Tools or tool kits to work on XDM 9mm

[ChemistShooter]

I am a relatively new gun owner. I own an XDM 9mm 3.8 Full-Size. I've already busted something I believe is called a "roll pin" through extensive dry fire (Yes, I had a snap cap in. The roll pin broke anyway.) and had to pay a gunsmith big bucks to replace it.

You still have to do dry-fire practice, of course, and I expect that damn pin to eventually break again, even with the snap cap. (A-Zoom. Trying a new brand after the last fiasco. We'll see how it performs.)

So I thought I'd ask what tools it takes to work on my gun. Far as I can tell, I only need the following:

• Brass hammer (size undetermined)
• Wooden hammer (size undetermined)
• Squib rod (size and where to find such a thing unknown)
• Three punches (I have found differing opinions about which three are needed, the difference being metric or English units. This is confusing.)

I have also seen "XDM kits" for sale.

Presumably I can buy spare parts directly from Springfield.

Thoughts/opinions on what tools to get and where to get them? TIA.

Edited April 16, 2016 by ChemistShooter

[apexironman]

I also own a XDM 3.8. Tool-wise, you can go low-end and get the tools you mentioned at Harbor Freight, or check out Powder River Precision http://powderriverprecision.com/and look at their tools and parts. I installed my PRP trigger with the aforementioned HF punches and had no issues.

[drysideshooter]

Springer Precision sells the tools and spares you need. A roll pin starter is handy to have. We have several XDm's and keep spare pins and roll pins on hand. The one you broke is a common one to break and is easily replaced. Hope your gunsmith didn't charge you too much for that simple repair.

[nahanshew89]

That's pretty crazy, I have an XDm-9 4.5 and I've got thousands of rounds thru it, and probably close to a thousand dry fire "clicks", I don't use a snap cap hardly ever and I've never had anything break on mine.

[JWard79]

A quality punch set & hammer are the only tools you need for routine maintenance. Needle files, flitz, and a dremel for trigger work & polishing. Spare trigger, sear, and firing pin springs are nice to have, and if you notice rounds fall out of the magazine when it impacts the ground replace magazine springs. Other than that, fire and forget.

[Reshoot]

Springer Precision sells the tools and spares you need. A roll pin starter is handy to have. We have several XDm's and keep spare pins and roll pins on hand. The one you broke is a common one to break and is easily replaced. Hope your gunsmith didn't charge you too much for

Edited April 17, 2016 by Reshoot

[Loves2Shoot]

http://shop.springerprecision.com/product.sc?productId=118&categoryId=10

[ChemistShooter]

Thanks for the links. That set look exactly like what I need. Plus pins and parts. "Every 5000 rounds" I'm already past that and I swear the trigger feels the teensiest bit mushy. Can't get a thing out of Springfield or HK Produkt about a maintenance schedule.

[TSiWRX]

• Squib rod (size and where to find such a thing unknown)

Family-pack of wooden chopstics from your local Asian foods market.

In terms of hammers:

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/410835/wheeler-engineering-hammer-and-punch-set-with-hard-plastic-case

^ MidwayUSA has these nice hammer/punch sets that have a case, so you can take them with you to the range.

Edited May 2, 2016 by TSiWRX

[ChemistShooter]

Ah. Now that is a help, particularly the chopsticks.
Link stored.

[TSiWRX]

^ Hey, I'm First-Generation Chinese/Taiwanese. I use what I gots!

It works great. Is economical - and I don't mind if it breaks even after just a single use.

[grapemeister]

Powder River Precision has roll pins you'll probably never have to replace. Having said that, I still replace mine every couple of years, just to be on the safe side.

It really depends on how much you shoot as to how often you replace parts, and to what extent you clean the gun. I shoot a lot of cast lead so I don't have a choice but to clean my gun after every practice or match. After a two hundred round practice I may wait until after the next two hundred round practice, but if it's the day before a match, I definitely clean the gun.

With cast lead I have to take the striker out and clean the striker and striker channel thoroughly every couple of weeks. If your just an occasional plinker and shooting jacketed ammo, once or twice a year is probably good.

The occasional shooter of maybe 50 rounds a month may never have to replace the stock recoil spring, but if shooting a lot or If you're running a lighter recoil spring, I would replace it anywhere from three to four times a year. When I'm shooting the normal amount of a couple thousand rounds a month, I change my 14lb recoil springs out about every two or three months. The same goes for the striker spring if running a reduced power spring. You can get the recoil springs from Wolf or the other aftermarket vendors.

You should take the extractor out and clean thoroughly at least once a year, or in my case, four or five times a year. Pistiol Gear has a neat little tool for taking the extractor out and they have a video that shows you how to do it. I use a very thin bladed knife, but the tool would probably make it easier.

Springfield Armory will replace just about everything free of charge, but if you want to go the aftermarket route, I highly recommend Springer Precision, Powder River Precision, and Pistol Gear. They all have excellent videos on how to break your gun down.

Rich with Canyon Creek is one of the best and most knowledgeable XD Gun Smiths around and he has answered questions for me over the phone more than once. The same goes for Springer Precision and Powder River. They'll all assist you any way than can. But, remember this is a business for them and their knowledge and experience is valuable, so always at least offer to send a few bucks when getting advice.

All guns break or wear out sooner or later, and if you ain't breaking something or wearing it out, you ain't shooting enough.

Hope this info is helpful

Edited May 7, 2016 by grapemeister

[ChemistShooter]

VERY useful. Copied to my maintenance SOP. It has been amazingly difficult to find the information to put together a maintenance schedule.

Springfield will replace what I break? That explains why I can't find anywhere to buy spare parts.

I normally shoot two one-hundred-round sessions per week. just FMJs so far but I'm about to switch to coated. I have put 6476 rounds through my gun so far and a lot more than that dry-fire clicks. I clean it after every session. I don't know about other powders, but TiteGroup leaves a mess behind.

Really not looking forward to taking that striker assembly apart, but it's going to have to be done one day. I swear the trigger spring is starting to feel mushy, or maybe my finger is just getting stronger. I ordered me one of those mats that has an exploded XDM diagram.

Edited May 7, 2016 by ChemistShooter

[Out of Ammo]

+++Powder RIver

[TSiWRX]

VERY useful. Copied to my maintenance SOP. It has been amazingly difficult to find the information to put together a maintenance schedule.

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?179626-Springfield-xdm-9mm-mags

^ That started off as a thread about the magazine springs, but my input there side-tracked it to overall maintenance and long-term use/concerns.

I did a lot of back-tracking on the Forums here at BE.com, and took advantage of many past posts here. Credit was given where it was due, of-course.

Springfield will replace what I break? That explains why I can't find anywhere to buy spare parts.

My understanding from more recent posts on XD-Talk is that they are now releasing more and more small-parts if you specifically request them, the ejector and extractor, for example, has seen some reluctance in the past, but now seem to be available. There also seems to be a tech-to-tech difference, here as well, so luck may play a factor.

Really not looking forward to taking that striker assembly apart, but it's going to have to be done one day. I swear the trigger spring is starting to feel mushy, or maybe my finger is just getting stronger. I ordered me one of those mats that has an exploded XDM diagram.

Don't worry too much about that striker-area disassembly. It's not nearly as hard as it seems. Just remember that as the rear plate comes off that the striker spring and its guide are under quite a bit of spring-pressure there, and you'll be fine. And while everything is out, there, also take out the striker safety assembly and its spring, an give that area a good cleaning, too: I've found that I can go quite a long period, there, but that eventually things will get gummed up enough that it can affect overall reliability ( http://www.xdtalk.com/posts/4596585/).

When you tackle this area, the Springer Precision free disassembly videos on YouTube are an excellent resource:

^ and you'll see that within the first couple of minutes, it will walk you through the complete disassembly of this area.

Overall, if you're decently careful with lube/cleaning, this area should remain trouble-free for quite a long time. I'm not a competition shooter, so I really don't tackle this area as often as I likely would, given that problems in this area would likely lead to a pretty sucky day when competing, whereas if something happened with mine during a class, I'll simply go get my backup XDm. That said, I did pull and clean both the striker, striker channel, and the striker safety and its channel this past spring. With close to 6K rounds on the clock since my last cleaning in that area, it was actually remarkably free of any detritus.

Sorry for the formatting - I hope my edit at least allows you to read the post more clearly, ChemistShooter. I initially mis-configured my reply to you, and am having difficulty restructuring the post. Sorry!

Edited May 8, 2016 by TSiWRX

[ChemistShooter]

Thank you for putting it together, TSi. It's gonna be a big help.

[Kmarsh1966]

I will second, third or whatever the Power River PRecision folks. First class. I have the punch set and have used them.