Which is best for performance and reliability, in a 1911 Government Model .45, the standard short guide rod, or the full length? All of my Colt full size Government models came standard with the short plunger guide. After only a couple of hundred rounds the recoil spring is curved or bent, leading me to believe that it is flopping around and kinking when cycling. This happens when using 16lb., 17lb. and 18.5lb springs. Accrding to Colt, and some gun smiths I have spoken to, this is normal and it should be left alone. I have tried full length drop in guide rods, which I sometimes use. Many custom and competition .45s come with the full length guide rod. The 1911 government has been around for close to a century now, and has proven itself in several wars and conflicts, with the short guide rod. Which is best for long term use and reliability, the full length, or the short G.I. guide in the full size .45?