XD with aftermarket trigger wouldn't pass safety checks

[IHAVEGAS]

Sent an XD into Springfield to have a nm barrel installed. Got a call from them saying the gun would not pass their safety checks (it has owner installed prp trigger kit & titanium striker safety with lightened spring & titanium striker status indicator with lightened springs).

They were nice & replaced the parts they did not like with stock parts free of charge.

I suspect that all problems are related to installation errors I might have made and am not fussing about prp components.

Got to checking over my other two XD's and found that one of them would dimple primers if you dropped the sear from the opening in the back of the gun and did not pull the trigger, the other was aok. Replaced the reduced power striker safety spring that I had installed on this gun and now both guns pass all safety checks that I know of (visible verification of correct function of safeties, sear, trigger & test of striker safety by manually dropping sear & test of grip safety).

I'm wondering if anyone knows of a documented step by step safety check procedure for these guns similar to what you can find for 1911's and etc ? I discussed checks with prp on the phone and am now good with what they do but I did not get detailed info from Springfield. Springfield did say the gun did not pass their timing tests for firing pin block (striker safety) function, so I'm guessing that this gun had the same issue as my other gun did but it would be durn nice to have a way to be certain that I leave nothing important unverified at some point down the road.

Edited August 16, 2014 by IHAVEGAS

[jdlincoln]

Did you get your PRP parts back from Springfield?

My thinking is that with the PRP parts installed, the pistol would not pass "the lawyer safety test". Springfield is concerened that a modified pistol that they have worked on could come back and bite them someway, somehow, at a future date. For instance, they will not sell parts to repair pistols. My XD 45 service's extractor was worn out but I could not buy one from Springfield. Sent it in and they replaced it N/C. That pistol had not been previously modified in any way.

Your post got me thinking, so I just checked out our two 9mm XDM 5.25's that have PR trigger kits, and my bud's XD-9 Tac that I just installed a drop-in PRP kit along with polished striker, reduced power striker springs, and titanium striker indicator and reduced power striker safety spring w/titanium striker safety.

Our XDM's have passed safety checks at sanctioned matches where all safety systems, (trigger and grip), must function independent of the other. All 3 pistols just passed these same tests here in my home.

As far as being able to trip the sear from the rear of the slide, I don't see how that is a valid safety system check, but I'm sure it can be done since I have had to use that method before to get the slide off an XD that was assembled incorrectly, OR assembled before enough materiel was removed from the PR trigger overtravel stop, preventing the trigger from releasing the sear and preventing dissasembly of the pistol to correct the problem.

Never forget to do the "freezer test" on PRP trigger installs.

Hope this helps.

JD

[IHAVEGAS]

Did you get your PRP parts back from Springfield?

My thinking is that with the PRP parts installed, the pistol would not pass "the lawyer safety test". Springfield is concerened that a modified pistol that they have worked on could come back and bite them someway, somehow, at a future date. For instance, they will not sell parts to repair pistols. My XD 45 service's extractor was worn out but I could not buy one from Springfield. Sent it in and they replaced it N/C. That pistol had not been previously modified in any way.

Your post got me thinking, so I just checked out our two 9mm XDM 5.25's that have PR trigger kits, and my bud's XD-9 Tac that I just installed a drop-in PRP kit along with polished striker, reduced power striker springs, and titanium striker indicator and reduced power striker safety spring w/titanium striker safety.

Our XDM's have passed safety checks at sanctioned matches where all safety systems, (trigger and grip), must function independent of the other. All 3 pistols just passed these same tests here in my home.

As far as being able to trip the sear from the rear of the slide, I don't see how that is a valid safety system check, but I'm sure it can be done since I have had to use that method before to get the slide off an XD that was assembled incorrectly, OR assembled before enough materiel was removed from the PR trigger overtravel stop, preventing the trigger from releasing the sear and preventing dissasembly of the pistol to correct the problem.

Never forget to do the "freezer test" on PRP trigger installs.

Hope this helps.

JD

Parts are headed back but not in hand yet. I hear you and also wonder about the lawyer test bit, but my read on things is that the person who worked on my gun felt there was an issue with the striker safety that really needed to be addressed though.

I got the trip the sear thing from a phone call to prp, he called it the pencil test if memory serves and said it was one of the tests that they require a gun to pass. If you drop something light in the barrel with gun pointing upward and then dry fire, the gun will launch it a foot or two in the air, if you repeat the process except trip the sear from the back instead of pulling the trigger , the striker safety should stop the striker and the pencil should not move. One of my two XD's at home was popping the pencil up a little bit when I manually tripped the sear, I next verified that the gun would dimple a primer.

I'm far from qualified to know what apparent issues are important and which ones might not be. I do (now) like for my guns to pass the pencil test though & I really can't feel much difference in the gun with the original striker safety and striker safety spring installed. A bit of fiddling without parts replacement may well have resolved the pencil popping thing, but I got to wondering about what happens when you get a bit of grit here and there with the light springs installed and now I am probably a bit paranoid about it.

[tambarika]

Did you get your PRP parts back from Springfield?

My thinking is that with the PRP parts installed, the pistol would not pass "the lawyer safety test". Springfield is concerened that a modified pistol that they have worked on could come back and bite them someway, somehow, at a future date. For instance, they will not sell parts to repair pistols. My XD 45 service's extractor was worn out but I could not buy one from Springfield. Sent it in and they replaced it N/C. That pistol had not been previously modified in any way.

Your post got me thinking, so I just checked out our two 9mm XDM 5.25's that have PR trigger kits, and my bud's XD-9 Tac that I just installed a drop-in PRP kit along with polished striker, reduced power striker springs, and titanium striker indicator and reduced power striker safety spring w/titanium striker safety.

Our XDM's have passed safety checks at sanctioned matches where all safety systems, (trigger and grip), must function independent of the other. All 3 pistols just passed these same tests here in my home.

As far as being able to trip the sear from the rear of the slide, I don't see how that is a valid safety system check, but I'm sure it can be done since I have had to use that method before to get the slide off an XD that was assembled incorrectly, OR assembled before enough materiel was removed from the PR trigger overtravel stop, preventing the trigger from releasing the sear and preventing dissasembly of the pistol to correct the problem.

Never forget to do the "freezer test" on PRP trigger installs.

Hope this helps.

JD

Parts are headed back but not in hand yet. I hear you and also wonder about the lawyer test bit, but my read on things is that the person who worked on my gun felt there was an issue with the striker safety that really needed to be addressed though.

I got the trip the sear thing from a phone call to prp, he called it the pencil test if memory serves and said it was one of the tests that they require a gun to pass. If you drop something light in the barrel with gun pointing upward and then dry fire, the gun will launch it a foot or two in the air, if you repeat the process except trip the sear from the back instead of pulling the trigger , the striker safety should stop the striker and the pencil should not move. One of my two XD's at home was popping the pencil up a little bit when I manually tripped the sear, I next verified that the gun would dimple a primer.

I'm far from qualified to know what apparent issues are important and which ones might not be. I do (now) like for my guns to pass the pencil test though & I really can't feel much difference in the gun with the original striker safety and striker safety spring installed. A bit of fiddling without parts replacement may well have resolved the pencil popping thing, but I got to wondering about what happens when you get a bit of grit here and there with the light springs installed and now I am probably a bit paranoid about it.

===============================================================================================================

that in itself should be a reason for using a competent gunsmith for any modifications you may require. No one wants to hear about you or anyone else getting injured from the haphazard modification of a firearm.

Edited August 17, 2014 by tambarika

[Reshoot]

I would not send a modified gun in for warranty work, first of all.

When the trigger broke on my XDm open gun, I swapped the trigger out for the trigger in my unmodified XDm. Sent that gun to Springfield and they happily replaced the trigger

But then, if you do not have a backup gun, ignore all of the above and . . . put the OEM parts back in your gun before you send it in.

[IHAVEGAS]

I would not send a modified gun in for warranty work, first of all.

"Sent an XD into Springfield to have a nm barrel installed."

Did you get your PRP parts back from Springfield?

My thinking is that with the PRP parts installed, the pistol would not pass "the lawyer safety test". Springfield is concerened that a modified pistol that they have worked on could come back and bite them someway, somehow, at a future date. For instance, they will not sell parts to repair pistols. My XD 45 service's extractor was worn out but I could not buy one from Springfield. Sent it in and they replaced it N/C. That pistol had not been previously modified in any way.

Your post got me thinking, so I just checked out our two 9mm XDM 5.25's that have PR trigger kits, and my bud's XD-9 Tac that I just installed a drop-in PRP kit along with polished striker, reduced power striker springs, and titanium striker indicator and reduced power striker safety spring w/titanium striker safety.

Our XDM's have passed safety checks at sanctioned matches where all safety systems, (trigger and grip), must function independent of the other. All 3 pistols just passed these same tests here in my home.

As far as being able to trip the sear from the rear of the slide, I don't see how that is a valid safety system check, but I'm sure it can be done since I have had to use that method before to get the slide off an XD that was assembled incorrectly, OR assembled before enough materiel was removed from the PR trigger overtravel stop, preventing the trigger from releasing the sear and preventing dissasembly of the pistol to correct the problem.

Never forget to do the "freezer test" on PRP trigger installs.

Hope this helps.

JD

Parts are headed back but not in hand yet. I hear you and also wonder about the lawyer test bit, but my read on things is that the person who worked on my gun felt there was an issue with the striker safety that really needed to be addressed though.

I got the trip the sear thing from a phone call to prp, he called it the pencil test if memory serves and said it was one of the tests that they require a gun to pass. If you drop something light in the barrel with gun pointing upward and then dry fire, the gun will launch it a foot or two in the air, if you repeat the process except trip the sear from the back instead of pulling the trigger , the striker safety should stop the striker and the pencil should not move. One of my two XD's at home was popping the pencil up a little bit when I manually tripped the sear, I next verified that the gun would dimple a primer.

I'm far from qualified to know what apparent issues are important and which ones might not be. I do (now) like for my guns to pass the pencil test though & I really can't feel much difference in the gun with the original striker safety and striker safety spring installed. A bit of fiddling without parts replacement may well have resolved the pencil popping thing, but I got to wondering about what happens when you get a bit of grit here and there with the light springs installed and now I am probably a bit paranoid about it.

===============================================================================================================

that in itself should be a reason for using a competent gunsmith for any modifications you may require. No one wants to hear about you or anyone else getting injured from the haphazard modification of a firearm.

That is certainly a valid way to look at things.

Edited August 17, 2014 by IHAVEGAS

[ToddKS]

It sound like they felt the striker safety spring was weak or damaged. That spring is quite small and delicate. I had one tip over and get a little bent one time. If that striker safety was not returning to position like it was supposed to then I can understand where they would want to switch that out.

I am interested to hear if it looks like there was anything wrong with the spring when you get it back.

[IHAVEGAS]

It sound like they felt the striker safety spring was weak or damaged. That spring is quite small and delicate. I had one tip over and get a little bent one time. If that striker safety was not returning to position like it was supposed to then I can understand where they would want to switch that out.

I am interested to hear if it looks like there was anything wrong with the spring when you get it back.

The spring looked aok. Rounding is apparent on the edge of the striker safety at the point of contact between striker safety and striker. A guess would be that the striker drove past the safety due to something like: spring too light, spring not correctly installed, grit interfering with striker safety movement, aftermarket striker safety is just not strong enough, striker safety lever too tight against sear, reduced power striker safety spring is too marginal.

In retrospect I wish I would have sent the titanium striker safety back to prp when I read the note that came with it stating that the gun could not be dry fired without snap caps (very impractical in a competition gun).

For me I'm going to limit haphazard ( ) modifications to just the standard trigger kit & call that good enough.

[IHAVEGAS]

Oh, by the way. If you send an XD to Springfield to have a nm barrel installed, they do not verify their work by sticking the gun in a rest & shooting a group.

I'd never heard of any person or manufacturer doing custom accuracy work & not verifying results so I emailed them and asked if they had just forgotten to return the test target. Nope, didn't forget anything, on XD's they just do not check for results "We do not range test the pistol after a match barrel installed.".

[GMB]

I have sent my XDm's back to SA for warranty work with aftermarket parts installed or trigger jobs that have been done by competent gunsmith's. SA has been awesome!!!!!! For liability purposes they replaced certain parts but always included my modified one's when they returned the gun. Their customer service is second to none.