GLOCK 26 27 33 39 GEN 1 2 3 4 5 Stainless Steel Guide Rod Assembly

[jziggy101]

I see a bunch of these posted on several sites. Is there an advantage between this single spring and the compound spring normally in the Glocks?

[Jailer]

Only if you want to tune your gun for a specific load. I ran one in my IDPA gun so I could run a lighter recoil spring.

[jziggy101]

Only if you want to tune your gun for a specific load. I ran one in my IDPA gun so I could run a lighter recoil spring.

Thanks for explaining that to me.
I noticed some ads say the Glock has a single recoil spring but I thought mine was a compound spring. I need to go back a check.

[Jailer]

The newer gen 4 and 5 guns have a steel double spring. The gen 3 and older have a single spring with plastic guide rod.

[special reserve]

Careful. Gen 3 27 and 29 have the double spring.

The newer gen 4 and 5 guns have a steel double spring. The gen 3 and older have a single spring with plastic guide rod.

[Jailer]

Careful. Gen 3 27 and 29 have the double spring.

And so does the gen 3 26 (I just checked mine). Thanks for the clarification.

[jziggy101]

The newer gen 4 and 5 guns have a steel double spring. The gen 3 and older have a single spring with plastic guide rod.

Both my Gen 5 26 & 43 have double springs.

[Jailer]

Both my Gen 5 26 & 43 have double springs.

All the gen 4 and 5 guns have the newer style metal springs in them.

[MCPO_SOCM_RET]

I think it really comes down to personal preference.
I like the uncapatured single spring steel rods. They rack smoother, and seem to cycle better (by my hand's calibrated "feel-o-meter") and they're much easier to clean.
I've personally seen a few factory polymer rods that looked pretty chewed up after about a thousand rounds, but still functioned as intended for a few thousand more holes in paper. I've only ever seen one chewed up plastic rod that really didn't seem to seat right - and I have seen poorly maintained plastic rods fail at ranges, but never experienced it myself.
If you properly maintain your firearm ... what Glock put in the box is usually good to go.
How well will polymer rods hold up over time? Your guess is as good as mine - assuming all polymer formulas are identical.
Steel rods, on the other hand, have been known/proven to last for decades-upon-decades-upon-decades of reliable use to the point where you wear out multiple replacement springs - and then keep on trucking. Polymer rods haven't been around that long (as in the previous sentence) so only time will tell - and I have my own personal opinions on that...which doesn't help you answer your question.

Directly to the point: "Is there an advantage between this single spring and the compound spring?"
Consider these points:
1. Captured equals fixed spring weight, while non-captured means you can change-out spring weights.
2. Sure you can change out whole captured rod assemblies for different weights, but that doesn't really make sense since replacing a single spring is much cheaper.
3. For double springs, think of it as a stepped spring compression. You can feel the difference (increase in effort) once you compress the inner spring to the step or point you're now compressing both the outer and inner springs. Your firearm feels that too. Every time it goes pew pew pew.
4. For single springs it is an incremental force, vs stepped, to compress the solitary spring. The further you compress the spring, more effort is still required - but it's linear (no sharp increases or steps).

[jziggy101]

I think it really comes down to personal preference.
I like the uncapatured single spring steel rods. They rack smoother, and seem to cycle better (by my hand's calibrated "feel-o-meter") and they're much easier to clean.
I've personally seen a few factory polymer rods that looked pretty chewed up after about a thousand rounds, but still functioned as intended for a few thousand more holes in paper. I've only ever seen one chewed up plastic rod that really didn't seem to seat right - and I have seen poorly maintained plastic rods fail at ranges, but never experienced it myself.
If you properly maintain your firearm ... what Glock put in the box is usually good to go.
How well will polymer rods hold up over time? Your guess is as good as mine - assuming all polymer formulas are identical.
Steel rods, on the other hand, have been known/proven to last for decades-upon-decades-upon-decades of reliable use to the point where you wear out multiple replacement springs - and then keep on trucking. Polymer rods haven't been around that long (as in the previous sentence) so only time will tell - and I have my own personal opinions on that...which doesn't help you answer your question.

Directly to the point: "Is there an advantage between this single spring and the compound spring?"
Consider these points:
1. Captured equals fixed spring weight, while non-captured means you can change-out spring weights.
2. Sure you can change out whole captured rod assemblies for different weights, but that doesn't really make sense since replacing a single spring is much cheaper.
3. For double springs, think of it as a stepped spring compression. You can feel the difference (increase in effort) once you compress the inner spring to the step or point you're now compressing both the outer and inner springs. Your firearm feels that too. Every time it goes pew pew pew.
4. For single springs it is an incremental force, vs stepped, to compress the solitary spring. The further you compress the spring, more effort is still required - but it's linear (no sharp increases or steps).

Thanks for you opinion and explaining your thoughts. I see that the single spring on a stainless rod are not that expensive and I think I might pickup one to take to the range for a test. Its not like trying out a new trigger ( which would take allot of time to change out ) but its a quick change item.

Turns out there aren't any single spring guide rods for the G26.

I used to have a couple of Colt compact 1911's with dual springs and I always thought they had way TOO much snap to them. I later picked up a Sig Nitron 1911 compact and it had a single recoil spring. The barrels on all of these were very close in size but I found the Sig much easier to quickly reacquire the target after each shot.