Help out a noob, would ya?

[Crit]

I finally found this forum where I can learn a lot about the XD. I can't, however, find a thread that includes info on popular options. I'm looking to purchase a ported XD40 and a 9mm barrel to keep down on the practice soot and cheaper ammo. I'm looking at both the lasermax and laserlyte laser sights as well as fiber night-sights. From what I understand, both night sights and the lasermax use hardware that replaces the guide rod. Can someone with a few minutes of downtime run down info about interchanging barrels as well as sight options? How do night sights work, and what kinds of features does one look for?

In all honesty, my XD will sit with the ported barrel and hollow points for defense, but will shoot a lot more 9mm rounds when it comes time to plink cans and teach the woman how it works. Basically, I'd like someone to just talk to me about common approaches one takes.

Thanks guys.

[Old School]

I think that a few simple searches will give you the information that you need. If you are looking for the basics on conversion barrels, this may help: http://www.pistol-gear.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=28

As for popular mods, Don's Guide rod is a favorite. So are new sights, whether the sights are for competiton or carry.

Welcome to the board.

[Son of Norway]

Welcome.

Skip the ported version brah. It sounds like you are interested in low-light shooting and ported pistols flash like cameras. Not what you want in that situation. [Dr. Evil]: A "LAZER" is a matter of what floats your boat. Since the XD has an accessory rail I think that's the right place to put a "LAZER". [\Dr. Evil] Night sights have some sort of radio-active glow that someone more scientific than me would have to explain. Mepro's and Tru-glo's are pretty good.

[Crit]

At the risk of sounding like a neanderthal, I'm a mechanical engineer and porting means more machining which, to me, means more purty. In reality, if I'm ever shooting my XD in anger, I definitely want the functionality of a compensator, whether in low-light or during the day. I only expect to shoot with the ported barrel twice, and the first will be practice, so I'm not concerned about the soot or anything. As far as flash, I learned in Basic what to do with flares in low light - close one eye when it's bright so you can then shoot with that eye in the dark. Once you've been through it a few times, it's second-nature. For the nominal upcharge for the porting, I can have the handgun I want and use a 9mm barrel when I'm looking to keep things clean and flash-free.

The reason for this post is that I really wanted some base-level background on how fiber sights worked and what systems people prefer. Nearly every thread I've found focuses on a single system and its specifics but I was looking for some much more broad info.

Thanks again, guys.

BTW, I finally found a single seller for a ported XD40 for $400 used but didn't know if there's anywhere I should check that would be cheaper. Are there popular sellers on the forum that move a lot of XDs?

And I just realized that my search was limited to the FAQ section rather than the whole forum. I'm sure I can find what I'm looking for now.

[MTEagle1]

After trying some night time IDPA, trust me you DO NOT want porting. In basic you were warned about flares but in your bedroom in the dark you do not want to be closing 1 eye. Are you also going to stop and put on ear protection so you are not numbed by the shock. As an owner of 3 compensated pistols, 1 rifle & 1 shotgun the noise levels triples. The revolver has a flame path around the cylinder bigger than a basketball while the Glock looks like someone set off the flare at the end of the muzzle. The shotgun has 11 ports on each side of the barrels and looks like baby flame throwers. Ask a cop who has tried a close retention shot with a ported barrel if he was ready for a followup shot.

$400 is a good price for a ported XD40 provided it has been cleaned properly. Did I mention it is not a good idea to shoot lead bullets through a ported barrel as the melting lead tends to close up the ports.