[Sobertito]

I just bought the ZR Tactical guide rod with a 16lb Glock 17 spring from Wolff for my 4.5” PDP and I am not pleased. I assume I’m doing something wrong. There is a significant amount of friction/drag or something.

Does anyone have any ideas on what’s happening and how to improve it?

 

[Shortbrownguy]

I also have the ZR tactical guide rod but went with a ISMI #13 recoil spring on my Full size 4" PDP.
It took a little finagling and a few curse words, but once installed it's now sprung correctly for the 147g and 115 g loads I shoot.
What specific issue are you having?

CT sends

 

[Sobertito]

Just a ton of friction when actuating the slide. It functions fine, it just feels low quality

 

[Shortbrownguy]

Definitely not an issue I'm having with mine. May I ask why you went with such a heavy spring?
#13-#15 is what most reduce thier spring rate to.
Did you use the adapter grommet that supposed to capture the guide rod? I chose not to use it and if you are, that may be what's causing the issue.

 

[Strykr]

I also have the ZR tactical guide rod but went with a ISMI #13 recoil spring on my Full size 4" PDP.
It took a little finagling and a few curse words, but once installed it's now sprung correctly for the 147g and 115 g loads I shoot.
What specific issue are you having?

CT sends

Are you using a glock 19 sized ISMI #13lbs recoil spring? I have a ZR Tactical Guide Rod for my 4" compact.

 

[Shortbrownguy]

Are you using a glock 19 sized ISMI #13lbs recoil spring? I have a ZR Tactical Guide Rod for my 4" compact.

G-17 size ISMI #13LB Spring.

CT sends

 

[Strykr]

G-17 size ISMI #13LB Spring.

CT sends

Thank you just ordered one from ZR Tactical.

 

[Shortbrownguy]

Thank you just ordered one from ZR Tactical.

Installing the spring on an uncaptured guide ride is obviously straight forward, but can be a PITA as well.
With that said, the recoil impulse is much smoother. I run guns hard and I've had a negligible amount of malfunctions with this setup, other than a few FTF, but those were ammo related.
I have put everything from milspec 124g, cheap 115G, 147g competition ammo, as well as various loads of defensive ammo, and this setup has happily eaten it all up, and spat it out on its intended target.

Enjoy.

CT sends.

 

[PDPeezNuts]

I did this and it allows my PDP to sit out of battery.

 

[balance]

The factory guide rods work. I'd suggest measuring the pros and cons here and asking yourselves how much reliability you are willing to give up for a negligible amount of recoil reduction. I haven't shot one of these ZR guide rods, but if there is so much difference in spring pressure that you can feel a reduction in recoil, I can almost guarantee that this will have an effect on reliability.

 

[PDPeezNuts]

The factory guide rods work. I'd suggest measuring the pros and cons here and asking yourselves how much reliability you are willing to give up for a negligible amount of recoil reduction. I haven't shot one of these ZR guide rods, but if there is so much difference in spring pressure that you can feel a reduction in recoil, I can almost guarantee that this will have an effect on reliability.

Well generally with compensated pistols we aren't using them for self defense. So I was just wondering how people thought these were so great when they sit out of battery on mine, Maybe all of them don't have this problem?

 

[balance]

I didn't know your pistol was compensated. Are there any other aftermarket parts on the pistol other than the comp and the RSA?

 

[PDPeezNuts]

I didn't know your pistol was compensated. Are there any other aftermarket parts on the pistol other than the comp and the RSA?

Aftermarket optic plate but that shouldn't be an issue. Everything else is stock. It came with a dynamic action? trigger. ZR tactical just replied and said to use the 15lb spring so lol I guess that defeats most of the purpose of it.

 

[balance]

Try contacting the manufacturer of the compensator. What the recoil spring is made of shouldn't make a difference here as the guide rod is simply just a "rod" that "guides" the spring and keeps it oriented in the right position. The correct weight of spring is the most important aspect here. If the manufacturer of the comp put enough rounds to test their product, and found it to be reliable on their pistols that they tested it on, I would hope that they should at least have this information to provide to you.