Best Trigger Option for my XDM 3.8 40

[swedge58]

I bought my Springfield XDM 3.8 40 back in December before I had really considered shooting any 3 gun matches. Now that I am hooked I was wanting to find a better trigger to drop in it. Just not happy with the factory trigger. I know the 3.8 barrel is probably not ideal but I bought it as my carry gun. Since December I have bought a new shotgun and rifle so adding the 5.25 would get me in major hot water with the wife. So I need to shoot my 3.8 for a while let her calm down a bit from the sticker shock. So what kind of options do I have for triggers? Any suggestions. Something that I could maybe put in??

[Classic_jon]

I would contact Powder River or Springer (both are in the dealers forum here) and ask them what they recommend for a "carry gun" that is also going to be used in competition.

For "lawyer reasons" I would seriously recommend leaving your carry gun alone until you can afford a "competition specific" pistol that has a higher capacity and longer barrel. Shooting your carry gun is great but if you are planning on tweaking things, having a "standard pistol" for carry and a "competition pistol" for competition it a really good idea.

Powder River: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=188

Springer Precision http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showforum=160

[swedge58]

Never really thought about it that way but your right I think I will leave my carry gun alone. I will just use it as is for now until I can get a comp. gun. Thanks for the reply. Man this 3 gun stuff gets expensive!!!! I thought golf was bad!!!

[K37]

I have a 4.5" XD(m) 9mm that I used for competition and carry. I had springer do a carry trigger job with a 4.5lb trigger and put on Heine QWIK slant pro tritium sights. The trigger was significantly better than the factory with a little less pre-travel but still enough to not have to worry about an ND. I liked the sights for competition because of the ratio between the rear sight notch width and the front sight width (.156/.125) and they were great sights for a carry pistol. I've since bought a 5.25 and 3.8 compact in order to have a separate carry and comp weapon. This way I'm not limited in competition by what I feel comfortable carrying. I am going to use Springer Precision for my 5.25 and am going to install a Powder River trigger on my 3.8 for learning purposes and for a comparison in trigger jobs; however, if I am not happy with the PR trigger on my 3.8, I'm going to send it to Springer for the same work I had done on my 4.5". I don't believe that this forum is intended for legal discussion concerning carrying; however, I will say that there are many resources available to you so you can make a more informed decision concerning modifying your carry weapon. PM if you are interested.

[1911carry]

I have the Powder River drop in trigger, and it is incredible! However, I agree with what has been said I would not adjust the trigger of my carry weapon. I own two xdm's one for home defense and my 5.25 for competition. My home defense still has a stock trigger in it. Good luck with you decision and your wife's sticker shock.... you have a very expensive hobby!

[swedge58]

Thanks for the info. I do believe my best option is to get a competition pistol. I do love my XDM and I think im just going to pick up a XDM 5.25. I have been looking at prices around my area and it seems there aren't a lot of 5.25's in stock. The hunt continues...........

[1911carry]

good luck on your search.... they are a little hard to come by!

[Loves2Shoot]

good luck on your search.... they are a little hard to come by!

Not too hard if you know where to look. We've had them in stock since they were released.

[swedge58]

Good news just bought the XDM 5.25 in 9mm tonight. Picked it up for 660. I do believe it was a hell of a deal. That's the story I told the wife!!!!!! I do appreciate all the advice. I do like having a carry gun and a competition gun.

[chevyoneton]

Ha! A thread I feel informed enough to comment on. Like others above, I have multiple XDms that are similar (all .40 S&Ws) but fill different roles. My first was a .40 3.8 bought right after they came out. I shot it in several training classes including an Intro. To Competitive Shooting and subsequently used it in a dozen or so USPSA matches before upgrading to a .40 5.25. I choose the .40 5.25 for magazine compatibility and since I shoot in Production and reload anyway, I down-load the .40 and am happy with the gun and loads.

I negotiated a pretty good two-fer deal and laid in a 3.8 Compact .40 at the same time as the 5.25, back during the mag promotion. I was so pleased with my full-size 3.8 (and my XDsc carry) that I felt the 3.8C was a natural. I was right, I have not shot the 3.8C much but it is not much bigger (longer) then the XDsc so I sold the XDsc. I was pretty happy with three compatible XDms, I had the 5.25 for competition, the 3.8 for home defense (nightstand), and the 3.8C in the truck and for carry. Wouldnt you know it, just about the time I ordered the 5.25 and 3.8C a screaming deal on a like new 4.5 .40 XDm would come along locally. Like $435 for the gun, box with all the gear, two extra mags (five total), an extra mag carrier (two total), and 240 rounds of factory ammo. Shortly, I came into six 9mm XDm mags inexpensively so I ordered up a 9mm conversion barrel for the 4.5 and it is my range, competition back-up/loaner, do-all gun.

As for triggers, I pretty much agree with leaving them alone on the social work guns. The trigger on my 3.8 is pretty good as-is (after 6k rounds), the 3.8C is sweet for an out-of-the-box trigger, the 4.5 is very smooth, and the 5.25 was OK but the worst of the bunch. I shot the 5.25 for a few months before ordering the Powder River Ultimate kit. I went with the PR kit only because I liked the trigger over travel method on theirs best. It may be simplistic but it makes sense to me to put the over travel stop on the back of the trigger, like my other competition guns have. We (my gunsmith buddy and I) put it in this past weekend and I am very pleased with the results. We spent about as much time watching the You-Tube videos as we did putting it in. We found that when sanding the trigger stop two men make it an easier task. With the gun clamped upside down in the padded vice one guy pulled the sandpaper to and fro and the other held the trigger back. It took the removal of a lot more material than we initially figured so we did resort to a small file some but finished with the sandpaper. I have yet to fire it but it is definite improvement. I like it so much I am now trying to decide what to do to my 4.5. As it is my range gun and backup/loaner competition gun, I would like the trigger to be comparable to the 5.25s. The pull is not bad so I am considering just adding the trigger with trigger stop and being done but will probably go for the trigger kit sans sear to save a few bucks. My gunsmith bud is confident we can polish the factory sear and get by.

All that to say, I agree with not messing (much, if any) with the trigger on your HD or carry gun, do not be shy to use the 3.8 until you save up enough to get a 5.25 for completion use, and I like the Powder River trigger. I was tempted to try a Springer on my 4.5 to compare the triggers but think I will just go with the less-than-ultimate Powder River to save some coin since we are already comfortable with it.

Edited March 7, 2012 by chevyoneton