Have You Changed Out Your Glock Guide Rod?

[Scott B.]

Would it be fair to say that, IF a Glock part will fail, it will most likely be the guide rod, or are there other replacement parts I should also be concerned about having on hand?

I don't have my parts order sheet handy, but it lists recommended parts per # of Glocks being serviced which is a good gauge for what gets replaced more often.

Off the top of my head:

Springs. You're more likely to have a weakened guide rod spring than a rod failure. Some of the Gen 1 or early Gen 2 rods were problematic (weak polymer), I forget which. Quick and easy test for weak spring.

Replacing a broken trigger spring isn't particularly tricky, but you don't want to do it incorrectly and it never happens at a good time.

Damaged extractor.

Magazine spring that's taken a set after many, many rounds.

Lost bearing (happens when people go beyond basic field strip and aren't ready for what happens when you pop that back plate. Glock recommends you don't go beyond basic field stripping without being a trained armorer, but we all know most enthusiasts will tear a firearm down to the bare frame given the chance. Plus, the internet.

BTW: If you attend a GSSF event, an armorer will inspect your firearm and replace any worn parts - courtesy of Glock.

[Charlies.Contingency]

[DOUBLE POST]

[Charlies.Contingency]

Have two Glocks - G19 and G17 - and I was not aware that guide rods were a "Glock issue". Both have low round counts.

I don't think that there is an actual issue. More of a preference by some. Now that the Glock online store sells parts, I'll probably get a couple of extra guide rods & springs as back up for quick repairs if necessary.

Would it be fair to say that, IF a Glock part will fail, it will most likely be the guide rod, or are there other replacement parts I should also be concerned about having on hand?

Hey TAM, just noticed your post. From my experience and expertise, if you want to have spare parts for your Glock handy, I would suggest these:

#1
Ejector. On of your parts that receive the most abuse, and can fail catastrophically of overlooked. A good sign it may need replacement is of you start getting stove pipes due to failure to eject. If the brass is getting caught on the ejector, you will notice.

#2
Recoil spring. For obvious reasons, after enough rounds, you may want to consider it if you start having issues. Problems here may seem to have other causes, but even stove piping could be as a result of an overly worn recoil spring. However, even a new taught spring can result in issues if it needs to be "broken in."

#3
Magazine springs. If you want to save your mags, rotate your loaded mags if you keep some loaded all the time. Having them fully loaded all the time will rapidly decrease their life span. I rotate my loaded and unloaded mags one mag at a time throughout the year. You can either replace the spring, or the whole mag if you don't have the initiative to take apart your mags. If you experience frequent failure to feeds, you may want to inspect your magazines.

#4
Guide rod. Forbid you ever have one break, but it's a simple cheap fix if it does happen. Also pay attention to wear they meet the barrel, as I've seen some guid rods with wear at the boot where they hold onto the barrel. If it's slipping when shooting, replace it asap. If this baby lets go or breaks, you'll know it at the worst time.

#5
Ejector spring. Incase you have an ejector break during firing, this little thing may be the only thing ejected. Good luck finding this thing in grass! A spare is not bad to have.

These are all the parts I would suggest having if you are an avid Glock person who wants to keep a few spares in their bunker incase going to your local armorer is not an option when a problem arises. I don't suggest getting into more than basic maint. Unless you really know what you're doing.

[The Annoyed Man]

Scott B. and Charles.Contingency, thanks for the detailed answers. Like I said, we have a G19 (my wife's) and a G17 (mine), and I have made the decision to go ugly or go home. I still cherish my 1911s/XDM/XDS/M&P .45s, and I still carry the two Springfields occasionally, but I have more or less come over to the dark side. I've found that the G17 shoots so softly that I can't wait for my wife to try it out, and I rather suspect that mine will be confiscated by She Who Must Be Obeyed unless I procure another one for her. As I get older, my hands are becoming just a bit arthritic and they hurt after a day at the range, and shooting the G17 beats them up less.

And because of their reliability and ease of maintenance, the two Glocks have become our "grab and go" handguns for if "something arises". In addition to the 3 OEM magazines that came with each gun, I've got 4 of the 33 round mags for each of them which I keep fully charged in our go-bags.

Which brings up magazine springs..... Unless Glock mag springs are somehow deficient compared to those in other modern pistols, I don't think that they are subject to the loss of tension that mag springs used to experience 70 years ago. That is a bit of legend that has carried over from WW2, but is no longer really operative. I've kept magazines fully charged for 1911s, AR15s, and other magazine fed weapons, stored on a shelf in the safe for years, and never had one fail....not even once.....including with my wife's G19 which we've owned since 2008 and for which I've keep magazines charged all this time. Modern metallurgy is far advanced of what it was half a century ago, and springs have benefitted from that advancement. People argue - with good points on both sides - about whether or not to top off a magazine, particularly in the AR15 world, but that debate is more about a feed-reliability issue than a spring failure issue. But my son, who works as a gunsmith, just now walked in the room and I asked him about it. His answer: "It's not the constant compression or constant relaxation of tension that ruins a magazine spring. It's the repeated cycling between the two states." In other words, it's the charging and emptying of your magazine (whether by hand or by shooting) that eventually wears out the springs.

That said, I will include some magazine springs in the parts list. I also want to get a slightly lighter trigger for my G17.

So, what is the best source for Glock parts? I already have accounts at Brownells and MidwayUSA, but is there Glock-specific vendor with better prices?

[Charlies.Contingency]

Scott B. and Charles.Contingency, thanks for the detailed answers. Like I said, we have a G19 (my wife's) and a G17 (mine), and I have made the decision to go ugly or go home. I still cherish my 1911s/XDM/XDS/M&P .45s, and I still carry the two Springfields occasionally, but I have more or less come over to the dark side. I've found that the G17 shoots so softly that I can't wait for my wife to try it out, and I rather suspect that mine will be confiscated by She Who Must Be Obeyed unless I procure another one for her. As I get older, my hands are becoming just a bit arthritic and they hurt after a day at the range, and shooting the G17 beats them up less.

And because of their reliability and ease of maintenance, the two Glocks have become our "grab and go" handguns for if "something arises". In addition to the 3 OEM magazines that came with each gun, I've got 4 of the 33 round mags for each of them which I keep fully charged in our go-bags.

Which brings up magazine springs..... Unless Glock mag springs are somehow deficient compared to those in other modern pistols, I don't think that they are subject to the loss of tension that mag springs used to experience 70 years ago. That is a bit of legend that has carried over from WW2, but is no longer really operative. I've kept magazines fully charged for 1911s, AR15s, and other magazine fed weapons, stored on a shelf in the safe for years, and never had one fail....not even once.....including with my wife's G19 which we've owned since 2008 and for which I've keep magazines charged all this time. Modern metallurgy is far advanced of what it was half a century ago, and springs have benefitted from that advancement. People argue - with good points on both sides - about whether or not to top off a magazine, particularly in the AR15 world, but that debate is more about a feed-reliability issue than a spring failure issue. But my son, who works as a gunsmith, just now walked in the room and I asked him about it. His answer: "It's not the constant compression or constant relaxation of tension that ruins a magazine spring. It's the repeated cycling between the two states." In other words, it's the charging and emptying of your magazine (whether by hand or by shooting) that eventually wears out the springs.

That said, I will include some magazine springs in the parts list. I also want to get a slightly lighter trigger for my G17.

So, what is the best source for Glock parts? I already have accounts at Brownells and MidwayUSA, but is there Glock-specific vendor with better prices?

If recoil is starting to bother you, why don't you try putting more weight on the front end if it's bothering you? I take it you XD(S) is a 9mm at that note, not a snappy .45 like mine. I enjoy a strong recoil for some reason. I'm no sure how a G17 compares to a XDM 9mm, but my G22 is far snappier and harder to control than my XDM .40. Perhaps its the grip that makes the difference to me, or the heavier for end of my 4.5in XDS compared to my skinnier G22, but There is a big difference to me!

Well, regardless of actual cause, extra springs ought to be a good thing. I've had a few mag springs go limp on me, and I can't help but to stick with the old time beliefs.

As for parts, I have a contact that I use for my Glocks, so I'm not sure the best place to look for them. Your guess is as good as mine. I'm sure another glockster will chime in.

I must admit that I'm surprised that none of our NANCY's have chimed in about out dangerous guns. No glock leg here!

P.S. Just putting Charlie is sufficient.

[TexasCajun]

The online Glock store now sells spare parts.

[The Annoyed Man]

If recoil is starting to bother you, why don't you try putting more weight on the front end if it's bothering you? I take it you XD(S) is a 9mm at that note, not a snappy .45 like mine. I enjoy a strong recoil for some reason. I'm no sure how a G17 compares to a XDM 9mm, but my G22 is far snappier and harder to control than my XDM .40. Perhaps its the grip that makes the difference to me, or the heavier for end of my 4.5in XDS compared to my skinnier G22, but There is a big difference to me!

Well, regardless of actual cause, extra springs ought to be a good thing. I've had a few mag springs go limp on me, and I can't help but to stick with the old time beliefs.

As for parts, I have a contact that I use for my Glocks, so I'm not sure the best place to look for them. Your guess is as good as mine. I'm sure another glockster will chime in.

I must admit that I'm surprised that none of our NANCY's have chimed in about out dangerous guns. No glock leg here!

P.S. Just putting Charlie is sufficient.

Charlie, my XDS is a .45. I've almost exclusively carried .45s from day one until now. I say "almost" because two of my other occasionally used carry guns are a 13 oz scandium framed .357 which I carry with .357 loads in it, and a 14 oz PM9 with Corbon +P ammo. I also own and shoot a .44 magnum. So it isn't that I'm recoil sensitive. Rather it is just that my hands - particularly my left as I'm a southpaw - get a lot more sore than they used to after a day at the range. Next to the G17, my XDM-45 Compact 3.8 is the softest shooting carry gun I own......but it still thumps my hand harder than the G17. I do prefer the recoil characteristics of the .45. I like that big "push" instead of that quick "snap" of other 9mm pistols, but the G17 seems to moderate that snappy recoil quite a bit. And then there's the weight.... I can carry the XDM fairly comfortably a lot of the time, but the combined weight of the gun, the short mag with 9+1 rounds of 230 grain JHP in the gun, plus a spare 13 round mag of 230 grain JPH turns out to weigh significantly more than the G17, a mag of 17+1 rounds of 125 grain JHP in the gun, plus a spare 17 round magazine of 125 grain JHP. I also have a pretty bad back, and the heavier a gun is, the less comfortable it is for me to carry. So I find myself carrying the G17 more and more whenever I carry a full-sized gun as opposed to a pocket pistol. (Don't tell my 1911 friends.....)

I did just find this outlet for Glock parts: http://glockparts.com/

[Charlies.Contingency]

If recoil is starting to bother you, why don't you try putting more weight on the front end if it's bothering you? I take it you XD(S) is a 9mm at that note, not a snappy .45 like mine. I enjoy a strong recoil for some reason. I'm no sure how a G17 compares to a XDM 9mm, but my G22 is far snappier and harder to control than my XDM .40. Perhaps its the grip that makes the difference to me, or the heavier for end of my 4.5in XDS compared to my skinnier G22, but There is a big difference to me!

Well, regardless of actual cause, extra springs ought to be a good thing. I've had a few mag springs go limp on me, and I can't help but to stick with the old time beliefs.

As for parts, I have a contact that I use for my Glocks, so I'm not sure the best place to look for them. Your guess is as good as mine. I'm sure another glockster will chime in.

I must admit that I'm surprised that none of our NANCY's have chimed in about out dangerous guns. No glock leg here!

P.S. Just putting Charlie is sufficient.

Charlie, my XDS is a .45. I've almost exclusively carried .45s from day one until now. I say "almost" because two of my other occasionally used carry guns are a 13 oz scandium framed .357 which I carry with .357 loads in it, and a 14 oz PM9 with Corbon +P ammo. I also own and shoot a .44 magnum. So it isn't that I'm recoil sensitive. Rather it is just that my hands - particularly my left as I'm a southpaw - get a lot more sore than they used to after a day at the range. Next to the G17, my XDM-45 Compact 3.8 is the softest shooting carry gun I own......but it still thumps my hand harder than the G17. I do prefer the recoil characteristics of the .45. I like that big "push" instead of that quick "snap" of other 9mm pistols, but the G17 seems to moderate that snappy recoil quite a bit. And then there's the weight.... I can carry the XDM fairly comfortably a lot of the time, but the combined weight of the gun, the short mag with 9+1 rounds of 230 grain JHP in the gun, plus a spare 13 round mag of 230 grain JPH turns out to weigh significantly more than the G17, a mag of 17+1 rounds of 125 grain JHP in the gun, plus a spare 17 round magazine of 125 grain JHP. I also have a pretty bad back, and the heavier a gun is, the less comfortable it is for me to carry. So I find myself carrying the G17 more and more whenever I carry a full-sized gun as opposed to a pocket pistol. (Don't tell my 1911 friends.....)

I did just find this outlet for Glock parts: http://glockparts.com/

Gotcha. At this moment, I have my XDS .45 in leather in the small of my back with a nice polo over it. I prefer to carry it with the... let me check... 6 round mag with the grip extension. (Threw me off though, I only had 5 in the mag, I forgot to top it off after shooting at something yesterday. ) I have the snappier 3.3in barrel, but the "carriability" of it suited far better than the 3.8in for me. I found out the smallest mags, the 5 rounders with no grip extension work great for making it more concealable, but they also fit perfectly and discretely into my old leatherman holsters. I've been walking around all day with a spare mag on my hip, and nobody gave it a second glance. Today I've been carrying it with my full size XDM .40 (I'll eventually get a .45 too, and leave the .40 for my wife.) at either 9 or 3, depending on when and where.

I've been wondering how heavy of a guide rod I can find. My old G22 is a Gen 2 with no rail, so I can't just attach an accessory to the front to help with the recoil. I would like to make my G22 a little easier for my wife, as she refuses to practice with it because of how snappy it is compared to "her" XDM 4.5in 40 cal.

[TXBO]

I use tungsten guide rods in my guns built for speed games in the limited or open class. The extra weight does help with quick follow-up shots and gives a little more stability in sighting for small or distance targets. Those guns though are either single stack or double stack 1911's.

I shoot my Glocks in stock division so that particular modification is not allowed so I don't use one on them. I know people that do and have shot their guns. They do feel good but they have to shoot limited class because of the modification.

I also carry my Glocks and don't particularly want the extra weight or mods in that case.

I'd also say that unless your shooting at a pretty high level and looking to gain fractions of a second, you probably won't notice much difference.

[TXBO]

I did just find this outlet for Glock parts: http://glockparts.com/

Two more reliable sources:
Glockstore.com
Glockmeister.com

ETA: The Glock Store also has a large video section that will help you do most of the modifications yourself.

[carlson1]

Unless you are trying to melt down a Glock your guide rid should be just fine.

[dlh]

After about 500 rounds through my Glock 26 the recoil spring started "jumping" out of its slot in the breech end against the barrel. That little round, metal silver thingy on the breech side of the barrel...The gun still fires but it is quite difficult to remove the slide with the recoil spring "jumped up" and slightly out of its slot. I may have a local Glock armorer look at it.

How much do replacement springs cost on a Glock?

dlh

[Charlies.Contingency]

After about 500 rounds through my Glock 26 the recoil spring started "jumping" out of its slot in the breech end against the barrel. That little round, metal silver thingy on the breech side of the barrel...The gun still fires but it is quite difficult to remove the slide with the recoil spring "jumped up" and slightly out of its slot. I may have a local Glock armorer look at it.

How much do replacement springs cost on a Glock?

dlh

Glock parts had them for less than $20.

http://www.glockparts.com

All my Glocks have lifetime warranties, so I don't pay a dime IF anything where to go wrong on it. I would also look at whether or not it is the guide rod not seating properly. Replace both if you're concerned IMO.

[Javier730]

Unless you are trying to melt down a Glock your guide rid should be just fine.

Awesome video. This video is a great example of how reliable glocks are. You will not melt you guide rod unless you have your back to a wall, have a full auto glock, could hundred rounds and a giant snail slithering toward you. I have the stock guide rod. I trust it with my life, unless of course the world gets invaded by giant snails.

[bortaz]

I upgraded both my and my wife's G26 Gen 4s with tungsten guide rods from Glockstore.com.

After about 100 rounds through mine, I began having FTF and FTE. After fiddling with it at the range that day, it got to where I could not even chamber a round and the slide would not return to battery.

I kept fiddling with it, and eventually got the slide to work after I put the polymer guide rod back in.

I called Glockstore, and after dealing with an obliviot customer service drone whose only answer was basically "You're out of luck, you passed the 30 day mark already", I emailed Lenny Magill personally and actually got a phone call from a manager.

The manager agreed that he believed my problem to be an issue with the spring tension on the new guide rod. He had me go to the range and shoot the gun using the OEM polymer one. It worked fine without a single problem.

The guy told me he thought the springs were messed up when they made the guide rod, and sent me 2 new tungsten ones. He sent them without making me send in the old ones before hand, which I appreciated. I replaced both of the tungsten rods with the new ones, and a few days later went to the range and shot without any problems.

However, after about 300 rounds through my wife's gun with the replacement rod, we encountered the same problem. So, I took both the tungsten rods out, and replaced the polymer ones back into both guns. These are our carry guns, and I just can't risk them not working when we need them. I'm out about $60 or $70 for each of the tungsten rods, but it was a lesson learned, so not all is lost.