Slide lock back trouble?

[Brad VanHorn]

I bought an XD9 Tactical last summer, and I was very impressed with it. However, one thing popped up that turned me back to my CZ75. When I shot the gun empty, the slide wouldn't lock back with any certainty. I'd guess the slide would only lock back maybe one of every three times, and with no particular rhyme or reason for when it did or didn't. I was frustrated by this, 'cause it added uncertainty to speed reloading. (Was I going to have to rack the slide or could I just hit the release?) Instead of trying to diagnose the problem, I sold the gun (shame on me ).

Lately I've seen more and more comments on the various forums about the XDs, and no one ever mentions this happening. However, yesterday I was talking with a friend who owns an XD9 Tactical, and he said he is having the same problem I was, only worse. He was telling me the slide almost never locks back, and he's frustrated enough he was talking about selling the gun.

So, I'm curious if anyone else has had this problem, and what your solution was to fix it (if anything at all)? I'm interested in coming back the the XD9 (and XD40) Tactical for competition, but only if I can trust it to behave. Also, who's the go to guy for XD gunsmithing? I keep seeing "Rich at Canyon Creek" in some posts; is he the man to call for help?

Thanks,
Brad

[Son of Norway]

My XD-40 has yet to even hiccup. Completely flawless so far.

[HighVelocity]

Mine rarely, if ever, locks back after the last shot. It's NOT the fault of the weapon. It's my grip. Being a long time 1911 junky, my thumbs ride really high on the gun and since I have large hands, the tip of my thumb holds down the slide stop.
It concerned me until I figured out why it was happening. Change my grip, problem goes away.
This may not be the same thing that happened to you, just sharing my thoughts.

[ajamesp51]

Brad all you have to do is watch your thumbs all it takes is a little bit of pressure from your grip to make it not lock back or lock too early.

[JimLongley]

Because I shoot a lot of IDPA, and like my slide to lock back dependably, I function test my mags to ensure reliability. I also make sure they feed reliability.

[mcb]

I have had very rare occasion of the slide not locking back with an empty magazine. My XD-40 Service has never done it but my XD-40 Tactical did it a few times when I first got it. I traced it to two sources the first being my tactical has a slightly wider magazine well this allowed the magazine to move away from the post on the slide lock. The other problem was with the followers in some of my magazines. The 10 round AWB magazines have never given me a problem. They have a wider shelf on the followe to engage the slide lock post. There is no chance of these getting up past the slide lock post and failing to lock the slide open. There seems to be two different versions of the hi-cap followers. The newer version has an expanded shelf making it less likely to malfunction. I have posted several pictures in this thread on this issue: {http://www.hs2000talk.com/viewtopic.php?t=20742&highlight=}

Personally I would like to see Springfield Armory offer the newer magazine followers for sale to refurbish older hi-cap magazines. I have notice wear on the corners of the shelf of the followers and I figure in time they might start causing problems. For now to ensure I don’t have a problem I have added a few layers of clear packing tape to the inside right side of the magazine well and on the magazines that look like they might cause a problem a little bit of tap on the front right side of the follower, this ensure that the follower is as far to the left as possible. Both modifications ensuring that the shelf on the magazine follower gets as far left as possible to get a positive engagement of the slide lock post. Since these slight changes I have never had a slide not lock open when it is suppose to and it has cause no other problems.

mcb

[USMC-PRIDE]

If it is not the thumb issue and instead a defective part issue , call springfield and send it back to them for a fix.

[NExd]

I have had/have premature slide lock problems

[one-eyed-fatman]

Sometimes you just have to learn how to use a pistol correctly. Many have come here blaming the pistol just to find out it is their own gun handling skills causing the problem.

[Dragoon44]

The easiest way to see if the problem is your grip is shoot the pistol with your left hand if you dont have any failures to lock back then you know the problem is your right hand grip. if you still have failures to lock back then you probably have a mechanical problem.