Catfish Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I'm working up my new XD40 Tactical to shoot in Production. I've got a sweet shooting load that makes about 140pf and would like to get down to about 135pf. The reason I'm sticking with the existing load (3.3g TG pushing a 185g Precision bullet) is that using the stock recoil spring, the brass is barely ejecting. I've yet to have a failure to feed or failure to eject so far - since I first shot the pistol this past Sunday I've only put about 600 rounds through it. I'm afraid if I lower the pf any more, I'm going to start having ejecting/cycling problems. I've done some searches online, both here and other forums with no luck so far. Can anyone make any recommendations? I've read on the XD forum that 1911 gummint model springs will work - but when I dropped an 18lb recoil spring into the XD, it seemed like it was a dirty gun away from not fully cycling the slide closed. Worked for about 150 rounds or so of practice, but like I said - it felt like if the gun was really dirty it wouldn't function reliably. I'd also like to get a lighter spring in there as the stock spring really throws the slide forward hard, especially with the mionr pf loads. thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIIID Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 The #18 recoil spring is the weight that works the best(.40 and 9mm Tacticals). It has to be a fixed rate spring, not a variable. It sounds like you have a variable spring. Going lower in spring weight will start to drop the reliability of the gun. You can run a lighter spring but eventually it will fail you and it will probably happen during a match. XD's are not 1911's, with most 1911 shooters they want the lightest spring possible, it doesn't work for the XD. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R/T Performance Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Rich knows his Xd's I have a Sprinco wich I bought from Pistolgear.BIggest problem is set back if I slam a mag change on a loaded chamber.It slips slightly out of battery .It is a 16# and was marked for the XD but seems a little to short.I was cutting goverment springs for my service and had a 14# that worked great.But have yet to place another order.to try in the tactical Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 (edited) My load for my XD Tactical .40 is 3.5 grns VV320 behind a 185 grn. Precision bullet. I tried lightening the recoil spring and this caused the action to pull out of battery when under the pressure of the striker spring. I called Dave Williams at S.A. and he recommended removing steel from inside the slide to lighten it. There's a large area opposite the extractor where this can be performed. I now can shoot a P.F. 131-135 w/o any problems. Edited April 6, 2006 by Bigbadaboom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2fast Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Not to contradict Rich becuase he's definitely the expert and did fantastic work on my XD-40 Tact. I've run loads that are around the 140-143 mark with a 16lb spring since about August of last year (not a lot of rounds, maybe 1500-1800). I've never had one hiccup and the gun runs very flat. I might be one trigger pull away from it crapping out in a match but so far so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I also run a #16 spring my XD-40 Tactical. I am shooting Limited-10 and Major most of the time but I shoot some minor stuff for PPC and practice and never have a problem with feeding. Try www.pistolgear.com for spring that work real well. mcb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 thanks guys. Any other input appreciated! Bigbadaboom - you running an OEM spring with the slide lightened? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Everything on my XD is stock (Even the trigger). I just had a little under 2 oz.'s taken out of the slide. I may go with a Tungsten Guide rod, as long as it doesn't take it outside the production weight restrictions, when my wife starts shooting it to help her with recoil because she doesn't have the hand/grip strength that I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddjob Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 I have the XD9 Tactical & messed with the springs. I had the slide go out of battery like others here when I went to a lighter spring. Rich advised me to go back to the 18 lb spring. I went back & have had zero problems. Work your load around the 18 lb spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Note: I moved the posts with the rules talk to rules section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 (edited) Let's move the discussion here EDIT: AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!! You beat me too it. Edited April 6, 2006 by Bigbadaboom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikarin Posted April 9, 2006 Share Posted April 9, 2006 I now can shoot a P.F. 131-135 w/o any problems. Wow. How the heck you do that??? I did slide lock test (one round in the mags and shoot one mag after anther and see if it locks reliably) and there's noooo way it functions below 140-145. Maybe my load has too much variation. I am envious!! :D Mine is slide-ligtened (by Rich) and 18# spring. I was shooting with #17 and Robbie shot mine and said "go back to #18" Can't argue with god. It's because slide doesn't close all the way when gently unlocked by hand. Like, 140-145 is same PF as factory 9mm!! Why the heck I am shooting this PF for minor. Me waiting for Dave's comptetion sights for XD. Then I will buy 9mm for gods sake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougCarden Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Rika, Try the Sig sight from Warren, MLE shooting supplies here on the advertiser forums has them. Sig and XD dovetails are the same. It isnt quite the same as the Competition sight but it is a lot better than the factory unless you want to get a Dawson fixed with a narrow notch and have someone make the notch into a "U" shape as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbadaboom Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 I now can shoot a P.F. 131-135 w/o any problems. Wow. How the heck you do that??? I did slide lock test (one round in the mags and shoot one mag after anther and see if it locks reliably) and there's noooo way it functions below 140-145. Maybe my load has too much variation. I am envious!! Mine is slide-ligtened (by Rich) and 18# spring. I was shooting with #17 and Robbie shot mine and said "go back to #18" Can't argue with god. It's because slide doesn't close all the way when gently unlocked by hand. Like, 140-145 is same PF as factory 9mm!! Why the heck I am shooting this PF for minor. Me waiting for Dave's comptetion sights for XD. Then I will buy 9mm for gods sake. I am not familiar with how Rich lightens XD slides so I can't compare his to mine but I can tell you that I took right at 2 oz.'s out at the right rear across from the extractor as you look at the underside of the slide. I could have taken out a lot more too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2fast Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Rika, you might also want to check out the new sights that Dawson is offering for the XD. Rich recomended them to me when I asked about sights for a second XD I picked up. Of course now I'm going to sell it to balance out me buying a new to me limited gun.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rikarin Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Rika, you might also want to check out the new sights that Dawson is offering for the XD. Rich recomended them to me when I asked about sights for a second XD I picked up. Of course now I'm going to sell it to balance out me buying a new to me limited gun.... Will do! And... what are you selling??? I am in lookout for 9mm XD Tactical right now..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j2fast Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Rika, you might also want to check out the new sights that Dawson is offering for the XD. Rich recomended them to me when I asked about sights for a second XD I picked up. Of course now I'm going to sell it to balance out me buying a new to me limited gun.... Will do! And... what are you selling??? I am in lookout for 9mm XD Tactical right now..... An XD-9 but it's a Service not a Tact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-man Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Rikarin, you mentioned that you were "waiting for Dave's sights". I'm assuming you meant Sevigny? Is he planning on coming out with his competition sights for the Xd as well?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted April 20, 2006 Author Share Posted April 20, 2006 I bumped up the pf to around 146-7 and the gun runs like a champ. Still very very soft shooting and it feels like it's cycling much more "normal" now. I'm hesitant to take some metal off the slide because I also use the XD as a carry gun and will be running some "standard" recoil bullets through it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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