18# to 24# Experiment - COMPLETE - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

mcone · 03-01-2005, 10:00 AM

I ordered a batch of Wolff recoil springs for my guide rod from Don, and I shot pretty badly (compared to my normal accuracy) with the 18# (1911 Compact spring).

I put the 24# spring back on and my shooting improved quite a bit. Now I'm wondering if the improvement is because of the way I shoot, or because the pistol is truly more accurate at 24#.

Maybe I should ask my daugther to change the spring on me at the range without telling me which one she put in. She would have to rack the slide for the first round, or I would know which spring she put in the moment I pulled the slide.

If we try it, I'll let you know how it turns out.

kraigster414 · 03-16-2005, 09:12 AM

And the winner is??

mcone · 03-16-2005, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraigster414

And the winner is??

Sorry - No winner yet. My XD40 is at Springfield Armory for repairs.

kraigster414 · 03-16-2005, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcone

Quote:

Originally Posted by kraigster414

And the winner is??

Sorry - No winner yet. My XD40 is at Springfield Armory for repairs.

Well, that's not good

mcone · 04-16-2005, 05:47 PM

Well I finally got around to testing the 24, 22, 20, 18 lb recoil springs in my XD40. And the winner is:

1st place: The 22 lb spring.
2nd place: 24 lb spring.

1 - The 24 and 22 shoot very similarly, but the slide is easier to pull with the 22.

2 - I shot my best groups with the 22.

3 - The 18 makes the slide slap quite a bit harder as if I were shooting a very light pistol. I don't recommend this spring for the XD.

FatMatt1981 · 04-30-2005, 12:25 PM

Isn't the #18 similar to the stock weight??

mcone · 04-30-2005, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatMatt1981

Isn't the #18 similar to the stock weight??

I believe so.

**Old School** · 04-30-2005, 08:04 PM

To show that there is no right answer when picking a spring weight: http://pistol-gear.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=250

Don · 04-30-2005, 08:37 PM

Thanks Old School. This is paralleled in a thread on this site.

To paraphrase; for the quickest followup shot, pick the spring that places the muzzle at the right spot when you squeeze the trigger the second time.

This is optimum because the second trigger squeeze does not happen when the eye/brain re-acquires the target, but pretty much as fast as you can reasonable control the shot. That means the goal is to tune the ammo and the spring to make the second shot a no-brainer if you will.

This does beg the question of personal defense ammo, which is unlikely to be the same as your match ammo.

For this style of shooting, comfort is secondary to the double tap position. I am not a competitive shooter, and for me the single shot comfort is more of my goal. Hence my bias towards a heavy spring in my XD40 Service.

I am "slowly" figuring out the math for the springs, and while it is easier for the Tactical model, I think I can come up with the right criteria for lighter springs in the Service model if required. Right now, I do not think that they exist, but they could be custom made if the demand was high enough.

mcone · 05-02-2005, 07:06 AM

Thanks Old School and Don. That explains a lot about why we try replacement rods and springs.

My sports club requires 3 seconds between shots, so there's no way to test how well a quick second shot is placed on the target. (I wish we could.)

My primary goal is control. The secondary is comfort. In my case, I strongly suspect that the two are closely tied to other. My XD40 Service feels better with a 22# spring. There's less snapping and slapping of the pistol, so it seems to me that I'm flinching less and have less fatigue after a couple boxes of ammo.

04-30-2005, 12:25 PM	#6
FatMatt1981 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,467	Isn't the #18 similar to the stock weight?? __________________ \"Through strength, we deter tyranny\" ICVM OD XD-40 4\" Black on black XD-9 4\"

04-30-2005, 08:04 PM	#8
Old School XDTalk 5K Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 7,695	To show that there is no right answer when picking a spring weight: http://pistol-gear.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=250 __________________ Visit www.pistolgear.com for all of your XD needs!

04-30-2005, 08:37 PM	#9
Don XDTalk 4K Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Pullman, WA Posts: 4,268	Thanks Old School. This is paralleled in a thread on this site. To paraphrase; for the quickest followup shot, pick the spring that places the muzzle at the right spot when you squeeze the trigger the second time. This is optimum because the second trigger squeeze does not happen when the eye/brain re-acquires the target, but pretty much as fast as you can reasonable control the shot. That means the goal is to tune the ammo and the spring to make the second shot a no-brainer if you will. This does beg the question of personal defense ammo, which is unlikely to be the same as your match ammo. For this style of shooting, comfort is secondary to the double tap position. I am not a competitive shooter, and for me the single shot comfort is more of my goal. Hence my bias towards a heavy spring in my XD40 Service. I am "slowly" figuring out the math for the springs, and while it is easier for the Tactical model, I think I can come up with the right criteria for lighter springs in the Service model if required. Right now, I do not think that they exist, but they could be custom made if the demand was high enough. __________________ Don geek with guns Why don\'t you all f-f-f-fade away.... FAQ - Don\'s Guide Rod

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03-01-2005, 10:00 AM	#1
mcone XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 263	18# to 24# Experiment - COMPLETE I ordered a batch of Wolff recoil springs for my guide rod from Don, and I shot pretty badly (compared to my normal accuracy) with the 18# (1911 Compact spring). I put the 24# spring back on and my shooting improved quite a bit. Now I'm wondering if the improvement is because of the way I shoot, or because the pistol is truly more accurate at 24#. Maybe I should ask my daugther to change the spring on me at the range without telling me which one she put in. She would have to rack the slide for the first round, or I would know which spring she put in the moment I pulled the slide. If we try it, I'll let you know how it turns out.

03-16-2005, 09:12 AM	#2
kraigster414 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Upper Himalayas Posts: 1,443	And the winner is??

04-16-2005, 05:47 PM	#5
mcone XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 263	Well I finally got around to testing the 24, 22, 20, 18 lb recoil springs in my XD40. And the winner is: 1st place: The 22 lb spring. 2nd place: 24 lb spring. 1 - The 24 and 22 shoot very similarly, but the slide is easier to pull with the 22. 2 - I shot my best groups with the 22. 3 - The 18 makes the slide slap quite a bit harder as if I were shooting a very light pistol. I don't recommend this spring for the XD.

05-02-2005, 07:06 AM	#10
mcone XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Michigan Posts: 263	Thanks Old School and Don. That explains a lot about why we try replacement rods and springs. My sports club requires 3 seconds between shots, so there's no way to test how well a quick second shot is placed on the target. (I wish we could.) My primary goal is control. The secondary is comfort. In my case, I strongly suspect that the two are closely tied to other. My XD40 Service feels better with a 22# spring. There's less snapping and slapping of the pistol, so it seems to me that I'm flinching less and have less fatigue after a couple boxes of ammo.