Kimber 1911 - guide rod question

[Rittmeister]

I've got an older Kimber - purchased in 2001. Not a Clackamas but a nice gun just the same Over the years I added Novak night sights and nicer grips but essentially it's stock, so it's got the full-length guide rod.

I'm interested in experimenting with a GI-style guide rod and spring plug, mostly for ease of disassembly, and I have some questions.

1. How much accuracy will I be sacrificing, if any? Right now it shoots better than I do - I don't claim to be great but I'm used to shooting one 4-5" hole at 10 yards with several mags of FMJ.

2. What recommendations does THR have for a DROP-IN rod and plug set? I don't want to involve a gunsmith, but I also don't want to have a gun that rattles when I'm done installing the parts.

Any help appreciated.

 

[Oro]

You likely won't be sacrificing any accuracy. A gun needs to be fairly loose before it benefits from the FLGR.

Any type will drop-in fine. This is not a critical fit part like elements of the firing system. Get s.ome Colt or similar take-off parts out of a gun forum classifieds.

Any rattling you encounter afterwards would be because of the lack of the FLGR, not the parts you replaced it with (this would be the case if you slide/frame fit were on the loose side). You may also notice your recoil spring kinking a little bit more and a less smooth recoil, but you'd have to be either very sensitive to notice that, have a loose gun, or a spring already kinked.

 

[mljdeckard]

It will not affect accuracy at all. I did exactly what you are thinking about and I can't perceive any change at all in how it shoots.

I think the rod and plug set I got were Ed Brown. Go to Brownells.com and order their free 1911 catalog, all kinds of stuff you never knew you needed until you saw it in there.

It will make springy noises as you cycle the slide, this is normal.

 

[loop]

I wouldn't bother making the change.

Having the FLGR in the Kimber only makes it so you have two takedown options that work equally as well. I really like the versatility of being able to take the slide off as a unit or take it apart before removing it from the frame.

It should be cheap enough. If you have a gunsmith anywhere near you he should have plenty of takeoffs from people who upgraded to FLGRs. Chances are if he's a nice guy he'll give you a set.

It won't affect accuracy. On a gun that old you may want to replace the recoil spring to maintain reliability.

 

[Rinspeed]

A FLGR will not help accuracy in the least except for the few miligrams of weight it adds. Ed Brown or EGW parts are some of the best.