[racer88]

Considering how flimsy the plastic rod is and it's duty cycle, it is my preference to have a properly fitted heavier duty part.

Flimsy? Have you had failures of the "flimsy" plastic RSA rod? I'm not aware of any failures of OEM RSA rods. The SPRING is a wearable / expendable part after so many cycles. So, the RSA is recommended to be replaced after XXXX (I forget) rounds fired because the metal spring loses its strength.

So with a tungsten rod, you'll still have to replace the spring part of the RSA.

 

[Danke Glock]

Flimsy? Have you had failures of the "flimsy" plastic RSA rod? I'm not aware of any failures of OEM RSA rods. The SPRING is a wearable / expendable part after so many cycles. So, the RSA is recommended to be replaced after XXXX (I forget) rounds fired because the metal spring loses its strength.

So with a tungsten rod, you'll still have to replace the spring part of the RSA.

Recoil Spring Assembly (RSA) recommended replacement interval:
Gen 3: 2500 - 3500 rounds
Gen 4: approximately 7000 rounds

The guide rod isn’t load bearing or a stress member of the gun. It’s purpose is to keep the spring from binding. Plenty of 1911s run perfectly fine that don’t use a full length guide rod. There is no need to replace a stock RSA on the basis of the rod’s “strength.”

 

[Argenti]

The guide needs to be there, or else it wouldn't be. I have a 1911 and it has no guide rod at all. Should the plastic one break, I believe the gun would malfunction. There is no reason that I can see to not upgrade the part.

 

[Danke Glock]

There is no reason that I can see to not upgrade the part.

One reason would be that the stock part has been engineered and tested to work reliably in the gun. It’s been used extensively in law enforcement, military, an civilian applications. If it were a known failure point, it would have been reported given the speed with which information travels, particularly on one of the most widely used handgun platforms in the world.

If a steel or tungsten guide rod gives you more peace of mind and you’ve tested it for reliability that’s fine, but it really isn’t necessary to replace the stock part.

 

[Argenti]

I don't disagree that the stock part works. Another reason I swapped the rod was because it was advertised as reducing recoil flip, but I didn't notice a big difference.

 

[racer88]

Should the plastic one break, I believe the gun would malfunction.

Show me one that has broken. In all the years I've been on GT, I've never seen that reported. A lot of other parts break. But I haven't seen that one break.

 

[cciman]

People claim they break, and they do, especially the rear flat disc can chip... but it's it's pretty uncommon. Multi millions of Glocks in circulation - rod makers want a piece of that.

Like buying a parachute because of airline accidents. Ya just never know.

 

[Argenti]

Guess what my carry on is when I fly these days.

 

[BlueSun]

Hey, I'm new to carrying concealed weapons and just picked up a fresh G19 Gen 3. Hit a few ranges, and now I'm thinking about swapping out the recoil spring. My main worry is that since it's not an original part, it might cause some issues, you know? Especially since this gun's for self-defense, reliability is everything.
Got a couple of questions I'm hoping you can help me with:

• Any known problems with upgrading the spring?
• Any springs you'd recommend?
• How many rounds should I put through a new spring to trust it'll work when I need it?

The factory spring is fine. However I strongly recommend replacing the factory plastic guide rod with a heavier steel or titanium rod. I have a titanium rod & accompanying spring from The GlockStore. It weighs about 4 times or more than the plastic rod. Since it is below the barrel, it adds weight that will limit recoil. With that and a compensator, my 19 gen 3 shoots as flat as my Competition full-size Stacatto XC. Virtually no recoil & I stay right on target. You just have to get used to the fraction of a second the compensator blows gas upward across your sight path. Some people don't mind it, some people do. I shoot just as fast, if not faster, with the compensator, though I can't use it at some indoor ranges because it vents to top AND sides & bothers neighbors. The rod alone doesn't reduce recoil THAT much, but I can feel the difference & there is no plastic cap to worry about wearing out.

 

[Jim Watson]

A guy here put a titanium guide rod in his G20 and reliable function went out the window. Gunsmith said it was titanium on steel friction. So don’t throw your plastic away.

 

[racer88]

The factory spring is fine. However I strongly recommend replacing the factory plastic guide rod with a heavier steel or titanium rod.

This is really ODD (and contradictory) advice.

I would "strongly recommend" ignoring it @G19dawg.

The rod alone doesn't reduce recoil THAT much, but I can feel the difference & there is no plastic cap to worry about wearing out.

In 28 years of owning Glocks, I've never had the "plastic cap wear out." After 3k - 5k rounds the recoil SPRING will wear out, so it's recommended to replace the RSA at that point. Your best bet... a factory RSA.

 

[nerr]

+1 on Factory RSA for anything defensive. I've experimented on range-only tweaking with non-plastic rods and changing out different spring weights to see if it changes anything significant. So far nothing changes much that I can detect with my limited shooting abilities.

I have spare Factory RSAs. Any aftermarket ones I have with swappable springs are for playing and as a third backup. In case SHTF situation melts any plastic RSA rods

Exceptions: I have old Rugers for which factory parts are not available from manufacturer anymore or at least they will no longer sell to people but might use for factory repair. I've gotten aftermarket rods for these, all of which have non-plastic rods to allow changing springs.