Question on XD40 Tactical and 9mm conversion

[Duck of Death]

Greetings,

I'm new to this forum, but here goes ...

I'm the proud owner of a new XD40 Tactical. I am considering getting a 9mm conversion barrel, Don's Guide Rod and a new spring. I can't decide what weight of spring to get. The 22# model seems pretty popular, but the 24# spring has its share of devotees as well, esp. in .40 caliber models.

I've read a fair number of posts here, and I've perused the FAQ, but haven't found much info on the 5" 9mm. I'd like to have one spring that will work for both .40 S&W and 9mm. Would the 24# spring be too much for 9mm? Any other things I should consider? Thanks.

-The Duck

[R Dub]

Welcome to the forum Duck.
I think you may be confusing the 22/24lb springs of the 4" Service model with the captive guide rod system. The Tacticals have a one piece guide rod and come with an 18lb spring in them and is the same as used in 5" 1911 autos. It will work fine for self defense high power ammo. If you plan on shooting bunny fart reloads or minor power factor factory ammo, you may want to drop down to a lower weight recoil spring.
BarSto recommends a 13lb spring for use with their 5" 9mm conversion barrel. I use a 15lb variable rate Wolf Spring in mine. This allows the slide to accelerate faster initially then slows towards the end of the compression when using low power ammo.

[Duck of Death]

Originally Posted by R Dub

Welcome to the forum Duck.
I think you may be confusing the 22/24lb springs of the 4" Service model with the captive guide rod system. The Tacticals have a one piece guide rod and come with an 18lb spring in them and is the same as used in 5" 1911 autos. It will work fine for self defense high power ammo. If you plan on shooting bunny fart reloads or minor power factor factory ammo, you may want to drop down to a lower weight recoil spring.
BarSto recommends a 13lb spring for use with their 5" 9mm conversion barrel. I use a 15lb variable rate Wolf Spring in mine. This allows the slide to accelerate faster initially then slows towards the end of the compression when using low power ammo.

Thanks for info. You're right; I was confused.

It sounds like I can stick with the 18lb spring when shooting .40 S&W or hot 9mm. If I decide to get into lower-power loads, I'll try a lighter spring.

Regards,
-The Duck