Any questions for the XD experts?

[Rotorhead]

I will be attending the International Assoc of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI) Annual Training Conference in Nashville, TN the week before Memorial Day. I will be taking a 1 day class titled "Springfield Armory Model XD Pistol Armorer's Course". While I will not be able to ask unlimited questions, I am sure I will be able to ask a few. Is there a question you might like to ask the experts? I will try to pick out a few of the best and see if I can present 1 or 2. Perhaps in during the course someone else might ask a simular question. Thanks.

[TStick]

What is the most common failure they have seen in the XD line? What causes it, and how can it be avoided?

[iCreek]

How many rounds do they suggest changing out the guide rod? Or what would they suggest changing out at 3K, 5K, 10K, etc.

[dglock]

Originally Posted by iCreek

How many rounds do they suggest changing out the guide rod? Or what would they suggest changing out at 3K, 5K, 10K, etc.

Why would you ever have to change the guide rod?

Or did you mean the recoil spring.

don

[Charlie Xray]

Ask about the nose-dive jams associated with the XD45 that was corrected with the XDm45.

CX

[iCreek]

Originally Posted by dglock

Why would you ever have to change the guide rod?

Or did you mean the recoil spring.

don

Thanks Don, yes I meant the recoil spring.

[Rotorhead]

I've replied to each asker privately so they would get the answer to their question without digging back in here for it. But I will post the answers here for anyone else to see. The most common failure seen with the XDs: The most common failure they see is owners going way beyond what their manuals recommend for disassembly for cleaning. Detailed disassembly of the XD and XDm is pretty easy. Putting everything back...not so much. In particular the magazine catch/release system takes about 2 seconds to remove and is a monster to put back. The grip safety can be tricky as well. Some of the parts and springs are very small and are often lost. It is common for untrained do-it-yourself armorers to damage parts or replace them incorrectly and go nuts trying to determine why their pistol is not functioning properly.

When to change recoil spring: On a free spring system (single spring that is easily removed from single recoil rod like on a 1911) they recommend replacing the spring after 5,000 rds. On the captured spring systems (2 springs that are not removable from the rod system) they recommend replacement after 10,000 rds.

They were unaware of the nose dive problems. The head of the service department was there and she said they had not had any complaints that could be traced to any defect on the part of the pistol. Failure of a round to be successfully striped from the mag and chambered is a feeding problem and is almost always associated with a dirty mag or pistol. In some cases it is caused by using ammo not designed to operate in the XDs (wadcutters). Other times it is caused by handloaded ammo that is too long and hangs up in the mag. Neither I nor anyone else in my armorer's course had experienced any such problems in our .45s.

[TStick]

Thank you Rotorhead!