SS Rod After a Period of Service.

[Jose NDT]

At this time there should be P 01?s out there with SS rods installed for over 2 years and thousands of rounds through it. How your pistols are holding? Does the claim that SS rods will crack your slide is showing any evidence? Any cracked or damaged slides out there? 

[KFD147]

I replaced the SS guide rod and put the plastic one back in after I found the metal one pushing back the metal inside the frame. I don't have a picture of it right now but I will try to post one later when I can. I have put around 4k rounds through the pistol since I have owned the pistol and the previous owner put a little over 2k rounds.

Thanks
Jason

[Dewey]

Forgive the new guy (put the first 300 rounds through my new P01 today!) for bumping an older thread, but am I correct in assuming that this thread is referring to simple replacement of the plastic guide with a stainless steel unit? Are the same fears about the SS guide rod applicable to the DPM recoil system so many other threads are talking about?

[Walt Sherrill]

The issue has never been concern about cracking slides.  The concern has been about the hard steel guide rod causing wear on the slide or receiver stop (where the end of the guide rod rests on the frame.)

CZ has always said that steel guide rods should not be used in the alloy-framed  compact guns.  (In fact, they've said that their use can void the warranty with regard to frame wear.)   

It's a warning I've posted any number of times.   

The message above is the first we've seen here that there can be negative consequences from using the steel guide rods in alloy guns.   This means that folks should keep their eyes open.
 

[KFD147]

Sorry I took so long posting the pictures. Here are the pictures of the alloy being pushed back by the stainless steel guiderod.



Jason

[stuff.2]

KFD147,

Is your picture (with SS rod damage) a P-01 frame?

If so, it doesn't look like my P-01.

[KFD147]

Yep! '05 vintage. My '06 OD Green P-01 looks the same internally too. (Minus the metal damage.) What does yours look like?

Jason

[stuff.2]

My P-01 is an '08 and I am using the factory (plastic) guide rod.

In your picture where you show the damage, it looks like the recoil spring guide rod only engages the cutout at the bottom of the frame - where it caused the damage. On my P-01, the frame is hollowed out on both the sides (as well as bottom) with stops/cutouts on each side. Therefore, my guide rod engages the frame at three points: the bottom like yours, the left side and the right side.

Maybe I'm not reading your photo correctly; or there has been a modification made since '06.

If I were to use a SS rod, I suspect that I possibly could have even worse damage than what you've experienced.

I'll try to learn how to upload a picture if necessary, but right now I don't know how to do that.

[stuff.2]

KFD147,
In looking at your picture again, it might just be the camera angle that is deceiving me. Interested in your response.

Thanks

[KFD147]

I had to take a second look, mine has the same cuts as you describe. The picture is deceiving due to the shot angle. The hollowed out portion on the sides that you describe where the other two contact points are also have a little bit of metal pushed back also. The one that I posted was just the best angle that I could show the damage. If you look at the frame without the slide straight on it will look like a box in a semi-circle with a cut for the trigger spring at the bottom.

Jason

[stuff.2]

KFD147,

Thanks for the clarification and thanks for your patience with a new CZ shooter.

[Sravaka]

Dewey:  In answer to your question about the DPM guide rods, I have over 4,200 rounds through mine and there is no sign of any wear like you see pictured in this thread.  I believe that the design and function of the 2 embedded springs prevents damage like that from happening to the pistol.

[double pedro]

KFD147 - FWIW, can you confirm that your spring isn't bottoming out to where the fully compressed spring is stopping the slide rather than the slide itself hitting the frame (forward of where the damage is shown)?  As long as the spring isn't bottoming out, the force on the damaged area will only be that of the compressed spring (probably 16 - 18 lbs depending on what spring you are using) and I doubt it would peen as shown.  If the alloy frame was that soft, I think it would also show damage from the steel slide hitting the frame (which doesn't seem to be the case from your photo).  If the spring is bottoming out, and the force stopping the slide was isolated to the small area of damage shown, the resulting pressure on that spot might be high enough to cause the damage shown. 

My $0.02.

[KFD147]

Interesting. I never thought of that. I just saw the damage and assume that the steel guide rod was doing the damage. I was using the factory flat spring with the steel guide rod, so I wouldn't know if the damage was caused by the spring being fully compressed and hitting the frame. The damage seems like the rear disc portion of the guide rod was moving up and out of position, pushing the metal back. I don't see any damage on the plastic guide rod if it moved with it.

Jason

[vkosty]

I just inspected mine. I have shot about 5,500 rounds with the SS guide rod. On a close inspection of the frame I do see some minor wear on the sides of the frame in the area indicated by KFD147.
I also looked inside the dust cover on the slide where the front end of the rod goes to. there is some wear inside, but looks like from the spring itself. That does not bother me that much.
I think I will contine using the SS rod, but keep checking it every few hundred rounds.