I would wager on recoil spring. Typically, guide rods are pretty simple devices and don't cause failures.

While you're at it, replace the magazine springs and firing pin spring.

Originally Posted by VAMarine

I would wager on recoil spring. Typically, guide rods are pretty simple devices and don't cause failures.

While you're at it, replace the magazine springs and firing pin spring.

I was gonna replace the plastic rod with a steel one just because it would make me feel better.

What do you think of trying an increased # recoil spring?

Originally Posted by Wildman1024

I was gonna replace the plastic rod with a steel one just because it would make me feel better.

What do you think of trying an increased # recoil spring?

Unless you are hand-loading hotter loads or shooting a LOT of +P or NATO ammo, stick to "factory standard" which in this case appears to be 17lbs.

Originally Posted by VAMarine

Unless you are hand-loading hotter loads or shooting a LOT of +P or NATO ammo, stick to "factory standard" which in this case appears to be 17lbs.

OK sounds good thanks. I'll let ya know how it works out

Update!

I havent done anything to this pistol yet and havent shot it in a few weeks since I posted this thread. I took it back to the range yesterday and fired 30 rounds threw it (3 mags) and there were no issues.

I thought about it a little more and wanted to get some more pistol shooting in/practice before I rule a problem with this gun. Maybe I was just slightly limp wristing it before and with my fnp-9 and stoeger 8045 it didn't matter as much. This 40 kicks much more then the 9 and even the 45.

Anyways I'm gonna run another 50 threw it alternating mags like I did with a good firm grip and see what happens and will report back

I did notice 1 thing though with the brass. It throws the cases much further then my other pistols do and also on the primers the firing pin is leaving a nice indentation but then it streaks across. What is causing the firing pin to streak the primer?

The firing pin is not retracting within its channel in the slide, so it rubs across the primer as the case is ejected.
Some pistols are made this way. Yours might be one of them.
But if your pistol is supposed to have a spring inside the firing-pin channel, to retract the firing pin, that spring isn't doing its job.

That leads me to suspect that your pistol was not thoroughly cleaned.
It may even still have the manufacturer's preservative grease on and in it, if not just ordinary dirt.

This would also help cause the slight malfunctions that you originally experienced.

I actually bought it used. I believe it is supposed to have a firing pin spring to retract the pin

OK, so if it's supposed to have a firing-pin retraction spring, and that spring isn't doing its job, the inference is that the spring channel is clogged with either dirt or gummed-up grease.
I bet that it's grease. I bet that the grease was put there by the gun's manufacturer, and it was never cleaned out.

The further inference is that the whole gun needs a bath in degreaser-solvent.
That may solve all of your problems.

How do i clean it like you suggest and what do i do? Do i actually soak it?

You can buy a spray can of cleaner-degreaser, for instance Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber, and, using the narrow tube supplied with the can, use the fluid to flush out whatever's in the firing-pin channel.
The rest of the gun's inner works could probably use the same attention, including its extractor and recoil spring.

I'm not intimately familiar with the gun, but I'm pretty sure that you can remove its firing pin and spring easily. Just push the rear end of the firing pin into the slide with a pen-point, and, while the firing pin is held inside, use the pen to push the retaining plate down and out. The firing pin and its spring should drop out, but you may need to free it up with the solvent spray.
When you put the retaining plate back in, remember that its curved edge is at its bottom, and should face outward to form the rear end of the slide.