Ok, first, a little detail here.........The captured rod retains the recoil spring as a single unit. It removes as one assembly. The uncaptured rod (like the 92 series) does not "capture" or retain the spring after disassembly. I opted for the uncaptured model as I feel it's easier to disassemble for routine maintenance.
My first impression of the guide rod was that Steve Bedair is on top of everything personally and this is a great, high quality part that fills an important role. Shipping was impressively fast and packaging was high above par. This is how I like to be pampered from a supplier.
Installation was a breeze with the toughest part being the removal of the old recoil spring and bushings. Installation into the PX4 was as easy as reassembling a 92. I imagine installation of the captured assembly would be even easier.
The rod adds a slight bit of weight in the pistol but I found it well balanced and noticed a slight improvement in my accuracy today. Not sure if it was the rod, but double taps were consistently touching each other and reacquisition of my front sight seemed a tad faster. Overall, I was pleased with its performance.
Disassembly when I got home revealed no wear whatsoever and removal was a snap. The ease of disassembly made cleaning quick and easy. Something that's a bit more difficult with the captured assembly.
Overall, I would say that the Bedair uncaptured guide rod is a must have for the PX4. I regret that I waited this long to get one. Congrats to Steve on such a fine job on the machining and developement of the guide rod assembly.
http://guiderod.com/
