which recoil spring do you have in your XD?

[grapemeister]

XD9 Tactical using a 13 lb wolf spring. Shooting 115 Grain Montana Gold over 4.6 grains of Titegroup. Works well, gun shoots flat, no issues.

Just curious, have you tried a 14lb spring before putting in the 13 lb? I'm wondering if there is any noticeable difference. I just put in a 14lb in my XD9 Tactical, and I’m thinking of going lighter. Did you try anything lighter than 13lbs? Also, have you chronographed your ammo. I'm also loading 115 gr bullets, but I'm using between 4.2 and 4.3 grains of Titegroup. I was actually using this charge with the factory spring, but the casings were landing at my feet. Now, with the 14lb spring, they are landing 3 to 4 feet away. I'll eventually have a friend chronograph my ammo, but in the mean time I'm wondering if I meet the minor power factor.

[Justsomeguy]

I would think the approach should be to make sure the gun will run. That is... if you are reloading for a certain caliber and power factor, and the gun is "short stroking" or not fully opening upon firing, then you would decrease the recoil spring "weight" a pound or two to re-acquire full function. Going too light in the XD family will result in not fully going into battery or possibly beating up the gun, as well as the possibility of getting some light primer hits from the striker safety interfering with the striker because the gun is not really fully into battery. It is also possible the gun may fire out of battery slightly and leave you with bulged cases or a case head separation. You also have the problem of stripping rounds from the magazine. If you are using broken-in magazines when you first lighten the recoil spring tension, and it works, there is no guarantee that it will still work with a new magazine or new magazine spring, or if you change to ammo that is not as highly polished and has a rougher surface on the cases.

If you are running factory strength ammo in a particular caliber, then something close to a factory recoil spring is in order. Yes, they are a bit conservative, but that insures function even as the gun gets dirty or has a lot of rounds put through it and the recoil spring gets somewhat weaker. If you change the spring often, like every 3-5000 rounds, a pound or two lighter won't hurt much, though the cases will be flung to the other side of the county upon ejection. I suppose if the gun is just a "throw away" item to you after an acceptable period of time, and you never use it for any self defense purpose, then you could lighten the factory recommended recoil spring rate to whatever your heart desires and shoot away... if it keeps shooting that is!

To me it's all about the gun... how will it function the best and longest. You may have other opinions.

[RIIID]

The biggest problem I have found with XD owners is they treat the gun like a 1911 when it comes to spring weight. The XD system is nothing like a 1911 system you can't use light recoil springs and expect it to work 100%. I tested XD's extensively with light loads and light springs and the simple fact is neither will run the gun 100%.

The 9mm Tactical works best with a power factor of 135+ and a 18# spring, you can get by with a 16# spring but one must keep an eye out for when the spring starts to wear out. The Tactical 40 needs 140+ PF and a 18# spring. Lowering the power factor decreases ejection distance. I know there are plenty of shooters running lighter springs and lower PF and claiming 100% reliability but just wait it will fail and generally at the worst time (a major match).

When you pull your slide back an inch it should snap back quickly, if it goes back sluggishly your spring is too light. If you do a hard reload and your slide bumps back and stays back the spring is too light. If you can shake your gun and the slide moves back the spring is too light. These gun have two springs working in opposite directions, lightening one spring gives the advantage in power to the other. In the lighter recoil spring case the firing pin spring will pull the slide out of battery. Using a lighter firing pin requires a softer primer to get 100% ignition.

With well over 100K fired out of XD's I have found out what will work and what won't. Don't game your guns function, game the stages your shooting, and practice practice practice you'll find the results are more enjoyable. But what do I know I'm just a dummy that gamed his gun and paid for it at major matches over and over and over............

Rich

[slee]

Put a 14 lb. spring in my XDm 9 for my 11 yr. old. 147 gr. bullet with a PF of 134. 3 matches and a couple of trips to the range and it has been 100%. Also, the gun will now go to slide lock consistently when empty.

[SNSCaster2]

I wish I woulda known this last night! Loaded up 300 175SWC's @ 4.0gr Autocomp for the 'Big Sardine' and about 1 out of 8 stovepipe.. they made 135pf. Upped the powder to 4.5 gr and have no issues whatsoever.

[grapemeister]

I would think the approach should be to make sure the gun will run. That is... if you are reloading for a certain caliber and power factor, and the gun is "short stroking" or not fully opening upon firing, then you would decrease the recoil spring "weight" a pound or two to re-acquire full function. Going too light in the XD family will result in not fully going into battery or possibly beating up the gun, as well as the possibility of getting some light primer hits from the striker safety interfering with the striker because the gun is not really fully into battery. It is also possible the gun may fire out of battery slightly and leave you with bulged cases or a case head separation. You also have the problem of stripping rounds from the magazine. If you are using broken-in magazines when you first lighten the recoil spring tension, and it works, there is no guarantee that it will still work with a new magazine or new magazine spring, or if you change to ammo that is not as highly polished and has a rougher surface on the cases.

If you are running factory strength ammo in a particular caliber, then something close to a factory recoil spring is in order. Yes, they are a bit conservative, but that insures function even as the gun gets dirty or has a lot of rounds put through it and the recoil spring gets somewhat weaker. If you change the spring often, like every 3-5000 rounds, a pound or two lighter won't hurt much, though the cases will be flung to the other side of the county upon ejection. I suppose if the gun is just a "throw away" item to you after an acceptable period of time, and you never use it for any self defense purpose, then you could lighten the factory recommended recoil spring rate to whatever your heart desires and shoot away... if it keeps shooting that is!

To me it's all about the gun... how will it function the best and longest. You may have other opinions.

[grapemeister]

Thanks for your input. Your post had some good points. I've put about 1500 rounds thru the gun since putting in the lighter spring, and so far there have been no problems. I still consider this an experiment so I will continue to pay close attention to what is going on with the gun. I clean the gun after every practice if I've fired at least a couple of hundred rounds, and after every match. Besides just feeling more comfortable with a clean gun, this also allows for a closer inspection of the gun, and maybe it's more likely that I'll notice unusual wear or something that is broken.

A lighter recoil spring may not be for everyone, but personally I think the gun runs better with the 14lb spring that I've been testing, and I think it helps with certain aspects of my shooting. I won't go into all the particulars of why I like the lighter spring, but the number one reason is less muzzle flip. I'll give the 14lb spring a little more time, but eventually I'll try a 13lb spring.

In regards to the gun not going into proper battery with some lighter than factory springs, I've done some online research and I found that putting in a lighter striker spring is common with some striker fired guns. I couldn't find an example of someone putting a lighter striker spring in an XD, but it's a common fix for M&P's, and Glock's. I can't remember which one, but there is an online company that sells a lighter striker spring for XD's. Not sure but I think Spring Precision has them. I haven't found the need with the 14lb recoil spring, but it's something to keep in mind if I end up having problems when I eventually try a 13lb recoil spring.

For those of you out there pondering the idea of going with a lighter recoil spring, you should give it a try. But, be careful and pay close attention to what is going on with your gun. It's like reloading ammo, start with a lighter load than normal and work up to a load that makes the gun work. Of course, for IDPA and USPSA you'll have to make sure your load makes the power factor, but I think you'll find that you can get by with a lighter load.

Happy Shooting!

[bzt]

Where do you get these springs? My daughter just started shooting and her hands fit the XDM9 I have., but the slide is a bit too hard for her to safely pull back, and the slide release is really pretty hard to push down.

[slee]

Where do you get these springs? My daughter just started shooting and her hands fit the XDM9 I have., but the slide is a bit too hard for her to safely pull back, and the slide release is really pretty hard to push down.

http://www.gunsprings.com/Semi-Auto%20Pistols/SPRINGFIELD/XD(M)%204.5%20INCH/cID1/mID60/dID418

for some reason this link takes you to Springfield 1911. Just scroll down to XD(M)4.5".

Edited January 21, 2011 by slee

[bzt]

thank you

[sincityshooter]

I just put in a wolf 14lb using it with a tungsten guide rod, 125 gr at a 128-130 PF. Only shot 250 rounds but had no problems, tried a 16lb also, but went back to the 14. I'll have to do some more practice to make sure, but the 14lb seemed to keep the front sight recovering right on the money and not dipping below the original point of aim like the stock 18lb spring.

[hoodhazard]

Been running an XD-40 with minor loads and major for 3 months with factory gun con figs and flawless functioning,what a gun.

[dejadoo]

Stock spring in my XDM 40 and have been shooting 2.6 gr of Clays with 180 lead at .125 OAL for a PF of 135ish.

[ekendust]

just got a wolf spring set #18,16, and 14 ive used all three and found that the #14 works great with 147 pf; 135.6

just my .02

[kellymc]

I went all the way down to #12 in my dauthers xd tac using 3.5 t.g.She shot about 10 matches that way this summer. she was 9 and that help her load. She turned 10 the other day and we just moved up to a 14 pounds spring and 3.8 tightgroup.The gun has started acting up a little. We will shoot a match this weekend and see how it's working.May have to send it off and see if we hurt it. but it was a fun summer would do it all over again

Edited March 23, 2011 by kellymc

[bzt]

I put in a 14 lb spring because my daughter had trouble cycling the slide. I shoot reloads. One issue we had the other day was failure to extract and failure to feed. Could this be caused by too light of a load? The ammo is MG 124 gr JHP with 4.0 gr of tightgroup at 1.125 OAL.

Factory ammo does fine.

Any help would be appreciated.

[grapemeister]

I put in a 14 lb spring because my daughter had trouble cycling the slide. I shoot reloads. One issue we had the other day was failure to extract and failure to feed. Could this be caused by too light of a load? The ammo is MG 124 gr JHP with 4.0 gr of tightgroup at 1.125 OAL.

Factory ammo does fine.

Any help would be appreciated.

I bet the OAL is the problem. Take the barrel out of the gun, and drop a loaded round into the chamber. The round should drop in and out of the chamber easily. Sometimes, and just to make sure the round isn't too long, I'll push down hard on the round with my thumb, and then pull the round out of the chamber. If it seems a bit stuck in the chamber and doesn't come out easily, I know I've loaded it too long.

I've used the same bullet/powder combination in my XD Tactical and have had no problems. I also use a 14lb spring. I actually went down on my powder from 4.0 to 3.9 grains and have had no problems.

Chris

[ekendust]

16# spring, 147grain bullet (Atlanta Arms) in an XD tactical.

+1....wolff 16lb 1911 spring (uncut) shooting 147s in a Tac9

+2..... 3.4 gr titegroup..makes about 130pf

i run a wolff 14lb spring in my xdm 9mm shooting 147gr . with no problems

[bigjimmy57]

I run a 15# spring in my xd tac. I haven't had any issues in over 30,000 rounds. I have also run a 13# spring with great reliabilty. I think it has a lot to do with the loads and the consistencey. I usually run Atlanta Arms 147 grain for major matches and just 115 grain bulk ammo for local stuff.

[metalman63]

.45 Tactical

185 gr. Berries HBRN over 5.9 to 6.0 gr W231 with CCI primers. With 14# spring works great. Stainless guide rod and Springer trigger kit. Reliable, lighter recoil for nice follow up shots.

200 gr. Berries RS over over 5.6 Universal works with 14 and 16# springs. 230gr. RN Hornady works too but with lighter loads the reliability with 18# spring wasn't 100%.

I found that as I backed off the power the heavy stock spring wouldn't let the slide cycle reliably. I started going down in spring rate. Settled on the 14# and it has worked without problem for all my loads for the 185 and 200 gr rounds. Mostly trying for 170 to 175 power factor range. I have not shot full power loads with the lighter spring. I think it would start to really hammer the frame. If I have to use full power rounds, I'll switch back to the stock spring.

[xd1977]

what kind of loads do you shoot and what weight spring do you use (generally)

9mm 125gr.HP (for steel targets also). CZ Zero down bullets - loaded to 4.3 grains with HP38 - @1050fps with 13lb. wolf recoil spring and steel guide rod for major matches. I run the 15lb recoil spring in regular matches and practice.

Edited May 9, 2011 by xd1977

[xd1977]

I put in a 14 lb spring because my daughter had trouble cycling the slide. I shoot reloads. One issue we had the other day was failure to extract and failure to feed. Could this be caused by too light of a load? The ammo is MG 124 gr JHP with 4.0 gr of tightgroup at 1.125 OAL.

Factory ammo does fine.

Any help would be appreciated.

Check the crimp on your reloads. Make sure there is enough bullet recessed to feed smoothly. We ran into this issue loading 147gr ball.

[Standby!]

XD Tac Factory spring, and 9mm 130 pf 147gr. bullets, I might experiment in the future but right now it's not broken so I'm not gonna fix it.

Edited July 11, 2011 by Standby!