what does the guide rod do?

[cracked junior]

after a few weeks now of searching for different parts for my xd 45acp. i am finding aftermarket guide rods and springs. what does this part do and what effect will a aftermarket rod and spring do for my gun? i know the spring deals with the recoil and loading. but why a different rod?

 

[res1b3uq]

guide rod

They make 'em 'cause people will buy them.

 

[Edmond]

I think the purpose of the guide rod is to keep the spring true.

The only aftermarket guide rod I have is for my P229. It's a solid stainless steel guide rod and from what I can tell, it adds weight to the front of the gun. Don't know if it's the placebo effect but it seems to reduce muzzle flip slightly.

 

[XavierBreath]

A guide rod prevents the recoil spring from kinking/binding. They are a popular aftermarket accessory because anyone can just drop one in, regardless of their mechanical aptitude. Does the aftermarket guide rod do anything? Nothing that the stock guide rod did not do. On some pistols, such as the 1911 with a GI guide rod, dropping in a full length guide rod just makes the pistol harder to field strip and clear malfunctions on.

 

[foob]

Apologise for thread jacking, but what does a dust cover on a semi-auto do?

Some manufacturers tout a full length dust cover, not sure what the purpose is for in a handgun (well maybe more weight on the front to reduce muzzle flip). Is dust cover a more proper term on rifles/shotguns?

 

[mattw]

About the guide rods:

On the XD the aftermarket full length guide rods do serve a purpose other than making money for the people that sell them. I've got one on my XD9 4". The main purpose for the after market guide rods is that you can buy different recoil springs that will change the recoil characteristics and speed of the slide. If you get a heavier spring the slide will move slower and you will have less felt recoil or muzzle flip. If you buy a lighter recoil spring your slide will be able to move faster due to the lighter spring tension and you will be able to fire faster and your gun will be more reliable with lighter loads. On the XD it does make field stripping a bit of a chore but I have yet to experience a reliability issue. Also, due to the looser tolerances of the XD (being a service pistol) you are less likely to have a malfunction due to a simple after market part like a full length guide rod as you might on a competition style 1911 that is built to much tighter tolerances for match accuracy.

About the dust covers:

The dust cover's main purpose is to protect the guide rod and recoil spring and keep it in its track. A full length dust cover gives you more forward wieght which will reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip. In some cases it also gives you more rail space for bigger lights or lasers.

 

[cracked junior]

thanks for the info. i think i will stay with the factory rod and spring

my next question. is there a easy way to change the break in the trigger. as in you pull the trigger. alittle over half way is a hard spot and then it fires. is there way to lessen the force of that break. maybe make it smoother. if i had the funds. i would send it to springfield and have them do some work. but i dont have the funds.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Look around the HS2000 forum and tech support - somebody has probably posted basic fluff'n'buff steps by now...
http://www.xd-hs2000.com/

/Bryan