Fitting a recoil spring guide rod?

[garrettwc]

OK, I know I should know this.

Is there any fitting required when replacing the FLGR with a standard GI guide rod and plug? I didn't think there was, but I seem to remember a thread a while back that mentioned some fitting required. I tried a search but came up empty.

Help a brother out! :o

[flycaster]

I did my S.A. Loaded- I'm so glad I did it! No trouble at all, no fitting needed.

Chuck

[robot1911]

If you get the 2-piece rod, no fitting. The one-piece occasionally needs a little trimmed off the outer end but not very often...and it's easy to do with a file and clean up with a stone.

Bob

[Sniper350]

I have run across a FLGR "plug" [that captures the recoil spring ] not fit inside the Slide.

My Slide was very rough inside the tunnel, so I chose to true that up some and the plug fit perfectly.

If you come across a plug that doesn't want to drop in .....you might want to chose to just make the Plug's O.D. a bit smaller and not touch your Slide.

JF.

[Dave Berryhill]

It depends on the parts. Sometimes they drop in, sometimes they don't. Take the barrel out and hold the guide rod up against it. The rear of the guide rod should contact for front surface of the barrel lower lugs and not make contact where the lower lugs meet the barrel. If it does make contact at this radiused area it will push the guide rod downwards/barrel upwards.

You can relieve the upper rear portion of the guide rod "head" by filing it at an angle until it only makes contact with the vertical surface of the barrel lugs.

[garrettwc]

Thanks Dave, that's what I was looking for. Funny, as many times as I have had this thing apart I never noticed there is a portion of the lower lugs that is true vertical. It's those little things that get you. ;)

robot and sniper, thanks for the info. Sorry if I wasn't more clear. I am taking the FLGR "out" for good, so there is no two piece. I am putting in a standard GI rod and plug so that the gun runs like Mr. Browning intended.

[John]

Also make sure the sides of the flange do not touch the slide.

[niemi24s]

John's caution about making sure the sides of the guide rod flange don't touch the slide is an excellent one.

However, be aware that the action of the recoil spring has some tendency to rotate the guide rod. Even if there's plenty of clearance for the flange, it can rotate during assembly or firing and reduce the clearance on one side to zero - and scrape the slide.

The only cure I found for this rotating and scraping was to solder a key onto the guide rod that's a snug fit in the receiver's link clearance slot. It keeps the guide rod from rotating and scraping along the inside of the slide.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p232/niemi24s/P075170002c.jpg

[garrettwc]

Thanks John, I'll watch for that too.