Originally Posted by
John 242
Some people, myself included, feel that a 1911 runs smoother with a full length guide rod. This is certainly a subjective claim.
FLGRs allow you to remove the slide assembly as a unit by simply pulling the slide stop. The spring remains captured in the slide, around the guide rod. If you occasionally run a .22 cal conversion, like I do, this is very helpful.
A tungsten guide rod can add a little weight to the front end of the pistol, although not much.
Disassembling a pistol with a (one piece) FLGR is not significantly more difficult than one without it.
There's always a lot of talk about not deviating from Browning's original design, but it was the US Army that drove the development of the pistol that became the 1911. Browning and Colt had to modify their original design, the 1902, over a period of nearly TEN YEARS, before the Army was satisfied with the resulting pistol. For good or bad, the 1911 was hugely a product of Browning giving the US Army what it wanted.
Is the 1911A1 an abomination?
In the end, it is the user that has to decide which features they feel they need in a 1911 type pistol.
I prefer sights that I can see (actually i prefer tritium night sights), a FLGR, beaver tail grip safety, checkered front strap, arched mainspring housing, long trigger, slightly beveled mag well, and (horror of all horrors!) an extended thumb safety and magazine release.