1911 2 Piece Guide Rod Conversion: HELP

[CWL]

2iece guide rod: a solution in search of a problem.

[walmart_ar15]

You're doing it wrong.... youtube videos should show you the 'fast way' to disassemble, reassemble a 1911 easily.

Basically.... slide back to the right notch and pop out the mag release...

As the slide is moved forward, wrap your fingers of the hand holding the slide... under the dust cover... move your hand with the slide... to catch the recoil spring and hold it in the slide with your fingers.

Set down the frame, carefully pop out the back end of the spring/gi guide rod... and let the tension off the spring.

Pull spring all the way out. Then you can turn the bushing and pull the plug bushing and barrel out of the slide.

Reassemble same way. Put the sping in with the rod, hold it with your fingers and as the slide goes on the frame, pop each finger out of the way when it gets to the dust cover until the entire spring is captured in the frame.

LOL try that with a 24lb spring, and if you don't mind bending the spring once in a while. And yeah, I shoot pretty hot loads, 40 Super anyone?

This is how you would disassemble a reverse plug bull barrel gun, remove the slide with the spring intact. FLGR really help in this aspect.

[robert101]

There is nothing wrong with the guide rod that came with your SA Loaded. I have one in 45 Automatic and NEVER had a problem with it. If you can't tighten it appropriately then use some green Lock Tight.

My advice is to not listen to the crowd that will tell you a 2 piece guide rod is wrong. They are wrong. I'm not saying it is the best and that a single guide rod has any flaw. This whole nonsense of "it is a problem looking for a solution" is just rhetoric and fancy nothing wording.

On the other hand if you don't like it then replace it. I like mine on my Loaded and will keep it that way. I have other 1911's and most of mine have a two piece guide rod. Only my 1985 Colt Commander is a short one piece. So be it.

[splithoof]

There may be nothing “wrong” with it, until it causes reliability problems. If it comes loose, IMO why was it there to begin with? If it works on a gun used for recreation, competition, target shooting, etc., that’s great. But I won’t be using one on ANY serious firearm for social purposes.

[Mr. Blue]

I appreciate everyone’s help. Calguns is the best value when it comes to anything gun related imho.

There may be nothing “wrong” with it, until it causes reliability problems. If it comes loose, IMO why was it there to begin with? If it works on a gun used for recreation, competition, target shooting, etc., that’s great. But I won’t be using one on ANY serious firearm for social purposes.

I did mention that it has caused a reliability problem. In my first post, I mentioned it caused the gun to malfunction. So there is something “wrong” with it.
I expect all of my guns to work without consistent malfunction. I use them often and prepare them for all purpose. Some I don’t carry, some I won’t be using to shoot 500 yards. However all need to function as intended by the manufacturer. I am not new to 1911’s, but I’ll never be too experienced to learn more.

I’ve got about 12k rounds on the same gun and have never had the 2 piece guide rod come loose. Are you sure you are tightening it enough?

100% sure. I have a buddy with the same gun. His never works loose. He thought the same thing. Understandable. Also, I searched calguns archives and other forums. It is a fairly common problem. If you google it, you’ll see a lot of people with this issue. I think when it comes to production 1911’s, parts are made in bulk and assembled in mass. Most parts work properly, some simply don’t. The problem was not an issue after 300 rounds. Then it progressively got worse until now.

My SA 9mm guide rod has only loosened up once after 11K rounds when I first got it because I didn't tighten it good. You can put a GI system in but the spring can bind when compressing. If you want to stay with a F/L rod there are ones with a hole for a pin for take down or some are shorter so you can compress the plug and move the bushing to remove the plug and spring as in a GI system. As for just using the rear part of the rod because the tip is not rounded it could possibly catch on the spring when compressing. Call Springfield they might send you a new one.

I literally hadn’t even thought of calling springfield for another one. Seriously. Thanks for that. I don’t mind the 2 piece itself. But when it caused a malfunction, its time for a change. I’m going to call springfield when they open.
EDIT: Springfield is going to send me a new guide-rod
Thanks Hemi.

Depending on the 2nd piece. It is generally too short to fully contained the compressed spring, it will then cause binding. Same as using the FLGR plug with GI rod, it will also bind.

A guide rod is exactly that, a guide for the spring so it does not compress side ways. 1911 design standard plug and rod is just at the right lengths so it will work together. Notice the spring also fits the plug right at its ID, and the GI plug fits just inside the spring ID. They are designed to help prevent spring bending while being compressed.

FLGR helps add weight to the front of the gun which can help recoil. It is also advertised it will help align the slide and the barrel as it locks up (experience shows it is more a hype than anything), and of course prevent spring binding (if you use off spec springs).

To add.. I do like FLGR. It allows you to remove the top without needing to disassemble the bushing, spring etc. Top will just slide off, after removing the slide stop, like any other modern day semi.

WE HAVE A WINNER! this is exactly the info I was looking for. Thank you very much.

There is nothing wrong with the guide rod that came with your SA Loaded. I have one in 45 Automatic and NEVER had a problem with it. If you can't tighten it appropriately then use some green Lock Tight.

My advice is to not listen to the crowd that will tell you a 2 piece guide rod is wrong. They are wrong. I'm not saying it is the best and that a single guide rod has any flaw. This whole nonsense of "it is a problem looking for a solution" is just rhetoric and fancy nothing wording.

On the other hand if you don't like it then replace it. I like mine on my Loaded and will keep it that way. I have other 1911's and most of mine have a two piece guide rod. Only my 1985 Colt Commander is a short one piece. So be it.

Its a matter of semantics. Wrong? In of itself, well no. The threads are just not keeping the 2 piece together at the moment they should. It gets loose. Loctite is an option. I have blue but haven’t considered using it yet. Is green less permanent than blue?

[Dvrjon]

Wilson Combat explains why one-piece/tow piece/GI is better.

Basically, they'll sell you whatever you want and tell you it's perfect.

Wilson One-Piece Full-Length Guide Rod $30.

The One Piece Full-Length Guide Rod will make your 1911 operate and cycle smoother.

Wilson Two-Piece Full Length Guide Rod $32.

The Two-Piece Full-Length Guide Rod will make your full size 1911 operate and cycle smoother

Wilson Combat GI guide $9.

this recoil spring guide will be the last one you ever need to buy for your pistol.

[heidad01]

Depending on the 2nd piece. It is generally too short to fully contained the compressed spring, it will then cause binding. Same as using the FLGR plug with GI rod, it will also bind.

A guide rod is exactly that, a guide for the spring so it does not compress side ways. 1911 design standard plug and rod is just at the right lengths so it will work together. Notice the spring also fits the plug right at its ID, and the GI plug fits just inside the spring ID. They are designed to help prevent spring bending while being compressed.

FLGR helps add weight to the front of the gun which can help recoil. It is also advertised it will help align the slide and the barrel as it locks up (experience shows it is more a hype than anything), and of course prevent spring binding (if you use off spec springs).

To add.. I do like FLGR. It allows you to remove the top without needing to disassemble the bushing, spring etc. Top will just slide off, after removing the slide stop, like any other modern day semi.

How would that combination cause a bind?
A FLGR spring plug is the same as a plug used with a GI guide rod except that it has a hole in it for the FLGR to protrude thru.
Fit of the spring inside the plug is the same for both style plugs.
Am I missing something?

[Oldmandan]

Of the thousands of 1911s with two piece guide rod, there are a few that will do that.

Mainly because the two pieces of guide rod are not faced perfectly flat at the connecting surfaces, the screw on the male side or the female threads on the other side is off of concentric. Those will cause a two piece guide rod to unscrew itself.

Hard to fix that faulty one. Go with a GI style guide rod or the one piece rods that are available from many vendors.

No difference in performance.

^this

[Mr. Blue]

Wilson Combat explains why one-piece/tow piece/GI is better.

Basically, they'll sell you whatever you want and tell you it's perfect.

Wilson One-Piece Full-Length Guide Rod $30.

Wilson Two-Piece Full Length Guide Rod $32.
Wilson Combat GI guide $9.

Lol, so true.

[bohoki]

with mine i have it really tight and i find that i can take it down without taking it apart

this is my procedure

pull the slide stop slide it off
then the rod will kind of slip up into the link
that gives me enough room to use a wilson wrench to push the hollow plug back and twist the bushing pull out the plug
then there is enough room for the rod to slip past the link

[walmart_ar15]

How would that combination cause a bind?
A FLGR spring plug is the same as a plug used with a GI guide rod except that it has a hole in it for the FLGR to protrude thru.
Fit of the spring inside the plug is the same for both style plugs.
Am I missing something?

Most FLGR plugs I have, they are shorter than GI plug.

[slamfire1]

Just get rid of the guide rod, this is something I have done. I don't know how it started, but the guide rod is just another source of unreliablity.

I got rid of mine on my Clackamus Kimber.



I was using rounds set up for another 1911, and they were too long for the Clackamus. The slide wedged shut. But, because the slide was a little back, I could not fire the round out. And because the round was jammed in the throat so tightly, I was unable to rack the slide. When something like this happened with my non guide rod 1911's, all I had to do was find a shooting bench, place the recoil plug on the edge, with the barrel hanging over, and push down.

A full length guide rod prevented that clearing procedure, and I had to press the rear sight on the edge of the bench, to achieve enough leverage to clear the pistol.

After that, I decided the FLGR was more a liability than an advantage.

I think the things were put on guns to make them heavier, claims that the FLGR makes a pistol more reliable are false, and claims that FLGR make pistols more accurate, are unsubstantiated. They are an example of how after market parts makers convince shooters to buy un necessary junk. Industry has created a lot of societal customs, the only purpose of which, is to increase profit.

Anyone know why you buy diamond engagement rings? You have no idea how or why that started, do you?

[Robert1234]

The answer is because they are cheap fcuks in some regards.

The money to pay for that stellar customer service has to come from somewhere... All these people sending in guns for misadjusted extractors, adjustable rear sights not being "adjusted" properly from the factory, minor scuffs, or the host of other "maladies" you read new owners bragging about getting SA to do to "fix" their guns, this stuff costs money. It's not free,, it's factored into the price of the guns.

That and they (SA) can't be bothered to improve their QC.

[splithoof]

I think the things were put on guns to make them heavier, claims that the FLGR makes a pistol more reliable are false, and claims that FLGR make pistols more accurate, are unsubstantiated. They are an example of how after market parts makers convince shooters to buy un necessary junk. Industry has created a lot of societal customs, the only purpose of which, is to increase profit.

Well said, I agree 100%

[splithoof]

The money to pay for that stellar customer service has to come from somewhere... All these people sending in guns for misadjusted extractors, adjustable rear sights not being "adjusted" properly from the factory, minor scuffs, or the host of other "maladies" you read new owners bragging about getting SA to do to "fix" their guns, this stuff costs money. It's not free,, it's factored into the price of the guns.

That and they (SA) can't be bothered to improve their QC.