bluedevil008 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I have a 5" Eagle Bushing barrel. Looking at getting a tungsten guide rod and plug. Which type do I need to get, the STI or the standard? Obviously, I have an STI, but something I read made it sound like the STI was more so just for the bull barrel. Currently using a Dawson tool-less. Any insights? Also, I haven't seen any tungsten rods with really good reviews, yet I've had plenty of really good shooters tell me to get one. What's the deal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Hello: The tungsten guide rod will add weight but will fail at some point. pretty cool to see the guide rod fly out the front of a pistol. I have seen it 5 or 6 times now. They also sell a tungsten plug, I should have a new one around here if you want even more weight forward. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedevil008 Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 Hmm.. ok what about round count expectancy? I don't mind replacing once every a year if it provides measurable (to some effect) difference. I will probably go through no more than 10k rounds this upcoming year. And the tungsten plug, do those break? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aircooled6racer Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Hello: The plugs don't break but the guide rods do. I have a friend who put over 40,000 rounds before his broke and another friend who only got a couple hundred. Thanks, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oak hill Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 while they do add a little weight, it is really insignificant. Good in theory, but practice will be a much greater investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigGabe Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I bought an EGW. So far no problem in my 2011. Don't have the plug just the 2 piece rod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedevil008 Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 while they do add a little weight, it is really insignificant. Good in theory, but practice will be a much greater investment. Why not have both? Installing a new guide rod doesn't take any significant amount of practice time away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oak hill Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 Good point :-) Next we should discuss whether a aluminum magwell will allow you to transition faster than a heavier stainless magwell, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedevil008 Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 Haha true. It's all give and take. Having a short normal dust cover, I am giving up a fair amount of weight up front compared to full length wide dust cover guys, and my splits is a part of my game I'm trying to improve, so I feel like it's worth it to add a bit up front. But after some experimentation, if my transitions feel slower then maybe it's not worth it. All personal preference. As it stands though, I feel like my gun is being driven up WAY more than some of the super nice limited guns. All else equal, it's a disadvantage. Most of the correction will need to be due to my grip, and squeezing harder with my support hand is something I'm trying to consciously work on now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biloxi23 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I had a bull barrel fitted when my Eagle slide cracked. I don't know if it would make a difference to a GM, but to me as a mid-level C, I really like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris1911 Posted October 3, 2014 Share Posted October 3, 2014 I recently put a EGW tungsten guiderod in my STI Range Master. Feels great, shoots real well, no problem so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RigPig Posted October 5, 2014 Share Posted October 5, 2014 I installed an EGW tungsten rod in an Eagle I have since sold. I shoot an Edge in USPSA and was trying to make the Eagle more muzzle-heavy like the Edge. It made a noticeable difference in the muzzle weight of the pistol, and I felt as though it made the gun shoot that much flatter. Was it real or perceived? I couldn't tell you but I did shoot the gun faster and more accurately after install. I beveled the head of the guiderod with a bench grinder and that is all that was needed to "fit" it to the gun. I used the stainless bushing it came with. The head diameter on the STI guiderod is smaller than the 1911 head, so get the STI rod so you don't have to file down the head to fit in the STI frame. It was worth the $100 to me, made the gun more fun to shoot anyway. I hadn't heard of any failing. Tungsten is more brittle than carbon steel, so it could happen I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluedevil008 Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 I installed an EGW tungsten rod in an Eagle I have since sold. I shoot an Edge in USPSA and was trying to make the Eagle more muzzle-heavy like the Edge. It made a noticeable difference in the muzzle weight of the pistol, and I felt as though it made the gun shoot that much flatter. Was it real or perceived? I couldn't tell you but I did shoot the gun faster and more accurately after install. I beveled the head of the guiderod with a bench grinder and that is all that was needed to "fit" it to the gun. I used the stainless bushing it came with. The head diameter on the STI guiderod is smaller than the 1911 head, so get the STI rod so you don't have to file down the head to fit in the STI frame. It was worth the $100 to me, made the gun more fun to shoot anyway. I hadn't heard of any failing. Tungsten is more brittle than carbon steel, so it could happen I suppose. Awesome, two good reviews along the lines of what I've actually heard. Breaking claims are hearsay so far. I'll get one after I finish up this season's majors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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