about 500 rounds though a new sd9ve, nothing higher than 127gr. does this look normal? I've turned the rod so maybe it will wear a bit on the high side?

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The "normal failure mode" is to come loose on the clip end, which does not matter until you take it out of the gun.
The failure rate is very low, but I always keep a few spare parts, including the recoil assembly, on hand and change if warranted on inspection while cleaning.

The polymer rods are tougher than they look, and the flat wound springs are unsurpassed. If you feel you want a steel guide rod, be sure and get one that uses the flat wound spring.

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Science plus Art

That Poly rod should last another 2k rds. at least!

Get rid of the Polymer factory guide on the SD9VE, I put the Galloway Precision Stainless Steel 17lb Spring Guide rod in my SD9VE after this started to happen to the polymer factory guide rod after only a few hundred rounds (I was pissed). I now have thousands of rounds down range with the stainless steel guide rod and it has never failed or malfunctioned and still looks brand new. Heat will not warp it and it will not bend, so its more accurate and much much stronger than polymer. Steel beats Plastic everytime in a hard working moving gun part like the guide rod assembly, its common sense really whether or not people say their plastic guide rod works fine. My opinion.

Earthtone31 I am officially calling you out on this issue. Considering I see no indication that you are or have ever been a professional gunslinger or smith. I have a problem with your comments. The polymer guide rod as used in the S&W pistols, in the Golcks, as in others today are there for a reason. There is no way you have a high round count on a SS guide rod asy. without issue to your pistol.

Huh????????

I BELIEVE he stated that HIS OWN guide rod took a dump and that's why he replaced it-what does that have to do with "slinging" or "smithing"????

Why do you insinuate he's lying about how many rounds down the tube he's fired with the stainless guide rod-do you know how many years ago Galloway come out with the stainless rod and do you know how long he's had it installed?

I'm assuming you do not because I've had My stainless guide rod installed in MY SD9VE for a few YEARS now. I installed mine right after purchasing my SD9 new and not that long after the pistol came on the market. How many years ago is that-

MY plastic guide rod started to look just alittle funny on the end PLUS I think plastic guide rods are cheesy (MY opinion) so I changed it and UNLIKE the plastic guiderod I originally had, this stainless steel one looks EXACTLY like it did when I installed it brand new after at LEAST 1000 rounds.

Do you remember whether the "worn" area on the end of the guide rod was "up" or "down" when in the gun?

It looks, from measurement and examination, that the back end of the guide rod actually rests on the barrel stop, also called the "Take Down Lever".

Several folks have posted similar pictures but none have shown as much deformation/wear as you show after just 500 rounds.

I assume that you have always made sure that the back end of the rod was fully seated in accordance with the instructions in the owners manual. Actually, I would guess that you can't even install the slide if the guide rod is not properly seated, but I've never tried it.

I have a Galloway 17lb stainless steel in my SD9 for about a year now. I'd say I have at least 500 rounds through it with no issue.

I guess it's a personal choice but I feel the metal rod has to be less prone to failure than plastic.... Just saying....

Mine looks similar with under 500 down the pipe too.

But is putting an aftermarket rod in the gun bad for its overall performance? Was it made with the polymer one for a reason? Just asking...

The guide rod on my SD looked like it had been through the ringer after around 1000 rds. Replaced it with the Galloway and after a like # it still looks like new. The accuracy seems better also though that may just me getting used to the weapon.

You can put the slide on without it being properly seated but that usually winds up locking the slide on & it takes a lot to get it off again. There are threads here about that.
There is nothing wrong with the guide rod in the picture , I think if you had a picture of a new one it would look the same.
I never gave it a second look when mine was new, but after reading about this long time ago I did take a close look at mine & more than a year later it looks the same.
That said I am in no way against anyone changing theirs if they feel like they should. It is sure a cheap easy thing to try.
I did think about getting both the lighter & heavier spring to see how it changed to recoil , if at all.
I did this to my wifes LCP. She just had to have it for carry. After a while she did master it , I never did. Small gun , long trigger pull , almost nothing to hold on to. I had read about fixes for it & after she moved on to her M&P9c I order the stronger recoil spring & the Hogue grip , It made a world of difference I can now shoot it& actually get off a second shot without adjusting my grip.
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As I have said before " it's your gun , for now anyway "

What is the strength of the stock spring ?

Galloway says stock is 17 lbs

& so then if I remember correctly galloway has them in 17 , 20 & 22 I guess I could look it up

My theory is that the stock guide rod and spring are fine, but prone to showing some wear after a while -- which doesn't affect performance, per se. Postings about them breaking are rare.

The Galloway rod (I have the 17 lbs one) is fine, too. It has some aesthetic appeal, adds a touch of weight, and is unlikely to break. And, it may contribute to more consistent positioning of the barrel when the pistol is in battery, which could improve accuracy. I like mine; glad I bought it; it has given me enjoyment; it may make the pistol work a little better; but none of that means the stock plastic rod is "bad" or needs to be replaced. But, if the stock recoil spring and guide rod must be replaced, the factory S&W item is probably under $10 (or might even be free if you call S&W customer service!) while the Galloway guide rod and spring cost $30.

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S&W Rover

Thats a stupid response to my comment, since if you read what I said you would completely understand what I'm saying and no I am not lieing about round counts down the range or my plastic piece of **** guide rod that comes with the gun failing. Steel beats plastic everytime on hard working moving parts, you can have your opinion I'll have mine from experience. I'm a 42 yo man who has been shooting and working on pistols for awhile now myself, thank you. Get the 17lb Galloway Guide Rod for the SD9VE or the 20lb/22lb Galloway Guide Rod for the SD40VE if anyone is thinking about switching there plastic guides rod out.

Wrong, I have no issue with my pistol whatsoever, my steel guide rod looks brand new and functions like new still with thousands of rounds down range unlike the polymer guide rod from the factory after only hundreds of rounds, the steel guide rod is not wearing on the slide at all and it feels so much better over all in the gun. So your comment to me is not valid at all sir, also I go to the range pretty much every two weeks and shoot hundreds of rounds because I enjoy it and love being very proficient with my guns. Oh and by the way I replaced the polymer guide rods in my Glocks as well and they perform perfectly and feel so much better as well and will last alot longer I guarantee you that. Their is a reason they make aftermarket parts for all kinds of guns to improve them and this is just one of the things you can do on certain pistols, that need it for the long term use of the gun and better reliability. If you are not going to shoot the gun much fine leave the polymer guide rod in but if your going to seriously shoot the gun alot replace it with steel.

So many discussions about the recoil spring rating. What does it indicate?

Is the number (17# seems to be typical) the force it exerts when installed, or the spring rate, which is the increase in force per unit (inch) of compression?

This website has a nice definition of spring weight as well as some comments about a heavier spring weight will cause a downward muzzle flip. Have a look:

Recoil Springs