XD reliability

[sniperfrog]

Ok, I own two Springfield XDs, a 40sw tactical and a 45acp tactical. I got them because I had read all kinds of good stuff about them. Now on another forum I read that they are not so reliable and the Smith and Wesson M&P is the greatest thing ever. These forums can really confuse a guy. It seams certain forums have their preferred sidearm. So I thought I would ask here since there is a more diverse crowd when it comes to gun selection. Is the XD a good choice for a defensive handgun or is the M&P a beter choice? And no, I am not a big Glock fan so that's not an option (grip angle issue).

[GentlemanJim]

I have only shot an M&P a few times..so I cant tell you much about it

But I shot MANY thousands of rounds in an XD40 with not a single failure.

I suspect both are quite nice guns.

Jim

Edited December 28, 2008 by GentlemanJim

[Glen517]

I've never shot an M&P so I can't compare them. I do however own 2 XD's 4in 9mm and a 40tac. that I used in compitition. Production Lim-10 and yes Lim. about 15 to 20000 rounds on it and the only faults I've had were user error. If I could I'de carry it all the time for defense. Put you mind at ease.

[XD Niner]

+1 on the XD's. It also has a lifetime warranty no matter whether you're the first owner or the 100th.

[TM262]

I shoot the XD9 and find it quite reliable and trouble free. The trigger work was done by Canyon Creek and it goes bang when I ever so lightly apply pressure to the trigger. I have seen posts about parts being hard to get, but I have not needed any parts, so this has not been an issue either.

All that really matters is that you like yours and they run for you.

[Viggen]

M&P is still on the "latest and greatest" syndrome.

The XD is just fine. Personal preference, mine, ranks them just about into Glock territory for reliability, which means they are very good. Individual guns, any type, may need a little slicking up, but among the major makers you are in good territory.

Sounds like your XD's are doing just fine, let them run. Certainly no need to make a change because of something said on some forum somewhere - get more magazines and shoot more.

[steel1212]

Glock, MP, XD, leave them factory and feed them quality ammo and they all run. The problems pop up when WE start tinkering with them. We want a lighter trigger (light strikes), we want softer loads (failures to eject), we drop the recoil springs to get the softer loads to work (failures to go back in battery), and on and on.

You can have a nice trigger job on a XD and it will still light primers pretty reliably. Its when people want to shoot a heavy slide tactical in production and down load their rounds to 125PF the slide tends to not want to eject the round. They then lower the recoil spring and the gun ejects the round but when it gets dirty fails to go back into battery.

Glocks biggest problem seems to be people wanting a better trigger and ending up with light strikes.

M&Ps I don't know enough about them to give you any info on them but I would say the similar things apply to them as does the XD/GLocks.

[Beretta Lover]

Ok, I own two Springfield XDs, a 40sw tactical and a 45acp tactical. I got them because I had read all kinds of good stuff about them. Now on another forum I read that they are not so reliable and the Smith and Wesson M&P is the greatest thing ever. These forums can really confuse a guy. It seams certain forums have their preferred sidearm. So I thought I would ask here since there is a more diverse crowd when it comes to gun selection. Is the XD a good choice for a defensive handgun or is the M&P a beter choice? And no, I am not a big Glock fan so that's not an option (grip angle issue).

I think any gun that is run in the 50-100K range (round count) eventually will need parts replacement.

My XD 9 tact broke the little roll pin in the top opf the slide, (after like 3,000 rds) the original trigger bar snapped after like 40K. Along the way I had two locking block/barrel lugs crack (though the gun still shot).

Sprngfield armory handled all my problems extremely quickly (turn around was in days, not weeks, or in one case hours)

I cannot say enough good things about Dave Williams and the SA people in handling product issues.

Additionally I had Scott SPringer do some accuracy and trigger work on my gun and it really shines.

I shoot a 1911 now, mainly because I can run a .22 kit on it at the range (none for the XD) and I have a good airsoft gas pistol I bought from Manny Bragg's website, so I can get lots of 1911 practice in for virtually nothing.

Benos members will run these high round counts, but nobody else out there generally will.

[FranDoc]

XD9, 4", probably >17-18K rounds. Canyon Creek trigger. It's had a firing pin/spring done, more for owner nervousness than performance failure. The bluing is worn off from dry-fire draws.

It's run when it's 90 degrees in the shade. It's run in sub-freezing drizzle. It runs factory ammo and any of my several handloads without complaint. It's easy to take apart, clean & maintain.

My gunsmith says he hasn't had trouble getting parts, though I recall a comment about needing to order some in quantity.

I'd borrowed a friend's 5" XD Tactical, had some issues with the extractor, but I've heard of that with other XD's (mine has been just fine, so far).

Can't comment on the M&P, don't have one. However, my XD is the epitome of 'Production' -- stock gun, some internal work ... and it runs, period, pretty much no-matter-what.

[redmanfixit]

I have an XD9 5". I use it in production for IPSC and SSP in IDPA. Springer Precision trigger job (very Nice) is all I've done to it. If I may steal a phrase from Glock. It runs with monotonous reliability. Several of my shooting pals run different configurations of the XD (.45, 9mm, .40 are most common) sub compact and 4", they all run great. Not a bad idea to feed them a little bad ammo once in awhile to get some practice clearing malfunctions!

[LPatterson]

I think the S&W may turn out to be a good production with a couple more years of tinkering. I use the XD9 Tactical for Production that broke a factory trigger bar so now it has Springer Precision parts and new sights I also have 3 XD45's, 1 for carry, 1 for backup & 1 for L10 after it goes to Springer for some magic. I have 3 S&W revo's that have become decent shooters with some trigger work. But I also have a G17, G26, 2 G21s & a G30 that are good shooters with better sights. So what is the best gun, it is probably the one that fits your hand best and is reliable.

[sniperfrog]

Hey, thanks for all the info. I may get an M&P also just because I can get one pretty cheap but I really like the XDs. I also like that there is alot of aftermarket for the XDs and it's still easy to get mags. At least now I have some backup when someone badmouths the XD since this is a pretty respected website.

[G+16]

I've never much cared what he said, she said, it's like rumors in the work place, If I find a product that I like, THAT is what I use, when I was doing security work in Memphis years ago I always carried a ruger security six (yes I still have it), back then all there was in auto was a 1911 colt or springfield, both good guns but at that time I prefered the 357 mag., the point is if you like the xd then over look anyone else's bad mouthing, could be because they were beated in comp. by a xd, some people are pretty shallow. On my part I have two xd's the 45 and one of the new xdm's in 40, I feed them both factory and reload ammo and they eat it all , I'm sure the mp is a fine wepon but it's also the latest, hence the hipe. Keep your xd's

[Nik Habicht]

I think when it comes down to evaluating reliability, you've got to do it yourself. There's so much that can affect that from the build quality of the gun --- I've owned different copies of the same model Glock that when shot by side with the same (multiple) types of ammo, exhibited startling differences in group size --- to the quality of the ammo used, to the maintenance and lubrication choices made, to the willingness/desire to tinker with the blaster/new parts/accessories that become available, that it will be different for all of us.....

The Glocks, XDs, M&Ps, Sigs, Berettas, 3rd Gen. S&W autos all seem to run well for some of us --- and all seem to exhibit issues in the hands of some shooters. Pick one, feed it good ammo, make sure it runs, resist the urge to tinker with it, maintain it at least occasionally, and practice.....