[darthchicken]

Long time lurker, first time poster

I'm in the process of ordering all the parts to build a longslide glock 20. I've researched for I don't know how many hours one last piece of information, and all I can find is opinions.

The recoil spring and guide rod (crazy you can research for as long as I have on something so simple, lol)

So... two questions I hope somebody who has actually built up a longslide glock 20 can help me with.

1) Lone wolf says on their site that you need a special washer when you order a guide rod for the long slide setup. What is so "special" about this washer, and can you use other makers guide rods, as long as they use the flat spring (as opposed to the round wire springs)?

2) What is the preferred weight to run. I've seen stock, 20lb, and 22lb. I've purchased a 22lb from glockstore, but left in in the original packaging for now, because I just don't know. Again.. lone wolf says stock spring assemblies and wolff springs are a no-no. The assumption is that I want to run with 100% reliability, anything from underwood hot loads to PPU range rounds. Yeah.. I know.. tall order.. but if you don't ask....

I'm hoping to get help from folks that are in the know. I found the longslide forum here, but there isn't a whole lot of information there either, so I figured I'd start with the 10mm crowd first

 

[Yondering]

Yes, you do need the special washer on the guide rod, with LW's longslides. The washer is just plastic, but it keeps the spring from binding on the barrel. I've made a replacement from a 10mm case rim, but it didn't work as well as the plastic piece. The slide will bind at the rear of it's travel without it. I haven't tried using Wolff springs on this one, only ISMI.

I'm running a 24lb ISMI spring. Truth is, these aren't really 24 lb springs; I sent my first two back because they only measured 18-19 lb on my spring tester. They are a little stiffer than stock, but not that much, and certainly not enough to cause any issues. The main difference is higher spring force when the slide is forward in battery.

I'm running a solid top longslide, with a 6.6" barrel and LW muzzle brake. This combo has been working pretty well for me; accuracy is great, slide speed is greatly reduced, and recoil is minimal. The gun still cycles 40 S&W ammo too, without any changes.

I hope yours works as well as mine!

 

[darthchicken]

Makes me wonder how lone wolf is selling slides to other resellers, and if those other resellers know about this plastic washer. I don't actually have mine on order with lone wolf - I did, but got a rather pointed email from them when I asked about delivery status (something along the lines of we don't know when we're getting them or how many, but you can be assured they will be delivered in the order they are backordered.. ok.. great... you just told me nothing and did it with attitude, cancel my order).

I'll contact my reseller (who honestly also probably doesn't know when they are getting them :whistling and see if they are including the plastic washer, or if I have to order it from lone wolf (or even how to order it without buying a complete guide rod).

Anybody know any resellers that actually has the longslide in stock?

I had forgetten to mention - I'm also putting an RM07 on the lone wolf slide. I had my RM07 on my glock 19, but after shooting a glock 20, having such a cool optic on a 9mm seems a waste - sure you can make hits out to 100 yards, but what are you going to shoot that far out with a 9mm? Squirrels?

 

[Yondering]

Usually you have to ask LW for the plastic washer when you order their guide rod. Don't know if other sellers would include it with the slide or not? I'd ask for several of the plastic washers. Once one is installed on the guide rod, you can forget about it; it will still work fine in a factory slide too.

LW is a pain about their back ordered stuff. I had a G20L slide on backorder for a long time, finally found one for sale here used, and bought that instead.

One option, if nobody else has a G20L slide, is to buy a G21L slide, and use the 10mm barrel in it. I don't know if you can get a 6" 10mm/45 conversion barrel, but you don't really need it anyway, the barrel OD is the same, and the back of the barrel is aligned by the sides of the slide. I use my 6" 10mm LW barrel in my RMRed G21 slide sometimes; there is a gap on either side of the barrel hood but it fits normally otherwise. Function is pretty good, but not quite as good as with a G20 slide.

 

[nickE10mm]

I had a G20L back in the day (years back). The slide was manufactured by a german (I think) company called "Oberland Arms" and were imported by both LW and Barsto (the latter is who I got mine from). It was a solid top and very similar to this new run of slides, however, it was technically a .45ACP slide and I used a .45-10mm conversion barrel by Barsto.

The spring that worked best for me was the stock, so I'd recommend staying pretty close to stock weight, as if you have too much, you might have cycling issues and too little and the slide may not wanna close down tightly.

Oh, and your comment about the 9mm with an RMR. I agree 100%. What's the point of having a pistol that will make hits out to 100y if there is nothing to shoot but paper?

 

[darthchicken]

I get the feeling there's just no getting around it - there isn't a recipe for recoil springs that everybody agrees to. I'll probably take the stock spring and pull it off the plastic rod, buy a 20lb spring, and then I have my 22 I just bought, and mix and match until I get a setup that I'm happy with. Or maybe the reason folks all think to use a different spring, is that they all work and it really doesn't matter, LOL

 

[Yondering]

Or maybe the reason folks all think to use a different spring, is that they all work and it really doesn't matter, LOL

I'd bet this is the case a lot of the time.

I think you'll want a LW captured guide rod to go with that longslide. I wouldn't recommend messing around with an uncaptured (or modified stock) guide rod unless you want to lose a lot of those plastic washers.

 

[darthchicken]

The 24lb version I have is captured. I was going to pull apart the stock guide rod and use the spring on the captured rod as a test. No reason to buy a new 17lb spring when I have one available.

What I don't have is a long wolf rod though, its a glockstore, so need to figure out how to order the washer from lone wolf (I don't see it on there site, probably just a phone call).

Anybody got the dimensions of that washer? Is it just slightly larger around to keep the rod spaced away from the barrel a bit on the muzzle end?

 

[Yondering]

Gotcha, that makes sense now about the spring.

I think you have to call lone wolf for that washer.

Anybody got the dimensions of that washer? Is it just slightly larger around to keep the rod spaced away from the barrel a bit on the muzzle end?

I can measure mine if you need. That's pretty much correct though, it's a little bigger diameter than the spring, so the washer rubs on the barrel at the muzzle end, not the spring. Otherwise the spring binds on the barrel and you can't rack the slide all the way back.

 

[darthchicken]

I guess I need to worry about finding a slide before anything else... emails out to various vendors, one on backorder at glockstore... I may have a few months before I need to worry about plastic washers. :whistling:

 

[ntree]

I have been using the Sprinco Cor-Bon recoil reducer in my G20SF solid top long slide since June of 2010. It's been working well for me with no binding. Slide to frame impact has not shown any damage yet.

I have been using a stainless guide rod with a 22lb spring in my G20SF since April 2009. There is very slight slide to frame impact on the frame.

Both Glocks have LWD barrels.

Hope this helps,

Nick

 

[darthchicken]

Gathered up most of the parts over the last two weeks, and took it to the range today. Added one part at a time, to eliminate variables, and everything worked well. Storm Lake 6" barrel, 24lb flat wound spring recoil spring assembly, and some trigger goodies (all of which don't compare to my fulcrum setup on my glock 19, so I just ordered one for my 20... expensive but totally worth it IMO).

No jams of any sort. Shot 180gr PPU loads (about as weak as you can get) and Underwood 155 XTP loads (hot loads). Wanted to test the recoil spring assembly with both ends of the power spectrum, and everything seemed good after 100 rounds, but time will tell. Did have one round that felt a little slow to go into battery, kind of a double "clunk" feel to the gun when it cycled, on an Underwood round.

Still haven't found a long slide, still nothing available anywhere as far as I can tell....:upeyes:

 

[PBRLite]

Gathered up most of the parts over the last two weeks, and took it to the range today. Added one part at a time, to eliminate variables, and everything worked well. Storm Lake 6" barrel, 24lb flat wound spring recoil spring assembly, and some trigger goodies (all of which don't compare to my fulcrum setup on my glock 19, so I just ordered one for my 20... expensive but totally worth it IMO).

No jams of any sort. Shot 180gr PPU loads (about as weak as you can get) and Underwood 155 XTP loads (hot loads). Wanted to test the recoil spring assembly with both ends of the power spectrum, and everything seemed good after 100 rounds, but time will tell. Did have one round that felt a little slow to go into battery, kind of a double "clunk" feel to the gun when it cycled, on an Underwood round.

Still haven't found a long slide, still nothing available anywhere as far as I can tell....:upeyes:

Might as well get yourself on the Lonewolf waiting list. Seems like they only actually ship them once or twice a year at best. I have been on the waiting list since March.

 

[darthchicken]

already done

 

[nickE10mm]

already done

My Dad splurged and bought himself a Fulcrum trigger for his G20SF and he should have it tomorrow. I'm excited for him!

Have you posted about your Fulcrum? If so, where? If not, you should!

 

[darthchicken]

I haven't, but I'll say this. Don't get one, if you own multiple Glocks. You'll put it in, and every other glock you own will either feel like its got a mushy trigger (if you're using a 3.5 connector) or it will feel like the trigger pull is heavy.

So, you'll be spending a lot of money outfitting the rest of your glocks.

 

[gunmike1]

I haven't, but I'll say this. Don't get one, if you own multiple Glocks. You'll put it in, and every other glock you own will either feel like its got a mushy trigger (if you're using a 3.5 connector) or it will feel like the trigger pull is heavy.

So, you'll be spending a lot of money outfitting the rest of your glocks.

Agreed, the Fulcrum is amazing. My dad bought one and I installed it and range tuned it for him. The pull is short, crisp, and light. I never thought a Glock trigger could feel that good. Now my G20 and G17 have me looking to spend almost $400 to outfit them with Fulcrums. Every person I let shoot my dad's G20 with the fulcrum at the range hit much better with it than with my G20's 3.5 lb connector trigger. They scoffed at first when they heard the price of the Fulcrum but now they are in the market for one. You really have to feel that trigger to appreciate just how good it is.

 

[nickE10mm]

Agreed, the Fulcrum is amazing. My dad bought one and I installed it and range tuned it for him. The pull is short, crisp, and light. I never thought a Glock trigger could feel that good. Now my G20 and G17 have me looking to spend almost $400 to outfit them with Fulcrums. Every person I let shoot my dad's G20 with the fulcrum at the range hit much better with it than with my G20's 3.5 lb connector trigger. They scoffed at first when they heard the price of the Fulcrum but now they are in the market for one. You really have to feel that trigger to appreciate just how good it is.

Very cool!

 

[leadslinger13]

so I don't want to sound dumb here but the storm lake and kkm 6 inch barrels should work with the lone wolf long slide. there info says a 6.02 barrel and i didn't know if the storm lake and kkm were in in that range or exactly 6 inchs. I have read so much about people having trouble getting the long slide to function that i didn't want to pull the trigger on a kkm barrel and have to replace it later on.

 

[darthchicken]

That's part of the purpose of this thread leadslinger. I'm trying to document in one spot what works and what doesn't.

So far, I've started to establish that my 6" storm lake barrel works in the stock slide. I've started to establish that my 24lb recoil spring assembly works with the stock slide. On both ends of the power spectrum. I need to do a lot more shooting to feel 100% comfortable with the statement that they work properly. With the leadtimes folks are waiting on slides, sounds like I'll have plenty of time to shoot more rounds through the current setup

I've got a slide on order, and I'll be documenting what I find - how it works, any issues I'm having with it. This isn't my CCW, and I'm under no deadlines to get this figured out. It's nothing more than a hobby for me, so I have no reason to shortcut process to "just make it work".

When I get the slide, I will install it on the frame with the current parts, and just put a set of glock fixed sights on it, just to make sure it works. If and when I'm happy with the functionality, I'll be sending it off for RMR milling and coating.