Full Length Guide Rod kits, facts/info

[1911crazy]

I picked up a full sized LLama 1911 style pistol in 9mm largo.  And i had an extra full length guide rod kit sitting here from the 1911's.   I noticed the slide felt weaker than my other 1911's when i ran it with the orginal recoil spring before i installed the full length guide rod kit.  Now keep in mind the recoil spring coils up losing tention without a full length guide rod when the slide moves rearward.  After i made sure that everything from the guide rod kit interchanged in the 1911 style LLama I installed it.  Now after installing the full length guide rod with the orginal LLama recoil spring i notice the slide is harder/stiffer to pull back now. This tells me when we are holding the recoil spring straight with the full length guide rod the tention is increased because its not coiling up inside the slide.

Now my thoughts are if your running a 1911 with a stronger recoil spring and want to install a full length guide rod you may want to back off on the recoil spring tention because of the increased spring pressure when its held straight by the guide rod now.  If you switch to a full length guide rod using the same recoil spring that was in it you can feel an increase in spring pressure right away. "food for thought"


I been told that all in inner parts on the 1911's fit inside the full size llama 1911 style pistol too. This model LLama isn't the normal spanish smaller copy that we see in the other spanish manufacturers, its a full size 1911.

[SHOOTALL]

now I got to go try mine , But if it works wouldn't the stronger spring be better ?

[1911crazy]

I use a stronger recoil spring to cut down on the recoil on all my 1911's in 45acp.  But my point is if your using the stronger recoil spring without the full length guide rod and then installing the full length guide rod you will feel the slide being harder to pull because the spring can't lose tention because its not coiling anymore.  You may or may not like it.  The gun may or may not like the increase in spring tention.  I'm just seeing a difference in slide / spring tention when the full length guide rod is added to the spring thats in it.

Example;

My thoughts are if the slide is easy to pull without the full length guide rod in it. Were losing the spring tention when it coils up inside the slide as it moves rearward.  So were getting less spring tention than the spring is rated at. Now with the full length guide rod installed your spring is now working at its rated tention. Now if the gun doesn't like it you may need a weaker spring or it maybe ok.  At least its food for thought and we know the cause.


I just seen the before and after of the full length guide rod in my llama so it has to be the same on all the 1911's.

[SHOOTALL]

I have read that those who go in harms way get guns with out the rod . They say it operates better when doing one hand slide rack drills and such. Others say its one less thing to go wrong. But your saying it is less to move it make sense as to ease of racking the slide. They say the rod makes it more accurate and they were willing to lose some for ease. I think Kimber was the gun and they were ask to omit the rod for maybe the LA swat officers .

[williamlayton]

1911 in .45 was not designed with a guide rod.
Blessings

[1911crazy]

What caused me to get a full length guide rod kit for my 1911's in 45acp first was when i ran the slide by hand i could hear the recoil spring binding/coiling as the slide move towards the rear.  Then when i installed the guide rod kit with the 18# recoil spring the coiling/binding noise was gone.  It has less recoil and handles much better plus it cycles faster too.  I have the full length guide rod kit in all my 1911's in 45acp and one in my llama 9mm largo too now.  Its one more thing to remove when we clean it but the difference in performance is worth it.

[44 Man]

When the slide is completely to the rear, the dust cover bottoms against the frame resulting in the recoil spring being completely enclosed within the dust cover.  Between the original short guide rod and the recoil plug and dust cover there is only 1/2" of the spring not contained in line when the slide is in battery.  Yes, you have probably increased the tension a little but it's from the rear shoulder of the guide rod and the plug being thicker than the originals.  As far as spring binding while in operation, it's more of a percived problem than a real one.  Do full length guide rods work?  Yes, they do achieve their intended purpose; they put money in the pocket of the company marketing them.  Are they an improvement?  If you feel good about it being in the gun and have more confidence in it, that's a good thing.  I took my factory full length out of my enhanced Colt and put the original style in it when changing it over to a Gov't model.  It's more convenient for me when stripping the gun and works just fine.  44 Man

[wyohandi]

I always thought a full length guide rod was a solution to a non-existant problem, but alot of people
like them. Like 44 said there's not alot of room for the spring to flop around and bind up.

[SHOOTALL]

1911 in .45 was not designed with a guide rod.
Blessings

Yes I have heard it said if JMB thought it needed one he would have put one in  ,

I have some with and some with out , the ones that do came that way from the factory. I do notice a bbl heavy feel when they are in . May help with muzzle flip but not sure.

[teddy12b]

I like to see a full length guide rod.  I don't know why, but I do.  Just about every semi auto pistol today has one and I have to assume it's for some kind of a good reason.  JMB made that gun the best of it's time, but that's been a while and improvements have been made since.  Not saying the guide rod is an improvement, but it could be.  Personally I like the wider grip safeties, but JMB didn't design those either.  I have to admit that I'm not a 1911 purist and I like about every version of the 1911 I've ever seen.

[1911crazy]

The 1911 in its orginal condition is a great war pistol.  Adding the full length guide rod keeps the recoil spring from making that coil binding noise when we pull the slide back.  The extra weight up front makes the 1911 more controllable and keeps the muzzle down combined with the stronger recoil spring a second shot is miliseconds fast. Now if you add moly to lube it too it will cycle faster and smoother with less over travel and wasted cycle timing from the stronger recoil spring.  Just like a  race car all the goodies work together and just one thing doesn't mean much of a change, you just have to do it all then you will see and feel the difference. I put full length guide rods in all my 1911 auto's.  I just wish i purchased more full length guide rod kits when SPG had them for $9 a kit.

[44 Man]

1911crazy, you are right about the weight and speed.  AND really right about ALL the things we should have bought more of when they were cheaper!    44 Man

[1911crazy]

1911crazy, you are right about the weight and speed.  AND really right about ALL the things we should have bought more of when they were cheaper!    44 Man

Exactly 44 man.

I now have used the full length guide rod kit in all my 1911's for few years now.  But i just noticed the many differences in a before and after installation.  Again my slide felt on the weak side without it.  Meaning i felt less spring pressure this tells me we lose spring pressure when the spring isn't held straight bu the guide rod.  When i installed the full length guide rod the pressure to pull the slide rearward increased.  This tells me i'm getting the most out of the recoil spring now, even with the orginal recoil spring when i use it with and without the full length guide rod i notice and feel it too.


With my norinco with the FLGR kit plus the 18# recoil spring my 1911 cycles faster and smoother with less cycle timing because of less over travel.  I have a lower end of a race 1911 with this set up its that noticable.

Thast all i'm going to say for now, i'll go away.   czy