JGus Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I know Springfield Armory doesn't sell just the complete XDm 5.25" upper. But, does Canyon Creek, Springer Precision, or any other company make an aftermarket 5.25" complete upper? The reason I ask is that I have an XDm40 4.5" but I would also like to have a 5.25" Competition upper in .40s&w for it so I could switch back and forth. I'd like to shoot the 5.25" Competition .40s&w upper in USPSA once in awhile. I'd like to see Springfield Armory be as flexible in swapping out XDm uppers as Sig or EAA. I've got several Sigs and an EAA and really appreciate the way complete uppers can be swapped out with ease with these pistols. If anyone has any info regarding this I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen. SA is selling guns as fast as they make them. Would love to see them sell just a slide and barrel. Edited August 1, 2012 by buller01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Would be great if one of the companies out there that already is making aftermarket glock,1911 slides would start cranking out some XDM slides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Would be great if one of the companies out there that already is making aftermarket glock,1911 slides would start cranking out some XDM slides. I agree. I have to believe that a tremendous amount of XDm 5.25" complete upper assemblies would be sold if someone came out with it. I was hoping someone (Canyon Creek or Springer Precision, etc) could make one on request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I haven't even held a 5.25 yet, how difficult would the swap be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) I haven't even held a 5.25 yet, how difficult would the swap be? It would be extremely easy. Take one upper assembly off and simply replace with the other. I have an XDm40 4.5", and if I had a 5.25" I could just take the 4.5" upper off and replace with 5.25" upper. No fitting needed. And, somebody please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding you can put a 9mm xdm upper on an Xdm40 frame, and vice versa. Just have to make sure you use the right mags. I purchased a 9mm Storm Lake conversion barrel for my XDm40, as well as 9mm mags. The XDm40 frame perfectly holds the 9mm mags for when I swap out the .40 barrel for the 9mm barrel. I don't believe, however, that either the .40 or 9mm upper can go on the XDm45, nor can .45 upper go on the XDm40 frame or XDm9 frame. Someone please correct me if that is wrong. Edited August 2, 2012 by JGus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Having a hard time believing all this....why wouldn't ppl out there just be buying a barrel and slide and putting it on there 4.5" frame that's already decked out instead of buying a new 5.25? If that's true I'd buy the assembly, and no one would be discussing a company building one.... Jgus from what I've read since I made this reply it looks like you can just swap the top on the 4.5 and 5.25, and before your post I had no idea I could get me a 9mm setup with a quick swap of barrels if that's what your referring to with the storm lake? Edited August 2, 2012 by Landeeno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Why? Because Springfield won't sell them and the design is patented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Type in the search box (4.5" to 5.25xdm is this possible) this exact subject was discussed back in November, and almost a year later there's still no aftermarket kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Diehli, was that reply toward me? I'm hoping not, but if it was I'm gonna need you to explain what exactly you mean, because there patent on there product means nothing with what were referring to as far as an aftermarket product is concerned. Edited August 2, 2012 by Landeeno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 It was directed at you. That the design is patented means that nobody but SA can produce it, let alone sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Have you seen the design patent? Because I can't find it online, I know there is one I'd just like to see it. I apologize if I'm making this sound like a debate, I'm just having a hard time coming to terms with there being no way to design a slide and barrel that would be a true competition setup that would work without infringing on the patent. Edited August 2, 2012 by Landeeno Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 (edited) Having a hard time believing all this....why wouldn't ppl out there just be buying a barrel and slide and putting it on there 4.5" frame that's already decked out instead of buying a new 5.25? If that's true I'd buy the assembly, and no one would be discussing a company building one.... Jgus from what I've read since I made this reply it looks like you can just swap the top on the 4.5 and 5.25, and before your post I had no idea I could get me a 9mm setup with a quick swap of barrels if that's what your referring to with the storm lake? Yes, there are a few companies that make "conversion" barrels for Springfield XD and XDm. I bought a Storm Lake "Conversion" barrel in 9mm that I can swap out my .40s&w barrel on my XDm. But, it must be a Conversion barrel. You can't put an ordinary 9mm XDm barrel in the XDm40 slide. It won't fit properly, thus the need for the conversion barrel. That is the reason I bought the XDm40 as I knew I could also buy a 9mm conversion barrel and now have two calibers with one gun. But, this isn't possible if you own the XDm9. There is no .40s&w conversion barrel for it, as a .40 barrel is too big to fit in the XDm9 slide. So you can convert an XDm40 to 9mm with a conversion barrel, but you can't convert an XDm9 to .40s&w as the .40 barrel won't fit in a XDm9 slide. HOWEVER, it would work BOTH ways if you could buy the COMPLETE UPPER ASSEMBLY and not just the barrel. If you had a COMPLETE upper assembly and not just the barrel, you could turn an XDm9 into an XDm40, and vice versa. It would be as easy as just replacing the uppers. It would take you 10 seconds. That's why I'd love to be able to purchase a 5.25" competition complete upper assembly. But Spfld Armory won't sell just the upper, and I can't find anyone that will make an aftermarket 5.25" complete competition upper. Did all that make sense? My explanation probably wasn't as clear as it should be. Edited August 2, 2012 by JGus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 No makes complete sense, Id just never seen this conversion barrel thats all. Bout to do a little searching, may be worth it to have a 9mm for a little cheaper practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 The two barrel manufacturers that I know of that make a 9mm conversion barrel for the XDm40 are: www.storm-lake.com www.efkdragonfire.com I have a 9mm conversion barrel I bought from Storm Lake that works great on my XDm40. Extremely accurate and no function problems. While I do not have an XDm barrel from EFK, I did buy a ported FNP45 barrel from them for my FNP45, and it also works great with excellent accuracy and no function problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reshoot Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 There is a problem here. If you have a tuned, or custom firing system, then you have a matched striker and sear. So, if you swap an upper you would also need to swap out the striker. This is what I was told by the gentleman who does my trigger jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 2, 2012 Author Share Posted August 2, 2012 There is a problem here. If you have a tuned, or custom firing system, then you have a matched striker and sear. So, if you swap an upper you would also need to swap out the striker. This is what I was told by the gentleman who does my trigger jobs. That makes sense. I've never had any work done on my XDm40 so not an issue for me. But for anyone who has had custom firing system then that makes perfect sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Landeeno Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 Yep just went to storm lake and checked out the barrels, guess im adding one of there barrels to the wish list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 I have zero issue with having to swap a striker out of my 4.5 to put in a 5.25 slide if it was an available option. It's my understanding that FN plans to do this with their line of pistols. May be just a rumor but I like the forward thinking if it is true. Even if SA wanted to charge $350 for the upper i'd get one for sure. Oh well wishful thinking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justsomeguy Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 I think this will happen about the same time you see an XDm22. I'm not saying it will never happen, but that the current offerings, which fill up their production schedules, will have to run out of steam. Then maybe they will consider new offerings to spark a new interest in their already powerful lineup. I would love to see both the XDm22 AND the 5.25 uppers as new offerings, and would buy both even though I already have an XDm5.25 in 40cal (Heck, I might buy 5.25 uppers in 9mm AND 45!), but I just don't see it happening for a while yet. I don't know how the "bean counters" figure it, but I'm sure the numbers of 4.5 and 5.25's that are already out there that would indicate the potential for the long uppers for dual caliber guns will have to exceed a certain number before they will consider it. Still... the very existance of long uppers would seem to me to increase overall sales of the 4.5 and 5.25 guns amoung those shooters who love to have options and multicaliber guns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIIID Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 It is very simple to get a complete top end, buy another gun. You can sell off the lower or keep it for a back up lower. You can make the lower for Limited with a mag well or the other way around for Production. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bentsight Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 It is very simple to get a complete top end, buy another gun. You can sell off the lower or keep it for a back up lower. You can make the lower for Limited with a mag well or the other way around for Production. Rich This was the solution I came up with as well. Bought a 5.25 in 9mm first, then found a great deal on a xdm in 40. Both got great identical trigger replacements, one frame got a mag well and a Ti guide rod. Now I can switch back and forth between the two guns depending what I want to shoot (idpa, USPSA or 3G) and still stay within the rules and make major when needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMB Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 It is very simple to get a complete top end, buy another gun. You can sell off the lower or keep it for a back up lower. You can make the lower for Limited with a mag well or the other way around for Production. Rich This was the solution I came up with as well. Bought a 5.25 in 9mm first, then found a great deal on a xdm in 40. Both got great identical trigger replacements, one frame got a mag well and a Ti guide rod. Now I can switch back and forth between the two guns depending what I want to shoot (idpa, USPSA or 3G) and still stay within the rules and make major when needed. That is the conclusion I have come to. Time to start raiding the piggy bank. I guess you can never have enough XDM's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JGus Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 It is very simple to get a complete top end, buy another gun. You can sell off the lower or keep it for a back up lower. You can make the lower for Limited with a mag well or the other way around for Production. Rich Yeah, I thought about that also. It's really the only option available at this time. It would just be nice to avoid the $$$ outlay for a 5.25" XDm40 (as I already have a 4.5" XDm40), then try to sell the lower unit to recover some of the costs of the 5.25". Fortunately I don't "need" the 5.25" upper so I can just wait and see if it ever happens where Spfld Armory (or some aftermarket co) will sell just the complete upper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIIID Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 At this point in time to have slides made plus the cost of a barrel and the other small parts you are 3/4 of the way there to buy a complete new gun. The last time I priced out slides to be made, to keep the slide below a $300 price point I would've to have 250 made. The demand for after market slides aren't great enough to risk that amount of money, it would take several years to recoup the cost. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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