of rounds through them now and we know what works, what doesn’t, and what is a solution in search of a problem. If you are talking about a Gen 4 pistol, the technical manual is still being written and will continue to be updated for years to come. Nothing beats billions of rounds, millions of users, and decades of use in a variety of environments. Metal parts are not necessarily better than plastic parts in polymer pistols. They can create problems all their own. Choose wisely, and make sure you know exactly why you are changing a part and what the possible effects can be. Are you fixing an actual problem, or are you “upgrading” or “customizing” your weapon? If you are trying to fix a problem be sure you understand the malfunction before substituting another variable. Good luck.
When I shot Glock’s, I used the ISMI system. Never had a single issue and felt that it had a better recoil pattern to me.
With that said, changing out the guide rod would be fairly low on my list of mods to do to a Glock. Changing out those crappy sights, adding a new Vickers Tactical Mag release, butt plug, and 3.5 Disc. would be higher up on the list. Then I would look at a grip reduction on it through Bowie Tactical.
