why is full length guide rod harder to field strip

[South]

Sorry, not very familiar with 1911's, but in the process of changing that.

Should I be concerned about full length guide rods...I see people filing them down, or replacing them with short ones.

Why? What issue do they cause?

I have disassembled a Norinco 1911 with a stock full length guide rod and it was no more difficult to disassembly then another Norinco with the standard length guide rod, so I am confused as to why some say there could be difficulties.

 

[tjhaile]

Different FLGR setups have differing degrees of takedown complication. The Norincos at least have the rod short enough that depressing the recoil spring plug allows the barrel bushing to be rotated; this isn't possible with other types.

Personally, I prefer to stick to keeping the 1911 the way John Browning designed it, with only peripheral ergonomic enhancements. The fact that FLGRs aren't widely used or recommended for duty 1911s speaks volumes about the actual need for them.

 

[South]

The fact that FLGRs aren't widely used or recommended for duty 1911s speaks volumes about the actual need for them.

If you were to pick a duty vehicle, would you pick Chevy or Cadillac? The Chevy works well enough and costs less, so there may not even be the need to test the Cadillac.

 

[tjhaile]

If you were to pick a duty vehicle, would you pick Chevy or Cadillac? The Chevy works well enough and costs less, so there may not even be the need to test the Cadillac.

1911s in this day and age are inherently a "Cadillac" pistol. Duty 1911s like the Springfield Professional or the MEUSOC are hand built by gunsmiths at a much greater cost than more modern off the shelf designs. The cost difference between a FLGR and a regular one is negligible.

A FLGR in a 1911 is more like a Lada than a Chevrolet or Cadillac.