Grip Safety

[1lowlife]

Originally Posted by mhillsing23

Typical retail moron that thinks he is so much better than the customer because he is on the other side of the counter. Not everyone in retail is dumb, but gun guys at large sporting goods stores tend to be.

"I was in a large outdoor store".
I think that pretty much sums it up as well....

[ForTehNguyen]

Originally Posted by Ishpeck

HOLY ****!

so fake

[digitalexplr]

The salesperson is a moron who is not qualified to even look and an XD!

Aaah! I feel so much better now!

[trollglock]

Sounds like Springfield is going to start sending out Elec Tape, Plastic , Krazy Glue, and Pins with all new XD's. They made a mistake with that ridiculous Grip Safety Piece a crap they screwed up & added.. I would want a recall immediately to correct their mistake. Hey, they used to "Pin" the 1911's Grip Safety...

[Barndoor]

So did the guy buy the gun?

[pleasantguywhopacksAXD]

Funny there is a thread about this very subject on my OFCC forum. I was miffed and posted some experimentation pics. The thread there was started by this quasi XD bash.

The controversial article.
SurvivalBlog.com

The thread.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry :: View topic - Observations on Real World Pistol Malfunctions and Failures,

This thread still has me a bit miffed. I decided to do some experimenting.
Photo's to follow.
I took my 9XD sc, the smallest framed version, with my big hands to show the most favorable example of the so called instructors
?problem/thoughts?

This shows my finger reach from the web of my hand to the tip of my index finger. Approx. 4 3/4 inches. I have fairly long hands and fingers. I have more of a chance at reaching the trigger and missing the grip safety than some, but as you will see the grip isn't sufficient bring to the pistol into a fight anyhow and most likely not fire.

Here is the grip I had to have to not engage the grip safety and notice I could barely reach the trigger itself and really couldn't get to the trigger safety with out trying hard. My thumb web is 1-1/8th inches from the beaver tail potion of the frame. Note two full fingers off the bottom of the grip. My point is with even the small framed sc I didn't have a grip sufficient to fire the gun. Bad grip technique not bad gun design or reliability issue. The operator may very well be unreliable but not the gun being unreliable.

Second. The Springfield [Armory] XD grip safety needs to be fully depressed. Not fully gripping the firearm can prevent malfunction clearances and obviously prevent firing the weapon. It was unusual, but one grip safety actually broke, rendering the firearm inoperative.

BUNK!
This is a grip that while not great, is enough to allow the sear to break. The XD's grip safety measures 3/16th of inch out of the grip. It takes 1/8th depression for me to get the sear to break. My web is within 3/4 of an inch to the beaver tail portion of the frame.
Any poorer grip than that and your gonna be in a world of hurt shooting any semi auto and most likely any handgun of significant caliber. Limp wrist is almost a certainty.
As far as the grip safety breaking, well mechanical failure can happen. I would have to see what broke. Failure in large numbers would have surfaced if this truly is a problem with the XD. This isn't occurring or being reported. I doubt some big conspiracy is keeping this secret.
Now my question is, does anyone with any decent amount of gun handling experience, fire their grip safety equipped pistol with the web of their hand down that far on the grip consistently enough to give merit to PPPP's diatribe?
I think the moral of this is, if your technique is that bad shooting anything, then better go back to remedial hand gun shooting class and start from scratch.

[Wu Wei]

Originally Posted by pballman19

I dont see it being any safer or more of a hassle. its just there. cause when yuo are holstering your weapon IE, where most inncidents occur. you have ahold of the grip anyways.

- Which is why I trained holstering with my grip shifted back to depress the grip safety. I draw with a firm grip since it is practically impossible for anything ( clothing etc.) to depress the trigger during the motion. Grip-Safeties ROCK! End of story..

[Bill in San Jose]

Originally Posted by ChrisChris

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thoughts?

The world unfortunately is filled with jacka$$s.

They should not be selling guns and telling a new gun owner their stupid ideas.

I'd have asked for the manager, and inquired if he was aware that his employees were encouraging customers to defeat the safeties on firearms he was selling? Did the manager have any idea of the liability of his employee doing that, or what might happen if the 'customer' was a plain clothes person from ATF and investigating their FFL?

But that's me.

[Desert Sailor]

Thanks for the ideas about correct grip. I believe I ran into a batch of bad rounds from Winchester. I've decided to try a better brand and see if I am the problem after all.

[TOMBO]

Originally Posted by Desert Sailor

Thanks for the ideas about correct grip. I believe I ran into a batch of bad rounds from Winchester. I've decided to try a better brand and see if I am the problem after all.

The Winchester is fine. I had the same problems when I first got my XD 40 but after more shooting I adjusted my grip and never had anymore problems.