[thaddeus]

I have a Kimber Compact CDP. It has the bull barrel just like many quality compacts on the market today (Wilson etc).
I want to replace the full length guide rod (FLGR) with a half-length Delrin guide rod from Wilson.

Is there any problem with me taking the FLGR out?

I already tried it at home, and it seems to work. (I have not shot it yet). The Wilson Delrin half-length guide rod works very well it seems.

Having tried it already, my best guess is that it is okay. So, I am looking for a knowledgable smith to tell me if this is a bad idea, from their intimate knowledge of the compact bull-barrel gun design.


thanks

 

[rex]

This is a little out of my area,but if the original worked,keep it.There is the controversy over full length vs std rod length,but I think the shorties are the ones that will actually benefit from the full length rod.

 

[BOLANTEJ]

so, does this mean i should put a flgr in my commander? let me know of the benefits. thanks.

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Nothing like to smell of Breakfree to make my day complete.

 

[thaddeus]

I am trying to safe a few precious ounces. That FLGR weighs a significant amount, so I like the shorter Delrin guide rod, which weighs practically nothing and also offers shock resistance.

The fact that it is a bushingless design with the bull barrel is the only reason I am unsure. I have never owned a design like this.

Anyone know if there are any specific reasons why this design must have a FLGR?

 

[Rosco Benson]

You can run a short guide rod in a bushingless pistol. I have a Caspian Hybrid-Comp set up that way. However, you will need to obtain a "reverse" recoil spring plug that is not drilled for a full-length guide rod.

This sort of set-up is a bit tedious to strip, as the slide must be held rearward, against the tension of the recoil spring, while the slide stop is removed and reinstalled.

Rosco

 

[rex]

Sorry Thaddeus I was thinking different than than I thought your first post was aiming at.If Rosco says it'll work,do it.The delrin rod sounds like it doubles as a shockbuff,which is cool if it is cheap to replace.I don't think too kindly of shockbuffs in the 3" barrel area,but my experience is limited here.I don't think you chose the correct word (precious) in your last post though.If it's precious,I might pop a cap or two occasionally if it was already shot,but otherwise it gets greased and forgotten.My 'babies' on the other hand are taken care of for a long life of shooting.Anyway,sorry to be anal,it sounds like the setup you want will do what you want.

 

[Dave Sample]

Well, I'll jump in with both feet here. I would not replace the factory guide rod with a piece of plastic! The short slide guns are brutal when they fire. They exert forces that are not present in gov. modlels.You also benefit by a bull barrel and reverse plug for simple take down.That metal rod can't weigh enough to make any difference to anyone who carries the big iron on their hip. Eagles Law: the shorter the slide, the less reliability.

 

[thaddeus]

Okay, perhaps I will try to find the "reverse recoil spring plug" although I have no idea what that is.

Just to make more clear: The Wilson polymer guide rod is like a "half length" guide rod. It is not full length, but it is not the old short stubby kind.
I have installed it in my CDP Compact and when I pull the slide back the guide rod sticks out of the spring plug a bit (obviously it does not stick out as far as a full length guide rod does, but it protrudes a bit when the slide is back).

I have not fired it like this for fear that somehow it would damage my gun...? (That is why I am asking here). But otherwise it seems to work okay, and I see no reason why it would not work, unless there is something about the bushingless design that makes it need the FLGR?

 

[Hilton GZ]

I had a similar dilemma when I had my Kimber Compact. I'd called Wilson after seeing a picture of their Stealth Compact, which is shown with an open spring plug and a shorter guide rod. They advised that they run the Compacts without full length rods, and that the shorter guide rod works fine. I had run my Compact with a GI length guide rod for a bit, to pare weight and simplify takedown. Without the full length rod, you can take the shorties down without tools.

 

[Dave Sample]

Hi guys. I'm not trying to be a know it all, even if it seems that way to you. The reverse plug is what captures your recoil spring up front. It can have a hole for a guide rod or not. The reason it is called a reverse plug is because it goes in from the back of the slide and is held in by a collar on the rear of the plug. The normal plug ( which you can use an empty 45 case if you lose one til you get a new one) goes in from the front and is held in by the barrel bushing. If you don't have a bushing to hold the plug in, you have to use a reverse plug.Go ahead and shoot the gun and see what happens. It may run fine. I wouldn't bet my life on it, But I bet you won't either. Anything less than 100% reliablity is not acceptable to me.If this part could cause a problem, I would never use it. I have tuned several of these little wonders and that recoil system works just fine.Eagles Law: If it works, don't fix it!

 

[thaddeus]

Thanks Dave, that explains perfectly what a reverse recoil spring plug is. The "reverse" part threw me off.
I guess I will try shooting it and see how it works. As long as it won't damage the gun, there is no harm in trying it out.

 

[BrianMajors]

IMHO, if it ain't broke don't fix it. But, as long as you test it extensively before you decide to carry the gun, I don't see any problem with doing it.

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Double-action in an auto pistol seems to me an ingenious solution to a non-existent problem. -Jeff Cooper G&A mag Oct. 1973