Glock 26 guide rod upgrade

[golfish]

Hey guys, I've had this little Glock gen3 26 for a couple years now. Its s nice little gun and shoots way better then I do.
I'd like to upgrade the guide rod/Recoil Spring Assembly. What do you all suggest for a decent upgrade?

I see these from the glock store. This guns is just a plinker fun gun, I see they're offered in different weights, what do you suggest?

https://www.glockstore.com/Tungsten-Competition-Guide-Rod-for-Mini-Glocks

[jeremiah12]

The idea behind the tungsten guide rod is to add extra weight to the front of the gun so it resists muzzle flip a little better than the plastic guide rod that comes standard with the Glock. The tungsten weighs 3x more.

IIRC, the standard spring weight for the G26 is 16 pounds. If you are shooting hot ammo and want to reduce the felt recoil you can go to an 18 pound spring. If you have problems with FTE due to shooting weak ammo, you can use a 14 lb spring weight. Many times though the problem is limp wristing.

I went to a lighter spring weight and it did not solve my problem and I had more problems with recoil (I have some issues with arthritis). I spent a couple of hours with an instructor who corrected my limp wristing, and I went back to the 16 lb spring and I did not have problems with FTE except with the weakest of ammo.

Now, I cannot bring myself to spend $80 for a tungsten guide rod, especially for a range toy. We are also talking about adding a few extra ounces so it should have an effect but I am not sure if it is enough to be perceived.

The best way to learn to deal with recoil is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Take classes and get some one on one instructor time, that is well worth the cost.

Now, I am not a fan of cheap plastic for parts that move and parts that undergo stress. So I have replaced my plastic guide rods with stainless steel guide rods. I can usually find them for $30 to $40 and sometimes lower if I wait for a sale. I go with the factory spring weight.

The only gun that I I use a different weight is my G29. Glock uses a 19 lb factory spring which is not enough for normal 10 mm loads and definitely is too little for hot 10mm loads. I use a 23 lb spring which works for all but the most mild of 10 mm loads. It prevents the frame from being battered.

The stainless steel guide rod is twice as heavy as the plastic so is does provide some benefit of the extra weight but at a much lower cost. Tungsten is brittle compared to stainless steel and I do not want to put out that much money for something that might shatter if I drop in on the floor while I am cleaning my gun.

I have a G17 that I have owned for 6 years. I thought I had a stainless steel guide rod in it all this time. Last fall when I was cleaning it I realized it still has the factory plastic guide rod in it. It is my favorite Glock 9mm to shoot. It fits my hand perfectly. My second favorite is my G29. I hope to pick up a G20 one day because I think that will become my second favorite.

Obviously the plastic guide rod is not a problem. I easily have 10,000 rounds through that G17. I noticed though the plastic is chipped in a couple of places. I have ordered a stainless steel replacement. School is out Friday and I have not been able to hit the range much recently so I plan to celebrate Saturday with a day at the range with my two favorite handguns.

[aca72]

The best way to learn to deal with recoil is to practice, practice, and practice some more. Take classes and get some one on one instructor time, that is well worth the cost.

Well said!

Ammo, practice, training.

[T6pilot]

[plumbum]

Of all the Glocks I think the G26 would benefit the least from an extra heavy spring/assembly. Unless you’re running 1000’s of +P+ rounds through it at the range, I don’t believe there is a reason to up the spring weight.

A shiny stainless assembly is on my list, but mostly just because I love my G26 enough to tweak it a bit (just ordered a G19 barrel and extended slide lever for it last night)

[wavelengthsf]

Is there any risk in putting in a stainless steel rod on a glock? I've seen some FUD that says the steel could damage the polymer parts in the receiver.

[crufflers]

Doesn't the gen3 G26 already have a dual spring steel RSA as OEM? Pretty sure my recent rostered OD one does. Similar to the G30S, etc...

Shoots really nice like a much larger gun IMHO. Doesn't need anything except sights.

[golfish]

Thanks guys, maybe I didn't explain my topic. I just want to replace the plastic factory guide rod with one that's metal.
I was going to order one from the Glock store but I'm not sure which weight to get. I think stock is zbout 13#...

[deckhandmike]

If you want to add weight add something useful like a light/laser combo.

[crufflers]

If you want to add weight add something useful like a light/laser combo.

Well there's no light rail on a G26... does one of those streamlights have a mount that snaps on?

Yeah if the RSA not worn out on a G26 I'd renew it by buying a $13 dual spring OEM RSA for the G27/G26).

[golfish]

Well there's no light rail on a G26... does one of those streamlights have a mount that snaps on?.

Streamlight has the TLR-6, it clamps on using the front of the trigger guard. Thats in the mail
Its too bad this thread went so far off topic. See my last post.
I'm sure the plastic guide rod isn't a problem.

[jeremiah12]

Thanks guys, maybe I didn't explain my topic. I just want to replace the plastic factory guide rod with one that's metal.
I was going to order one from the Glock store but I'm not sure which weight to get. I think stock is zbout 13#...

The factory recoil spring weight for all Glock 9mm handguns is 16#.

Lone Wolf sells the stainless steel ones starting at $30, https://www.lonewolfdist.com/Detail.aspx?PROD=919020

I just received the ones I ordered from Glock parts today for my G19 and G17:

https://www.glockparts.com/custom/RYG-GRA.htm

They were $35 each. I purchased from them because they also had the LW barrel for my G29 that I was looking for. LW was sold out of them. I saved more than $10 on the shipping buying everything from one place.

I prefer the metal to the plastic. I am an old fart and just believe the metal holds up better to the stress of recoil. I know the frame is essentially plastic, but it is not stressed to the degree the recoil spring assembly is.

I go with stainless steel because it is cheaper than tungsten and tungsten is brittle, especially after it has been repeatedly heated and cooled. Drop it and it will crack. I do not think the little bit of added weight is worth the two to three times the added cost.

When I first started shooting handguns, I fell for all the gadgets available for Glocks. I have a small toolbox filled with expensive gadgets that I learned the hard way do not work as advertised. Now I keep it simple. An extended mag release, night sights, and a stainless steel guide rod after the plastic one wears out.

I also buy a highly polished replacement trigger from OC Trigger because I hate taking the time of doing a trigger polish job. I also buy the trigger without the grooves and get the trigger safety bar that has been cut down a bit so it is more comfortable. It allows me to shoot 500 rounds during a range session without getting a blister or sore spots. They use an OEM Glock trigger so my IA has no problem with it for my CC gun as it does not affect its function.

[floogy]

Some people start having problems after switching to aftermarket guide rods. It seems the majority of the "my Glock did xxxx" threads happened with aftermarket guide rods. The main reason to switch is to be able to change spring weights in order to tune it to just barely operate the slide with a given load, to reduce recoil and flip.

If there's some binding in a plastic guide rod, it will probably be able to move that plastic out of the way. If it's metal on metal (slide) then it's possible the guide rod (particularly tungsten) won't give at all and cause binding that will lock up the gun.

I also wouldn't make the assumption that just because it's metal, it's stronger or better than plastic for a given application. 30+ years ago, tupperware pistols were distrusted. They've since proven their durability. I'd rather have my OEM plastic guide rod bend a bit than have a metal guide rod break inside the gun. Keep in mind too that a lot of the metal guide rods have a screw to hold the spring in, a huge weak point. I'd rather have my plastic guide rod break than a metal one any day.

Unless I was shooting ammo that was outside SAAMI specs (+P+) or was dialing in a particular load for competition, I wouldn't change it.

If you do change it and rely on it for defense, make sure to test it with whatever defensive ammo you're using.

[Garv]

I switched to a tungsten guide rod on my Glock 34 G4 and it noticeably reduced muzzle flip.

I’ve put several hundred rounds through it and everything is working fine.

[golfish]

Now were talking. Is there any difference between Gen 3 and Gen 4?

Jeremiah12, I apologize, i didn't fully read your first post

..thanks guys