My custom guide rods!

[SIGcurious]

I'd be down for a Tungsten for my P45.

[Atomicpunk]

I'm interested in a stainless rod for my cw9

[LorenzoB]

Hey wait a minute, the tungsten rod would cost much higher (like maybe triple). I was saying the price for the aluminum and stainless. Sorry if I misled some of you.

[JustinN]

Very nice looking work on the guide rods. How much does Tungsten cost, in comparison to say steel or aluminum (and not just for the guide rod, but just raw material). Also, does it take a different sort of "cutter" for tungsten, I know it's supposed to be considerably heavier and normal ring cutters won't cut it if you break your finger (they shatter it in a vice).

[LorenzoB]

Very nice looking work on the guide rods. How much does Tungsten cost, in comparison to say steel or aluminum (and not just for the guide rod, but just raw material). Also, does it take a different sort of "cutter" for tungsten, I know it's supposed to be considerably heavier and normal ring cutters won't cut it if you break your finger (they shatter it in a vice).

It is not normal tungsten carbide, so it is not brittle like the stuff usually used on tungsten rings. That stuff is much less expensive. I'm using a high yield strength material (it is still pretty hard too) that can be cut with carbide tools (they wear out faster than cutting steel or aluminum), so expensive tool replacement also needs to be factored in the price. Just looking at material cost, I think it was about 50x the price of stainless steel, so there is not much profit in the tungsten rods, but I thought it would be cool. It is what I have in my CW9 right now (shoots softer and I like that).

[LorenzoB]

The aluminum I'm using is also high strength and pretty hard. It is harder than the stock steel rod, and stainless rods (less prone to surface scratching by the slide and spring). It is also stronger than the stock steel rod and stainless steel. It is much lighter and you can feel that difference when holding the gun. The recoil seemed to feel more snappy, but still was not too bad. My measured recoil angles were only slightly higher (by one degree), but I did have some variation so I want to test again and shoot a lot more to get a better average from more data points.

[MW surveyor]

Just looking at material cost, I think it was about 50x the price of stainless steel, so there is not much profit in the tungsten rods, but I thought it would be cool. It is what I have in my CW9 right now (shoots softer and I like that).

So you'd have to price the tungsten rod at (50 x 30) = $1,500 j/k

[eklipto101]

Just wandering, but does Kahr stoped selling those?? I believe they were tungsten or maybe solid stainless, I can't find the box that it came in but I bought one and it does make a bit of a diffrence and doesn't pinned like the one hollow one that come with the CW9...I liked it

[eklipto101]

Oh yeah by the way....Owesome work Lorenzo

[SIGcurious]

Hey wait a minute, the tungsten rod would cost much higher (like maybe triple)...

I'm cool with that.

[AC7880]

Can you weigh your guid rods on a scale? Stock vs your 3? It would be cool to see actual weights of each.

[LorenzoB]

So you'd have to price the tungsten rod at (50 x 30) = $1,500 j/k

No, I said "maybe triple". The labor, packaging, etc. is the same. Material is only a percentage of the cost. If I sell the tungsten rods, I would try to keep the price under $100, otherwise no one would buy them and I would be stuck with a lot of expensive paperweights.

[LorenzoB]

Can you weigh your guid rods on a scale? Stock vs your 3? It would be cool to see actual weights of each.

The stainless steel one is the same weight as the stock one. I'm talking the solid stock one (not older ones or the K9 ones with the hole). The tungsten rod is 2x the weight. And the aluminum is only 1/3 the weight (2/3 lighter).

[LorenzoB]

Just wandering, but does Kahr stoped selling those?? I believe they were tungsten or maybe solid stainless, I can't find the box that it came in but I bought one and it does make a bit of a diffrence and doesn't pinned like the one hollow one that come with the CW9...I liked it

Kahr never made aftermarket tungsten rods, only stainless. Also, the current CW9 rod is not hollow, it is solid rolled steel (cheaper to mass produce and not precision). I thought the hollow rods only came with the K9 and T9? Maybe early P9 or CW 9's had them too (I don't know).

Also, thanks for the nice comment.

[Short Bus]

Hey wait a minute, the tungsten rod would cost much higher (like maybe triple). I was saying the price for the aluminum and stainless. Sorry if I misled some of you.

That put's me out for the tungsten, but I might go the other way and get aluminum.