XD Talk

caj123 · 02-22-2009, 09:35 PM

All,

I have an XDM 9mm with over 1000 rounds through it. Unfortunately it seems to consistently put the first round low and left (off about 3-4 inches even at 10 feet). This is very disappointing since the other rounds are in a tight 1-2 inch group.

Since I am a new pistol shooter, I always want to blame myself. However, I've had other XD and 1911 owners shoot it from a fixed position with the same results.

After a bunch of research I found that it might be a "4+1 syndrome" as exposed by Massad Ayoob in "The Complete Book of Handguns 2009". In this article he states that at least some XDMs (.40 caliber) seem to have this issue which occurs when the first hand-chambered cartridge sends its bullet to a slightly different point then the other automatically chambered rounds. I have the same issue with both magazines and various brands of low cost range ammo.

Have any other XDM owners experienced and/or solved this problem?

Any other suggestions/thoughts are welcome.

Thanks in advance!

stainone · 02-22-2009, 09:48 PM

don't know 1st i have heard of it?

sourpatch45 · 02-22-2009, 09:52 PM

^^me too

how do you chamber the first round?

it doesnt matter if the gun is shot or you manually pull the slide back and sling shot it, it both situations the slide comes to a stop at full rear and then is pulled forward by the spring pressure. now if you "ride" the slide forward then you are changing the speed at which it goes forward

caj123 · 02-22-2009, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourpatch45

^^me too

how do you chamber the first round?

it doesnt matter if the gun is shot or you manually pull the slide back and sling shot it, it both situations the slide comes to a stop at full rear and then is pulled forward by the spring pressure. now if you "ride" the slide forward then you are changing the speed at which it goes forward

I typically leave the slide locked, and use the slide release lever to chamber the first round out of the magazine. Nothing special.

I've also tried manually chambering the first round and using slide release lever to release the slide.

Both result in the same issue.

dglock · 02-22-2009, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caj123

I typically leave the slide locked, and use the slide release lever to chamber the first round out of the magazine. Nothing special.

I've also tried manually chambering the first round and using slide release lever to release the slide.

Both result in the same issue.

You stand a very good chance of breaking your extractor if you manualy load a round into the chamber and then drop the slide.

don

gM4dd · 02-23-2009, 07:54 AM

From a tactical standpoint, i was told to grip the slide and let it rip. Very fine movements like using the slide release lever can be a bad habit for a tactical situation, so i bring my left hand up and over the slide and slingshot it as I am a right handed shooter. Maybe you can try chambering the 1st round this way, but I dunno, seems like the round should sit properly unless you ride the slide. I have had first shot accuracy in my XDm9, but have not shot the 40 yet.

caj123 · 02-23-2009, 11:41 AM

gM4dd,

So you always slingshot the slide when reloading? For example, if you empty a mag, and the slide remains locked, you DO NOT use the slide release lever to load the first round of a new magazine (and you use a slingshot instead)? Just wondering what the recommended approach is.

Thanks again!

bullit · 02-23-2009, 11:50 AM

you can use the release but it is best to use the sling shot method. that builds muscle memory and if you were to have a problem you are then used to using the sling shot method

DanD23 · 02-23-2009, 02:35 PM

FWIW, I had noticed the same thing in my 9mm. One of the guys at the range asked if I was hand loading or doing an speed loader for loading my magazine? What he showed me was that sometimes, I was not seating the round all the way back in the magazine on the last round in (first round fired). I started making sure I pushed it all the way back in the magazine, and I have noticed a marked decrease in the problem. Don't know if that is really the issue, or more a psychological crutch that got me over some trigger control issue. But hey, it worked for me.

caj123 · 02-23-2009, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanD23

FWIW, I had noticed the same thing in my 9mm. One of the guys at the range asked if I was hand loading or doing an speed loader for loading my magazine? What he showed me was that sometimes, I was not seating the round all the way back in the magazine on the last round in (first round fired). I started making sure I pushed it all the way back in the magazine, and I have noticed a marked decrease in the problem. Don't know if that is really the issue, or more a psychological crutch that got me over some trigger control issue. But hey, it worked for me.

DanD23,

That is very interesting. Next time I am at the range I will make sure all bullets are completely seated against the back of the magazine. Not sure that is the problem, but it is certainly something to look at. BTW, do you load the first round out of the magazine by "slingshotting" the slide?

Thanks again!