[DIRTBOY]

Let me start but saying, I a newbie in the gun world.
In March I bought my first gun in almost 40 years since I was kid.
I now own 3 SIGS and a Beretta and like the Jeep world, I am hooked on customizing my Firearms and find that sweet spot.

So my 320-M17 is my fun gun and range toy. Also a backup HD firearm. One upgrade I made a while back was ordering the Gray Guns Fat Rod and spring. It took some time to comeback back in stock and eventually ship to me.

In waiting I bought the AC SS guide rod and colored tune springs. Thinking it by night when I shot lower or higher grain ammo. The reviews for both are excellent and I like the dark color on the GG better.
Will sell one of them that I don’t need as I have only full size 320.

So which is better overall?
Is the GG spring a do it all spring?
Is the AC better and having more lbs spring sets worth it?
Use the GG rod and AC springs?

Help a newbie out when it comes to this stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[DesertTortoise]

Different firearm, but a recoil spring is a recoil spring.

Spring weight is tuned to the ammo that you are shooting

You change springs to tune the gun for 1) reliability 2) to minimize muzzle movement during strings of rapid fire

https://cajungunworks.com/how-to-select-the-proper-recoil-spring/

Edit: I believe both guide rods allow you to use 1911 springs which are available at any weight you can think of.

 

[George16]

Yes, both guide rods allow usage of 1911 recoil springs. One or the other but not both since it’s just a waste of money.

Instead of buying another set of guide rid and recoil spr8ng, you could have just bought different weights of 1912 recoil springs to tune it with your ammo.

On my X5 I use for competition, I’m using GG guide rod and a Wilson combat 12# recoil spring.

 

[DIRTBOY]

Yes, both guide rods allow usage of 1911 recoil springs. One or the other but not both since it’s just a waste of money.

Instead of buying another set of guide rid and recoil spr8ng, you could have just bought different weights of 1912 recoil springs to tune it with your ammo.

On my X5 I use for competition, I’m using GG guide rod and a Wilson combat 12# recoil spring.

Well I now have both. I originally wanted/ordered the GG and from what i read. it has a great spring weight and think its a 199 spring.

i forgot I ordered and bought the AC, which I like because of the springs.
I prefer the color of the GG but think I will keep the AC as I have the springs are they are color coded already. Its why I ordered the AC to tun my springs to ammo.
Though my M17, 365 and 320 have handled 115-147g ammo with no issues.

 

[DIRTBOY]

Different firearm, but a recoil spring is a recoil spring.

Spring weight is tuned to the ammo that you are shooting

You change springs to tune the gun for 1) reliability 2) to minimize muzzle movement during strings of rapid fire

https://cajungunworks.com/how-to-select-the-proper-recoil-spring/

Edit: I believe both guide rods allow you to use 1911 springs which are available at any weight you can think of.

Thanks for the link!

 

[DirectDrive]

Let me start but saying, I a newbie in the gun world.
In March I bought my first gun in almost 40 years since I was kid.
I now own 3 SIGS and a Beretta and like the Jeep world, I am hooked on customizing my Firearms and find that sweet spot.

So my 320-M17 is my fun gun and range toy. Also a backup HD firearm. One upgrade I made a while back was ordering the Gray Guns Fat Rod and spring. It took some time to comeback back in stock and eventually ship to me.

In waiting I bought the AC SS guide rod and colored tune springs. Thinking it by night when I shot lower or higher grain ammo. The reviews for both are excellent and I like the dark color on the GG better.
Will sell one of them that I don’t need as I have only full size 320.

So which is better overall?
Is the GG spring a do it all spring?
Is the AC better and having more lbs spring sets worth it?
Use the GG rod and AC springs?

Help a newbie out when it comes to this stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

The rods are basically identical. I've had both and have measured both.
It comes down to, do you like bright stainless or black ?
The springs have nothing to do with it, they are the consumables, the rod is the permanent piece.

I like the Taylor Tactical 5 spring kit paired with the Armory Craft bright stainless guide rod.

ETA:
The GGI spring is a middle of the road, 15lb spring.
Nothing more than that.

 

[SigMHS]

I am using the stainless Gray Guns Fat Guide Rod with provided 15 lb spring in my full size 9mm P320.

When field stripping, the GG recoil spring assembly binds up with my take down lever, making it more difficult to remove the slide compared to the SIG stock RSA which does not bind at all. With the GG RSA, the exposed guide rod must be manipulated to free up the binding.

Others have posted the same binding problem.

I wrote to GG to get their thoughts on this.

GG just acknowledged that it happens.

 

[George16]

I am using the stainless Gray Guns Fat Guide Rod with provided 15 lb spring in my full size 9mm P320.

When field stripping, the GG recoil spring assembly binds up with my take down lever, making it more difficult to remove the slide compared to the SIG stock RSA which does not bind at all. With the GG RSA, the exposed guide rod must be manipulated to free up the binding.

Others have posted the same binding problem.

I wrote to GG to get their thoughts on this.

GG just acknowledged that it happens.

You can cut a couple of coils to prevent binding.

Some 1911 government springs vary in length.

 

[DirectDrive]

Push up on the exposed end of the guide rod when the slide is locked back.
Then rotate the takedown lever.

 

[Sig Texas]

I have replaced most of the hollow guide rods in my Sigs with GraysGuns. That was mostly for ease of cleaning. I’ve also bought several springs and flat triggers from them as well.

 

[SigMHS]

You can cut a couple of coils to prevent binding.

Some 1911 government springs vary in length.

Good suggestion. That might work. I will take some measurements and consider that. I assumed that GG already shortened the standard 1911 government spring, like they did the guide rod, to accommodate the shorter 4.7 inch barrel.

 

[DirectDrive]

Good suggestion. That might work. I will take some measurements and consider that. I assumed that GG already shortened the standard 1911 government spring, like they did the guide rod, to accommodate the shorter 4.7 inch barrel.

There are two conditions that sometimes crop up when converting P320 to 1911 Government springs.

1) The Takedown Lever will not rotate to the 7:00 position.
In this case, the solution is usually easy.
With the slide locked back, simply push up on the exposed end of the guide rod.
Then rotate the lever to the 7:00 (takedown) position.
This will get easier as round count increases.
(cutting coils will not help this condition)

2) The slide will not lock back
This condition is caused by "coil stacking" (coil bind) where the spring is compressed to its minimum length (or height).
I've had this happen with some 1911 springs that were manufactured with too much wire.

Cutting the spring would help this condition but...
Cutting springs is guesswork combined with trial and error.
Proceed carefully.

 

[DirectDrive]

Good suggestion. That might work. I will take some measurements and consider that. I assumed that GG already shortened the standard 1911 government spring, like they did the guide rod, to accommodate the shorter 4.7 inch barrel.

I believe this to be an incorrect assumption, that P320 uses a special length recoil spring in the un-captured RSA mode.
The whole idea was to be able to use "off-the-shelf" 1911 Government springs.
I use standard, garden-variety 1911 Government springs in my X-Five and in my Legion.

 

[SigMHS]

There are two conditions that sometimes crop up when converting P320 to 1911 Government springs.

1) The Takedown Lever will not rotate to the 7:00 position.
In this case, the solution is usually easy.
With the slide locked back, simply push up on the exposed end of the guide rod.
Then rotate the lever to the 7:00 (takedown) position.
This will get easier as round count increases.
(cutting coils will not help this condition)

2) The slide will not lock back
This condition is caused by "coil stacking" (coil bind) where the spring is compressed to its minimum length (or height).
I've had this happen with some 1911 springs that were manufactured with too much wire.

Cutting the spring would help this condition but...
Cutting springs is guesswork combined with trial and error.
Proceed carefully.

1) Yes, thanks. This is what I must do every time I disassemble, and what I meant in my original post where I wrote: "With the GG RSA, the exposed guide rod must be manipulated to free up the binding."

Edited To Add: My experience; Round count with GG RSA is over 2,500. It is as much of a PITA now, as it was after the first range trip.

2) Fortunately for me, I have never experienced this problem.