Glock 34 gen 5 with jager guide rod

[AWZ1387]

I just installed a jager heavy guide rod and Wolff 15lbs spring. I went with the 15lbs because I am using non +p factory ammo, and several threads recommended 15 over 13 for factory ammo. 

I just installed the spring and guide rod, and the pistol is not passing a return to battery test when held vertical. I even tried adding a couple of drops of oil to the rod, because it felt a little gritty. 

Does the rod require a break in period?

should I go with a 16lbs spring, but that is getting back towards factory weight. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by AWZ1387

[dskinsler83]

Just run it. It will be fine. It isnt a battle weapon and I have NEVER went by that bs vertical junk.  If it strips the round from a mag and goes into battery when you are actually using it, that is what matters.  I run a 10lb spring that is worn OUT and its fine. Also make sure you have oiled the firearm itself as instructed in its manual.  Take it and break it in and shoot it if its new. 

[Paul49]

People make these recommendations often based on limited experiences, sometimes individual anecdotes.

 

DK has more experience than the average poster here by far. Agree with his comments about the vertical check. However, I have seen some folks push the limits on spring weights, often ending up with malfunctions during matches.

 

our guns are not identical, so fine tuning is required. Hence my suggestion you start with factory weight first to be sure that works. Otherwise, you have changed two things at once.

 

Your question is based on the presumption the guide rods is not a problem. What if it were defective and binding on the spring? Probably not, but you have to at least think about it.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Paul49

[dskinsler83]

I promise I know a few things lol.  Some of Wolff’s springs have a tapered end on one end and that should be the one at the base of the guide rod and also what striker spring is in it?  The whole pistol is a set of springs working against each other all the time. 

[tha1000]

I’m running 11’s in my gen 5 17’s. Shot factory ammo at the gator this weekend. No issues. 

[AWZ1387]

18 hours ago, dskinsler83 said:

Just run it. It will be fine. It isnt a battle weapon and I have NEVER went by that bs vertical junk.  If it strips the round from a mag and goes into battery when you are actually using it, that is what matters.  I run a 10lb spring that is worn OUT and its fine. Also make sure you have oiled the firearm itself as instructed in its manual.  Take it and break it in and shoot it if its new. 

 

I am going to try to get to the range this weekend and try it out. The gun is a few months old and has a few hundred rounds though it.

The Wolff spring did have a tapered end, I put it on towards the base of the rod. 

It still has the stock striker spring, should I try going down to a 5lb or 4.5lb spring? 

Edited October 30, 2019 by AWZ1387

[AWZ1387]

18 hours ago, Paul49 said:

Your question is based on the presumption the guide rods is not a problem. What if it were defective and binding on the spring? Probably not, but you have to at least think about it.

How would I test to see if the spring is binding? 

[AWZ1387]

17 hours ago, tha1000 said:

I’m running 11’s in my gen 5 17’s. Shot factory ammo at the gator this weekend. No issues. 

I will probably play around with the weights after I see how the 15lb works out. 

[tha1000]

1 hour ago, AWZ1387 said:

I will probably play around with the weights after I see how the 15lb works out. 

 

As a general rule, I run the lightest spring that reliably cycles the gun.  I think I am running a 12 in my gen 5 34, but I haven't shot it enough to know if I like that weight or if I can go lower.

[AWZ1387]

10 minutes ago, tha1000 said:

 

As a general rule, I run the lightest spring that reliably cycles the gun.  I think I am running a 12 in my gen 5 34, but I haven't shot it enough to know if I like that weight or if I can go lower.

 

What factory ammo do you usually run?

I was worried if I go to light it may batter the frame. 

Edited October 30, 2019 by AWZ1387

[12glocks]

I would not worry about hurting that gun. If you break it which is unlikely, send it to Glock and they will fix it cheap or free.   If your running +P ammo you can use the factory RSA if you want.

 

My wife and I have Gen 5 34's and we are running 13 pound springs with softer match ammo. 

[tha1000]

3 hours ago, AWZ1387 said:

 

What factory ammo do you usually run?

I was worried if I go to light it may batter the frame. 

 

I generally reload around 132 pf.  I've been shooting 115gr syntech recently because I got a great deal on it.  It chrono'd at 138 at the match.  It's a glock.  If I ruin it, i will throw it in the garbage and go buy another one for $400.

Edited October 30, 2019 by tha1000

[Helios]

10 hours ago, AWZ1387 said:

 

I am going to try to get to the range this weekend and try it out. The gun is a few months old and has a few hundred rounds though it.

The Wolff spring did have a tapered end, I put it on towards the base of the rod. 

It still has the stock striker spring, should I try going down to a 5lb or 4.5lb spring? 

As was said above the springs work against each other so a factory striker spring and lighter recoil spring aren’t quite balanced. Going to a 4.5# striker spring will likely help the slide go into battery easier and also have the benefit of improving your trigger pull. 

[deerslayer]

On 10/29/2019 at 12:00 PM, AWZ1387 said:

 

should I go with a 16lbs spring, but that is getting back towards factory weight. 

 

Factory weight is 17, I believe, but that's with an ISMI-type spring.  Supposedly, Wolff and ISMI of the same weight are two different animals.  I bet a 16 pound ISMI would lock your slide tight.  Don't be afraid to try a heavier Wolff.  

[Honeybooboo]

Is the base towards the muzzle or the rear of the gun?

[AWZ1387]

2 hours ago, Honeybooboo said:

Is the base towards the muzzle or the rear of the gun?

 

The base of the guide rod or the spring? 

[AWZ1387]

2 hours ago, deerslayer said:

 

Factory weight is 17, I believe, but that's with an ISMI-type spring.  Supposedly, Wolff and ISMI of the same weight are two different animals.  I bet a 16 pound ISMI would lock your slide tight.  Don't be afraid to try a heavier Wolff.  

 

The guide rod only works with Wolff springs. 

[deerslayer]

23 hours ago, AWZ1387 said:

 

The guide rod only works with Wolff springs. 

 

Yes but my point was that the Wolff spring may not be as heavy as you think.  

[earlan357]

On 10/30/2019 at 7:40 AM, AWZ1387 said:

How would I test to see if the spring is binding? 

Coil bind is then the coils stack up against each other and essentially creates a solid tube.  If the spring is coil binding, the slide will not travel fully to the rear.  On a Glock, the slide's rearward motion is stopped when the slide rails at the muzzle hit the front of the frame rails.  If the slide is stopped by the spring, the impact is concentrated on the relatively thin tab of steel under the muzzle (although G34s have an extended tunnel).  To test, I stick a piece of tape on the frame and slide, pull the slide fully to the rear without an RSA, and mark the tape with a sharpie.  If the marks don't line up with the new spring installed, it's binding.

Lots of factors, ammo, slide weight, and your grip mean you'll need to experiment to find the right recoil spring weight for you.  For a G34 with 115gr range ammo (or any ammo around 130PF)  a 13# spring is a good starting point but don't get to caught up in the weight number.  The way to test recoil spring weight is to shoot the gun with your competition ammo and observe how the muzzle returns.  If it returns high, generally you want more spring weight to push the muzzle back down as the slide returns to battery.  If it returns low, then less spring.  The actual spring rating is irrelevant.  What matters is that the gun returns to the target quickly regardless of what spring ends up working out.  As mentioned earlier, if you reduce the recoil spring weight, you'll probably need to use a lighter striker spring to prevent the slide from unlocking as the trigger is pulled.  5# is considered the lightest spring a stock Glock striker can use before risking light strikes, but many people report success with 4.5# even with CCI primers.  4# usually requires softer Federal primers to ignite reliaby.

 

Edited November 1, 2019 by earlan357

[Paul49]

7 hours ago, earlan357 said:

Coil bind is then the coils stack up against each other and essentially creates a solid tube.  If the spring is coil binding, the slide will not travel fully to the rear.  On a Glock, the slide's rearward motion is stopped when the slide rails at the muzzle hit the front of the frame rails.  If the slide is stopped by the spring, the impact is concentrated on the relatively thin tab of steel under the muzzle (although G34s have an extended tunnel).  To test, I stick a piece of tape on the frame and slide, pull the slide fully to the rear without an RSA, and mark the tape with a sharpie.  If the marks don't line up with the new spring installed, it's binding.

Lots of factors, ammo, slide weight, and your grip mean you'll need to experiment to find the right recoil spring weight for you.  For a G34 with 115gr range ammo (or any ammo around 130PF)  a 13# spring is a good starting point but don't get to caught up in the weight number.  The way to test recoil spring weight is to shoot the gun with your competition ammo and observe how the muzzle returns.  If it returns high, generally you want more spring weight to push the muzzle back down as the slide returns to battery.  If it returns low, then less spring.  The actual spring rating is irrelevant.  What matters is that the gun returns to the target quickly regardless of what spring ends up working out.  As mentioned earlier, if you reduce the recoil spring weight, you'll probably need to use a lighter striker spring to prevent the slide from unlocking as the trigger is pulled.  5# is considered the lightest spring a stock Glock striker can use before risking light strikes, but many people report success with 4.5# even with CCI primers.  4# usually requires softer Federal primers to ignite reliaby.

 

 

Thanks! That is way better than my answer would have been. 

[AWZ1387]

On 10/31/2019 at 10:56 PM, deerslayer said:

 

Yes but my point was that the Wolff spring may not be as heavy as you think.  

 

OK thanks

[AWZ1387]

23 hours ago, earlan357 said:

Coil bind is then the coils stack up against each other and essentially creates a solid tube.  If the spring is coil binding, the slide will not travel fully to the rear.  On a Glock, the slide's rearward motion is stopped when the slide rails at the muzzle hit the front of the frame rails.  If the slide is stopped by the spring, the impact is concentrated on the relatively thin tab of steel under the muzzle (although G34s have an extended tunnel).  To test, I stick a piece of tape on the frame and slide, pull the slide fully to the rear without an RSA, and mark the tape with a sharpie.  If the marks don't line up with the new spring installed, it's binding.

Lots of factors, ammo, slide weight, and your grip mean you'll need to experiment to find the right recoil spring weight for you.  For a G34 with 115gr range ammo (or any ammo around 130PF)  a 13# spring is a good starting point but don't get to caught up in the weight number.  The way to test recoil spring weight is to shoot the gun with your competition ammo and observe how the muzzle returns.  If it returns high, generally you want more spring weight to push the muzzle back down as the slide returns to battery.  If it returns low, then less spring.  The actual spring rating is irrelevant.  What matters is that the gun returns to the target quickly regardless of what spring ends up working out.  As mentioned earlier, if you reduce the recoil spring weight, you'll probably need to use a lighter striker spring to prevent the slide from unlocking as the trigger is pulled.  5# is considered the lightest spring a stock Glock striker can use before risking light strikes, but many people report success with 4.5# even with CCI primers.  4# usually requires softer Federal primers to ignite reliaby.

 

 Thanks for the detailed response. I will check for coil binding. 

I also ordered a taran tactical grand master kit. I am going to try it out. I was going to order a 5lb striker spring to use with the kit instead of the 4.5lb but Brownells doesn't seem to have any.