FTE with 9mm conversion barrel - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

erikhill · 07-26-2005, 07:50 AM

My XD-40 performs flawlessly. Over 1000 rounds through it and not one malfunction. When I put in the EFK barrel to change it over to 9mm about every 10-15th round I will have a FTE. I have changed grip, made sure i am not limp wristing, changed ammo, and still very couple of rounds it won't eject the empty case. The case comes halfway out of the chamber and then stops, holding the slide open. I then change out the barrel and go back to 40 and no problems. Is there a problem with the extractor? Problem with the barrel? Any suggestions?

ttheobald · 07-26-2005, 08:02 AM

Problem is heat. Your new barrel needs to break in a bit, or perhaps it might need just a little filing to smooth out the action. After a clip or so the barrel will have expanded a bit and will cause a little extra gripping (mine would lock closed until it cooled).

Just keep plugging, and look for spots that get more wear than others - those you can scrape (gently!) with a fine file to remove a few micrometers at a time to speed the process a little.

T

therooster · 07-26-2005, 12:08 PM

my kimber used to do this.

the extractor would pull the empty casing out and the ejector would bump it to eject it, but it wouldnt budge and it would slam the casing in the ejection port. the problem was... the extractor had such a tight hold on the casing that the ejector couldnt eject it. so i cliped a few coils off the extractor spring and it fixed it.

if this sounds similar to your problem it may be your extractor. make sure its clean, and make sure it performs fine with the stock barrel. get someone to adjust your extractor, and dont cut the spring... thats a last chance fix.

willbond · 07-26-2005, 12:16 PM

I had a few FTE's with my XD357 when I first used the EFK 9mm Conversion Barrel. I switched back to the factory Guide Rod Asssembly and no more FTE's. The 22# Spring I was using seemed to be a little much for 9mm.

jkswiss · 07-26-2005, 01:36 PM

Are you using the stock Rod??

I think the stock spring is 16-18#, im not sure which one but its one of those two.

If you have Don's guide rod and a Wolf spring thats rated higher than that, it might not cycle properly. I have a 22# spring that works flawlessly with .40 but w/ 9mm, it more often than not, fails to lock back on the last round.

erikhill · 07-28-2005, 12:55 PM

I am still using the stock rod/spring. The only modification is the EFK barrel. If the extractor was the problem, wouldn't it also have the same problem when using the stock barrel? So far the FTE problem is just with the conversion barrel. Do you think I need to polish the chamber or file something down?

sjp2452 · 07-28-2005, 03:10 PM

I have the same problem, though perhaps not as severe. Near as I can tell, the extractor doesn't get as good a grip on the rim of the 9mm round as it does on the .40. I'm not sure if there is a different extractor between the XD9 and the XD40, but I suspect there is.

How do the primer hits look on the 9mm cases? Dead center, shifted up or down?

Do like I do--use it for range work, but when it comes to your life, stick with stock.

It's unfortunate--bad taste in my mouth from EFK...

erikhill · 07-29-2005, 01:25 AM

So far, all of the firing pin marks have been dead center in the primer.

Tango Sierra · 07-29-2005, 07:24 AM

I haven't had a problem with ejection using my EFK conversion barrel but the brass tends to just drop to the right of the gun near my feet instead of to further back and to my right like with the stock 357sig barrel so it's probably just barely clearing the ejection port with the EFK.

mo - oregon · 07-30-2005, 08:49 PM

Just came back from a quick trip to the range with my EFK conversion barrel and ran 50 rounds through it with no issues. I was really concerned because of the report of issues here. I was very happy and relieved, I know that 50 isn't much to hang your hat on but it was enough to tell me that it was shootable.

It is easy to see why the ejector may have issues if you put the barrel in the slide with a cartridge in it (no spring) - do it with .40 then do it with a 9mm. The .40 has no where to go, the ejector grips it hard. The 9mm barely gets hooked by the ejector and if it tilts away from the ejector at all, it will lose grip. It is likely very much ammo specific - the range I go to only allows 'clean' ammo bought from them so I was happy that it worked well with their ammo. With some other ammo I get really poor ejection just cycling unfired ammo through the action.

One other note:
This was definitely NOT a drop-in for me. I had to do a lot of work looking at the stock barrel and where it had been shaped to fit and matching it on the EFK barrel, 5 total places. The 2 big areas were bevels on the 'C' shaped area at the bottom and then removing a lot of material from the top of the barrel right in front of the ejector port which prevented the barrel from locking up into the slide while in battery.

In the end it is a very tight fit and I was really happy with how it shot right at point of aim but it was definitely more work than expected.

07-26-2005, 07:50 AM	#1
erikhill XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 13	FTE with 9mm conversion barrel My XD-40 performs flawlessly. Over 1000 rounds through it and not one malfunction. When I put in the EFK barrel to change it over to 9mm about every 10-15th round I will have a FTE. I have changed grip, made sure i am not limp wristing, changed ammo, and still very couple of rounds it won't eject the empty case. The case comes halfway out of the chamber and then stops, holding the slide open. I then change out the barrel and go back to 40 and no problems. Is there a problem with the extractor? Problem with the barrel? Any suggestions? __________________ XD-40 Service SA - V10 Ultra Compact .45 ACP Kel-Tec P3AT Sig P226 S&W 38 Special Benelli M1 Super-90

07-26-2005, 12:08 PM	#3
therooster XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: houston TX Posts: 1,669	my kimber used to do this. the extractor would pull the empty casing out and the ejector would bump it to eject it, but it wouldnt budge and it would slam the casing in the ejection port. the problem was... the extractor had such a tight hold on the casing that the ejector couldnt eject it. so i cliped a few coils off the extractor spring and it fixed it. if this sounds similar to your problem it may be your extractor. make sure its clean, and make sure it performs fine with the stock barrel. get someone to adjust your extractor, and dont cut the spring... thats a last chance fix. __________________ live with honor, and let not your death be born by the pallbearers of disgrace, cruelty, weakness, and fear. - Justin Smith in a letter to Lt. Col. Dave Grossman TXDPSA

07-26-2005, 12:16 PM	#4
willbond XDTalk 500 Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: OKC Posts: 547	I had a few FTE's with my XD357 when I first used the EFK 9mm Conversion Barrel. I switched back to the factory Guide Rod Asssembly and no more FTE's. The 22# Spring I was using seemed to be a little much for 9mm. __________________ XD357 2 Pairs of Cuffs 2 Cans of O.C. Spray Minivan w/remote activated side door. 12 year old son with Red Belt in Tae Kwon Do 12 year old XTreme Duty Shih Tzu with skin condition

07-28-2005, 12:55 PM	#6
erikhill XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 13	I am still using the stock rod/spring. The only modification is the EFK barrel. If the extractor was the problem, wouldn't it also have the same problem when using the stock barrel? So far the FTE problem is just with the conversion barrel. Do you think I need to polish the chamber or file something down? __________________ XD-40 Service SA - V10 Ultra Compact .45 ACP Kel-Tec P3AT Sig P226 S&W 38 Special Benelli M1 Super-90

07-28-2005, 03:10 PM	#7
sjp2452 XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Land 'o Lakes, MN Posts: 1,014	I have the same problem, though perhaps not as severe. Near as I can tell, the extractor doesn't get as good a grip on the rim of the 9mm round as it does on the .40. I'm not sure if there is a different extractor between the XD9 and the XD40, but I suspect there is. How do the primer hits look on the 9mm cases? Dead center, shifted up or down? Do like I do--use it for range work, but when it comes to your life, stick with stock. It's unfortunate--bad taste in my mouth from EFK... __________________ ********************************* "Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here, and drink whatever comes out?"

07-26-2005, 08:02 AM	#2
ttheobald XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Columbia, MO Posts: 223	Problem is heat. Your new barrel needs to break in a bit, or perhaps it might need just a little filing to smooth out the action. After a clip or so the barrel will have expanded a bit and will cause a little extra gripping (mine would lock closed until it cooled). Just keep plugging, and look for spots that get more wear than others - those you can scrape (gently!) with a fine file to remove a few micrometers at a time to speed the process a little. T

07-26-2005, 01:36 PM	#5
jkswiss XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,085	Are you using the stock Rod?? I think the stock spring is 16-18#, im not sure which one but its one of those two. If you have Don's guide rod and a Wolf spring thats rated higher than that, it might not cycle properly. I have a 22# spring that works flawlessly with .40 but w/ 9mm, it more often than not, fails to lock back on the last round.

07-29-2005, 01:25 AM	#8
erikhill XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Waco, TX Posts: 13	So far, all of the firing pin marks have been dead center in the primer. __________________ XD-40 Service SA - V10 Ultra Compact .45 ACP Kel-Tec P3AT Sig P226 S&W 38 Special Benelli M1 Super-90

07-29-2005, 07:24 AM	#9
Tango Sierra XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Illinois Posts: 180	I haven't had a problem with ejection using my EFK conversion barrel but the brass tends to just drop to the right of the gun near my feet instead of to further back and to my right like with the stock 357sig barrel so it's probably just barely clearing the ejection port with the EFK. __________________ 357sig....- Springfield XD, SIG P226ST 45acp....- Kimber Custom CDP & Classic Royal 9mm......- H&K USP, CZ 75b, Browning BDA, SigSauer P225, Browning Hi-Power revolvers- Taurus CIA 850b, S&W M19 nickel 4", S&W M581 4"

07-30-2005, 08:49 PM	#10
mo - oregon XDTalk Newbie Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Aloha, OR Posts: 10	Just came back from a quick trip to the range with my EFK conversion barrel and ran 50 rounds through it with no issues. I was really concerned because of the report of issues here. I was very happy and relieved, I know that 50 isn't much to hang your hat on but it was enough to tell me that it was shootable. It is easy to see why the ejector may have issues if you put the barrel in the slide with a cartridge in it (no spring) - do it with .40 then do it with a 9mm. The .40 has no where to go, the ejector grips it hard. The 9mm barely gets hooked by the ejector and if it tilts away from the ejector at all, it will lose grip. It is likely very much ammo specific - the range I go to only allows 'clean' ammo bought from them so I was happy that it worked well with their ammo. With some other ammo I get really poor ejection just cycling unfired ammo through the action. One other note: This was definitely NOT a drop-in for me. I had to do a lot of work looking at the stock barrel and where it had been shaped to fit and matching it on the EFK barrel, 5 total places. The 2 big areas were bevels on the 'C' shaped area at the bottom and then removing a lot of material from the top of the barrel right in front of the ejector port which prevented the barrel from locking up into the slide while in battery. In the end it is a very tight fit and I was really happy with how it shot right at point of aim but it was definitely more work than expected.

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