Loose Slide Concern - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

ahroc · 04-30-2005, 10:43 PM

Hello. XD-40, Service, 4”, Bi-tone, New. I just installed Don’s guide rod and a 22 lb spring. When the slide is all the way forward, cocked, the slide is loose, I can move it back a little, approximately 3/16”, and it doesn’t move forward into place on its own. This just seams odd to me I would think the slide would have 22 lbs of force holding it forward. I double-checked the instillation instructions here to make sure the rod was installed properly. I gave everything a drop of oil to insure it wasn’t sticking. I have not shot it yet. It just seems odd to me. Is this normal? Do other users of the rod have this looseness? Other than that it looks real cool. Thanks for any replies.

ElrodCod · 05-01-2005, 10:12 AM

The pound rating of a spring is in it's compressed state. The force holding the slide in battery is much less.

Don · 05-01-2005, 03:32 PM

That is odd, it should be holding the slide pretty firm in battery. I find that it holds mine a bit better than the factory rod. If the pistol is brand new the striker sping should relax a bit with use.

ahroc · 05-02-2005, 10:14 PM

Hello again
I just put the factory guide rod back in and it holds the slide forward like I thought it should. I then put Dons rod back in with the 22# spring, double-checked that everything was installed properly. When I pull the slide all the way back and release it seams to seat all the way forward fine, but once it is forward I can move it back a little gently about 1/16" of an inch (I scaled it this time) and it will not return forward on its own. The factory guide rod will return forward when I do the same thing with it. Maybe I just got a bum spring, my spring is a hair shorter than 3-7/8" in the relaxed state and has a total of 19-1/2 coils.
Thanks

Added pic later

See how the rod sticks out a bit.
This exists after I cock the gun, I can pull the slide back a bit and it does not return on its own. It will snug up tight after I pull the trigger. When I install the factory spring the slide will snug up tight whether I cock the gun or not, It is tighter after I pull the trigger though.

I added this e-mail ajamesp51 sent me, I don’t think he will mind.

“Well You did something I call the finger test. Basically your checking the strength of the recoil spring when it is not compressed. Take your pistol unloaded and put you finger on the front and see if you can move the slide out of battery with vary little force. But you can get a false impression that the spring is too weak if you try the test with the firing pin in the cock position. Take your stock guide rod and put it in the pistol. With the firing pin cocked do the finger test and you should see that the slide moves back easy. Now pull the trigger and release the sears tension.....the slide should be harder to move. This is normal for all of the springs what happens is that the recoil spring is not allowed to have all of its tension with the pistol cocked because of the force of the firing pin.
James”

ahroc · 05-21-2005, 10:14 AM

Update
I ordered an assortment of springs from ajamesp51, 18# 20#, (I had a 22#), 24#. The 24# spring would take up the slack mentioned above, none of the others would. I went to the range last night and ran 100 rounds of WWB - Winchester White Box thru it with the 24# spring, It seamed to work ok most of the time but I had around 5 failure to feeds. Spent brass seamed to be laying 6 to 12 feet away.
The first 100 rounds I put thru this gun were with the factory spring and I had 1 failure to feed. This gun has only had 200 rounds thru it so I'm going to use it like it is for a while with the 24# spring and hope it loosens up and develops fewer failure to feeds.
Good Day!

mullanman · 06-14-2005, 04:17 PM

You've probably got a lock up problem. Either keep shooting it and break it in....probably in the neighborhood of 500-800 rounds...

OR

Send it to SA and tell them the problem. My custom XD 4" had this problem big time after having it hardchromed....Shot the hell out of it and it finally works fine.

ampleworks · 06-14-2005, 07:44 PM

Mine does the same, though only when I manually manipulate the slide forward, it can be pulled back and not return to battery. If the action is being cycled on its own by either racking the slide and letting it go or firing the pistol, it locks up fine. I'm using 18# spring.

Round count is probably close to 5000 147gr whitebox and about 2000 more 115 whitebox, judging from my Cheaper Than Dirt order history.

04-30-2005, 10:43 PM	#1
ahroc XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 45	Loose Slide Concern Hello. XD-40, Service, 4”, Bi-tone, New. I just installed Don’s guide rod and a 22 lb spring. When the slide is all the way forward, cocked, the slide is loose, I can move it back a little, approximately 3/16”, and it doesn’t move forward into place on its own. This just seams odd to me I would think the slide would have 22 lbs of force holding it forward. I double-checked the instillation instructions here to make sure the rod was installed properly. I gave everything a drop of oil to insure it wasn’t sticking. I have not shot it yet. It just seems odd to me. Is this normal? Do other users of the rod have this looseness? Other than that it looks real cool. Thanks for any replies.

05-01-2005, 10:12 AM	#2
ElrodCod XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Fort Pierce, FL Posts: 309	The pound rating of a spring is in it's compressed state. The force holding the slide in battery is much less. __________________ ElrodCod NRA life Member

05-01-2005, 03:32 PM	#3
Don XDTalk 4K Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Pullman, WA Posts: 4,267	That is odd, it should be holding the slide pretty firm in battery. I find that it holds mine a bit better than the factory rod. If the pistol is brand new the striker sping should relax a bit with use. __________________ Don geek with guns Why don\'t you all f-f-f-fade away.... FAQ - Don\'s Guide Rod

06-14-2005, 04:17 PM	#6
mullanman XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,911	You've probably got a lock up problem. Either keep shooting it and break it in....probably in the neighborhood of 500-800 rounds... OR Send it to SA and tell them the problem. My custom XD 4" had this problem big time after having it hardchromed....Shot the hell out of it and it finally works fine. __________________ USPSA L2683

06-14-2005, 07:44 PM	#7
ampleworks XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Communistic Ohio Posts: 1,161	Mine does the same, though only when I manually manipulate the slide forward, it can be pulled back and not return to battery. If the action is being cycled on its own by either racking the slide and letting it go or firing the pistol, it locks up fine. I'm using 18# spring. Round count is probably close to 5000 147gr whitebox and about 2000 more 115 whitebox, judging from my Cheaper Than Dirt order history. __________________ *Ampleworks*

05-02-2005, 10:14 PM	#4
ahroc XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 45	Hello again I just put the factory guide rod back in and it holds the slide forward like I thought it should. I then put Dons rod back in with the 22# spring, double-checked that everything was installed properly. When I pull the slide all the way back and release it seams to seat all the way forward fine, but once it is forward I can move it back a little gently about 1/16" of an inch (I scaled it this time) and it will not return forward on its own. The factory guide rod will return forward when I do the same thing with it. Maybe I just got a bum spring, my spring is a hair shorter than 3-7/8" in the relaxed state and has a total of 19-1/2 coils. Thanks Added pic later See how the rod sticks out a bit. This exists after I cock the gun, I can pull the slide back a bit and it does not return on its own. It will snug up tight after I pull the trigger. When I install the factory spring the slide will snug up tight whether I cock the gun or not, It is tighter after I pull the trigger though. I added this e-mail ajamesp51 sent me, I don’t think he will mind. “Well You did something I call the finger test. Basically your checking the strength of the recoil spring when it is not compressed. Take your pistol unloaded and put you finger on the front and see if you can move the slide out of battery with vary little force. But you can get a false impression that the spring is too weak if you try the test with the firing pin in the cock position. Take your stock guide rod and put it in the pistol. With the firing pin cocked do the finger test and you should see that the slide moves back easy. Now pull the trigger and release the sears tension.....the slide should be harder to move. This is normal for all of the springs what happens is that the recoil spring is not allowed to have all of its tension with the pistol cocked because of the force of the firing pin. James”

05-21-2005, 10:14 AM	#5
ahroc XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 45	Update I ordered an assortment of springs from ajamesp51, 18# 20#, (I had a 22#), 24#. The 24# spring would take up the slack mentioned above, none of the others would. I went to the range last night and ran 100 rounds of WWB - Winchester White Box thru it with the 24# spring, It seamed to work ok most of the time but I had around 5 failure to feeds. Spent brass seamed to be laying 6 to 12 feet away. The first 100 rounds I put thru this gun were with the factory spring and I had 1 failure to feed. This gun has only had 200 rounds thru it so I'm going to use it like it is for a while with the 24# spring and hope it loosens up and develops fewer failure to feeds. Good Day!

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