Para LTC guide rod

[jws]

I traded in my heavy Springfield Champion a few weeks ago and picked up a lighter alum. framed Para LTC. For the most part I am very pleased with the Para. It's defiantly lighter and I think it is more accurate. My only two complaints are the full length guide rod and the tight bushing. The full length rod makes take down a lot harder and reassembly even worse. The bushing is so tight I have to use a bushing wrench witch has scratched the finish off the end of the slide. Can I just buy a normal length rod and install it in my gun my self, or do I need a new spring to go with it? I assume the bushing problem will have to go to a gunsmith right? Thanks for your help.

[SMMAssociates]

JWS:

Good luck with the new toy!

I'm not an expert by any means (just ask the guys here :D ) but I don't think swapping a guide rod would do anything either way. I've never quite figured out why Browning designed these things with the stubby rods in the first place v.s. the longer ones, except that passing the guide rod through the barrel bushing adds complexity to the gun. (A spring is less likely to take on an unexpected shape, too, but that shouldn't be a problem.)

I've got a Tac-Four. It uses the full-length guide rod, too. No problems here, though. This is not one of those "take-apart" guide rods, fortunately. When I bought the gun, I sat down with the manual before attempting to strip it. Sheesh.... Reminded me of a Luger.... :eek: Then I picked up the gun and the wrench and was surprised to find that, other than the guide rod, it was the same as my Commander. :D

Once you've popped out the "plug", the barrel bushing should turn freely. Sounds like something's wrong there - either the bushing or the slide.... How does it fit when you just install the bushing on the slide - no barrel or spring? You might want to relieve a little metal around it, but I'd be real hesitant to do that myself. However, do look for burrs & ridges. The slide is most likely CNC milled, and Lord knows how they make the bushings, but cutters can chatter, chip, etc., although you'd think QC would catch it. Makes you wonder what sort of wrench was used in final assembly....

I've not found the full-length guide rod a problem during takedown. It seems (maybe it's just me) that the best way to go is to put the guide rod in place and then shove the spring through the hole in the slide onto the rod, rather than trying to put 'em both in at the same time. (Pull the spring out by itself, from the front, during takedown.) I'd worry about "pulling" the spring, but it's fairly heavy, and the "connection" to the guide rod is only slightly more than "friction" tight. I probably could polish that out.

[John]

You can safely dump the Full-Length guide rod and replace it with a standard one (wait a minute, my answer assumes this is a normal lenght pistol, not one of those really tiny 1911s with 3" barrels, am I correct? If it's one of the small ones, it might not be as easy as I let you believe).

As for the tight bushing, I like tight bushings but up to a point. Too tight and it makes reliability an issue. Fire your gun first and see, before doing anything with the bushing. If everything works, leave it alone and get one of Wilson's plastic bushing wrenches. You will avoid the scratches on your slide with it, but it will leave blue plastics residue on the checkered recoil spring plug you will use, if you dump the FLGR.

Rgds

[SMMAssociates]

John:

It appears to be a Commander clone. Unknown if it's the short-frame (like the Tac-Four) or not. IAC, 4.25" barrel, single stack.

Nothing special there.... You'd probably want to replace the plunger, too. Overall, having both a short guide in the Commander and a full-length guide in the Para, I just don't see much difference except in the nuisance value of one over the other. The dumb things are jigsaw puzzles anyway :) .

It sounds like his bushing is way too tight, though, although it's hard to say. My Tac-Four's bushing has lost a bit of paint, too, but I went back to the plastic wrench. Same for the slide stop and safety lever.... NBD.

(I tried that backwards wrench & plunger helper from Slick. The oil seems to be pretty good stuff. The wrench takes some getting used to, and the plunger helper just isn't necessary with a short slide, for me, at least. I let a friend, who's got bad thumbs, try it. She couldn't make it work for her either.)

[robertbank]

The LTC is a Commander in every respect. Yes you can go to the stubby guide rod but I don't know why you would. I know my SSP bushing is tight but that is a good thing for the most part. Try putting a little oil on the outside of the barrel I find it makes it easier when it comes to disasembly.

[Chuck S]

The full length guide rod in my Para LTC has never been fired unless Para fired it at the factory. It came out when I cleaned the pistol the first night home and never went back in.

Standard Colt's Commander muzzle plug and guide drop right. I used the stainless parts removed from my previously converted Para CCW before I traded it on the LTC and put the long rod that came in the CCW back in.

Long rod serves no purpose other than adding weight to the front end of the pistol. Looks trick apparently.

This pistol has never hiccupped since the rare PXT extractor breakage which Para fixed with a new part next-day-air.

The pistol looks used because I use it! :p

-- Chuck

[Falcon576]

The bushing on my TAC-S is very tight. Trying to get it off with the wrench Para supplied just peeled plastic off the wrench. Shoots great though. Reliable and accurate.

I found that removing the entire slide from the frame, THEN removing the bushing was the way to go. Comes off easy, and doesn't strip finish.

I'm having the gun tricked up by my team's 'smith right now. Had it refinished in two-tone black GunKote over Parkerizing, installed ambi safety, steel flat mainspring housing, and a standard commander-style LDA hammer. Also had a complete carry bevel done, including a bevel/blending of the bushing into the front of the slide. I think the only way the bushing will come off now is to remove the slide frome the frame first.

Hopefully I pick it up today. Then to the range with some new CobraMags. Fingers crossed...
:D

[SMMAssociates]

Falcon:

Hope your re-designed Tac-S works well for you! I'm not sure I'd go that far, except re-painting might be an option. Green is not growing on me....

Somehow I don't think the bushing should be nearly that tight. The "take the slide of the frame" thing frees up the barrel, which may be what's binding, or helping to bind the bushing. I'd worry about an off-axis borehole in the bushing itself, or in the front of the slide. Or maybe the barrel isn't square with the slide....

It should just turn....

Post some pictures when you can.

Regards,

[Falcon576]

I thought about those issues re: the alignment of the bushing/barrel axis, as well as the possibility of the slide machining being off. But it shoots great.

I took it to the range today after getting it back from the gunsmith. It looks awesome, handles great, and shot even better. It's easily as accurate as my Kimber CDP. After a little more training-time, it will be my primary carry.

I will try to post some pictures, but I'm barely savvy enough to use this forum. I 'm pretty good at playing games and spending money in the internet, though. :o

My wife's got a digital camera and some computer smarts. Maybe she can help me... No, that won't work. Then she'll know I have the gun. :mad:

I'll try to figger it out.

:D