Stainless Steel Guide Rods?

[Deputy Dog]

How many here actually use the Stainless Steel Guide Rod in their Glocks?
What are some good ones and which ones should I stay away from? And where is a good place to buy them online from? I have always had the original factory plastic Rods in all my guns, but I am open to Ideas to to what people think, and if there is an advantage to the Stainless Steel or Tungsten over the Original plastic! I know alot of manufactures make their guns with them, I'm thinking because its cheaper, but it works. So please give the highs and lows, pro's and con's etc. etc. What ever experiences good or bad please let me hear it, they are being considered for the following models to which all get carried for CCW from time to time depending on mission statement.
Glock 21
Glock 17
Glock 32

TIA

DD

 

[Sevens]

I use an ISMI recoil spring and stainless guide rod in my G29. The chipping on the aluminum end of the OEM guide rod (the other end is plastic) was enough to convince me that I need to ask someone who knew more about them than I do. I asked the Glock "expert" at the gun show who sold me and installed my Meprolight sights about the guide rod and the wear I had on it.

I had shot about a thousand rounds and he inspected it and asked me if I was going to be keeping the pistol or selling/trading it soon and I told him that it was my EDC and a keeper, so he recommended the ISMI setup. He said he could sell me another OEM rod/spring, but then I'd be back for another after the same amount of wear (little more than a thousand rounds) The original part simply takes a beating and shows wear quickly. I've got about 500 rounds on the new setup and it looks no different than when it was new. It's a very well-built piece and is solid as a rock. I over-paid a bit for it because I was at the gun show (online is always cheaper) but I got it for fifty bucks.

 

[Uncle Malice]

I tried a stainless guide rod in mine before... ended up taking it out.

It's unnecessary. Plastic is more than adequate. The guide rod is not load bearing, it serves only to keep the recoil spring straight.

One of the biggest advantages of Glocks is their light weight. I'm not sure why you would want to add more weight to it.

With that said, I did add a stainless guide rod to my P229 Stainless Elite, but it was purely for aesthetic reasons.

Just keep the plastic one. It will serve you well and it's inexpensive.

 

[Leejack]

I'm not a glock expert, I don't own one, but watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrGsayytxok

Looks like it does some flexing when shot. Maybe the plastic isn't a bad idea after all.

Lee

 

[Kreyzhorse]

I've never been convinced that a stainless steel guide rod would be an improvement over the plastic rod. Kind of an answer in search of a problem in my opinion much like full length guide rods in 1911s.

 

[hoytinak]

I've kept the plastic guide rod in every gun that comes with one except the Glocks. I've had a guide rod on a Glock 23 break while at the range and since then I've always put a Wolff guide rod/spring in my Glocks. If I ever have a plastic one fail in anything else I'll start changing them out with that platform as well.

 

[Skans]

stainless steel guide rods are completely unnecessary in Glocks. My Glock is about 20 years old, has had countless thousands of rounds shot through it and the plastic guide-rod works just fine. It was designed to work with a plastic guide rod, and in fact, the Glock guy at a gun show actually talked me out of buying one - said it was pointless, unless I was looking to add a little weight to the muzzle.

 

[sousana]

I have several spares in my gun kits. As with the Beretta 92FS and later models, they switched to the polymer guide rods for several reasons:

1. They allow grime and dirt to move more freely thereby cutting down on jams.

2. They dissipate heat much faster than steel allowing prolonged use of your weapon.

With the way they are made these days, I frankly don't see a downside to them, it all comes down to personal choices, you like them or you don't. Frankly, in my comp and carry weapons, I use the steel guide rods to add weight to the weapon as I'm not in a desert environment and I'm not going to be firing non stop causing rapid heat build up.