1911 guide rod battering

Just found my standard guide rod has deep battering marks on each side,  I don't shoot hot loads, mostly hottest is a zero 185 jhp 4.5 gr bullseye but mostly 4.gr BE and a lead 185 and running a 10 lb spring, brass ejects normal, slide mount with a 1'' UD and steel rings. Ive read about certain brands of rods being bad metal but this is not one of those.... any thoughts

Hmmm?

You know your guns better that me but I run 185 lead w/4.0 of BE in both of my bullseye guns. Both have 30mm UltraDots on them in Weaver rings and both run perfect with a 16 pound recoil spring.  Perhaps you need a stronger recoil spring?


Virgil

That could only be from hitting the spring cap housing, correct?

My gun and these loads wont hold slide back with a 12 lb spring, its a very tight mike Curtis custom.

I've seen the spring guide out of old school GI issue hardball guns go for years without that kind of battering.  Shouldn't the bottom of the slide be meeting the guide squarely?  How does the part of the slide that strikes it look?

I'd be glad that an inexpensive part seems to be taking the battering rather than frame or slide. Maybe a good place for a hard plastic buffer?

JMO....rugged rubber baby buggy bumpers don't belong in a 1911
something is out of balance between the load & the springs...as in multiple
the recoil spring, main spring, and contour of the firing pin stop all contribute to how the slide will react to the load

Look at the slide.  The part that rides into the guide rod shouldn't have any protrusions to cause those 2 wear areas.

I would have to say that for it to hit that hard, you are undersprung for your load.  With my current "hardball" load, my gun frequently doesn't lock back on the last shot, yet I used that .45 for every string of fire at Canton and Camp Perry without ANY malfunctions or alibis.  I'm not seeing wear on anything.

Just inspected the frame and slide and found no issues, no protrusions to cause this that I could see. the more I look at the piece im thinking mike cut these into it, but from use you can see where the ears where they are look bent back. I just put in a full length Wilson guide rod and its working smoothly so for now its and see. thanks

Could you provide a picture of the slide area that makes contact with the guide from your photo above? That is not normal wear pattern. I'm curious if the slide was modified?
Jon

it looks to have been machine cut on the lower edges

Ok. Thanks, that explains it. Basically less surface area to absorb slide impact against guide rod, so it's going to wear faster. Not a big deal.
Jon

Machine cut where?

Froneck wrote:Machine cut where?

Right there!

Woodruff key cutter cut.

Yeah I see that but that is the cut made by cutting the groove for the frame rail. Not done afterward.

well all is well now, installed a Wilson full length guide rod and upped the 10lb recoil spring to a 11lb and it ran 100% at the match yesterday, thanks for the replies