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Failure to lock open

2K views 13 replies 5 participants last post by  TSiWRX 
#1 ·
Had my XD Defender series 9mm at the range this morning, and experienced several failures of the slide to lock open after the last round. Used two magazines, happened with both.
I will admit the the gun has only had a lick and a promise as far as cleaning the last couple of hundred rounds.
Any ideas here?
 
#4 ·
^ This is the biggie.

@CoachChuck , to confirm, you can simply shoot the gun with your left hand or, alternatively, "hitch-hike" your right (I'm assuming dominant) thumb (particularly when shooting single-handed: either that, or completely bury it ["making a fist"]) to insure that you're not impeding the function of the slide-stop/release as the magazine follower pushes it up at the end of the mag.

Occasionally, the support (left) hand of a right-hand-dominant shooter can also be the issue: it can both cause the catch to not engage or to engage early. If this is the case, simply fixing how you are placing that hand on the frame of the gun should solve the problem.

Cleaning usually doesn't make much of a difference, here. The mechanism by which the slide-stop operates is that it is moved upwards by the follower at the end of the latter's travel inside the magazine body, as the last round in the mag is expended. It is possible that debris could get into the recesses of the mechanism and keep it from coming up and/or some kind of weird collection of debris could have accumulated either at the end of the slide-stop or in the notch cut into the slide where it needs to engage, but that's really stretching it..... :) Usually, if there's an actual hardware issue, it's going to be something to do with the magazine follower being broken (and thus physically unable to displace the slide stop upwards to engage), magazine spring tension loss (through use-cycles, but this typically takes A_LOT_ of use to incur ---> Springfield xdm 9mm mags ), the slide stop spring itself having broken or was installed improperly (typically both are incurred during reassembly from detail-stripping), or a chip in the slide.

If you just started using different ammo in the gun, what you've seen can potentially point to a unique-gun/unique-ammo issue. If this is the case, simply note what ammo you've just switched to, and set it aside for training use: I would specifically choose to load it as the last round fired in random magazines so that you can train towards a spontaneous and unexpected failure-to-lock. :) Look at it this way: yes, a defensive/duty semiautomatic handgun should lock that slide back on the last round, but on what is already arguably the worst day of your life - when you have to bring this firearm into the equation to save your life of that of a loved one's - what else can possibly go wrong? ;)
 
#9 ·
I have experienced this problem and makes me shy away from the gun some. I am not as confident in the reliability in a defensive situation. Not getting rid of it yet but I shoot the XD the same way I shoot my XDE and my G19. it's not worth much on the open market so It will be here till I decide different. Seems a stiffer spring in the slide release may help, maybe.
 
#10 ·
^ The slide-stop spring is designed to hold the slide-stop down - disengaged so that it does not prematurely lock the slide open - and is overcome (displaced up, so as to stop the slide) by the travel of the magazine spring, which forces the magazine follower up towards the chamber of the weapon as cartridges are expended during the firing cycle.

Once the last round has been discharged, the final displacement of the magazine spring upwards into the now empty chamber causes a specific area of the magazine follower to engage its mating point on the frame side of the slide-stop lever, pushing it up and into the detent notch in the slide, locking it open.

A stiffer spring in the slide release will (and it's a "may," at that) only help if you are experiencing premature slide-lock due to interference from your hand(s) - and it will incur the need to replace your magazine spring earlier than typically necessary.

Take a moment and step through the troubleshooting that I've listed above in post #4, and see if you can't figure out what's causing the problem for you so that you can pursue a specific remedy. :)
 
#11 ·
I'm aware of the fault here being me and my thumb. But I have had many compact handguns and never had this problem with having to be so careful to not rest my thumb near the slide release. Is there an aftermarket slide release that might be shorter less likely to be engaged? I had an XDS, Walther PPSM2,Ruger SR9C, none of rhem were so touchy this way. I'll look around and see.
 
#12 ·
^ Yup, some guns are just gonna find our unique anatomies differently - I wasn't blaming you: it simply happens. :)

Me, for example, I interact in all sorts of funny ways with standard Glock double-stackers' (I have no issues with this, on their single-stackers) slide-stop/release when I place my support (left) hand "naturally" on the gun. I have to be conscious to modify my support hand grip or, alternatively, if the gun is mine, I simply use an aftermarket slide-stop to solve the problem.

The troubleshooting tree was just in hopes that maybe there's something else that you'd missed that could help solve the issue, that's all.

I don't know that a relieved slide-stop/release like the Springer Precision item that I'd mentioned above for the XDm is available for the XD. The PistolGear unit would be counter-productive.

IIRC, at least one member on the Forums who hit his slide-stop with a Dremel or other tool (and then a bit of cold-blue) so as to make it more comfortable for him while shooting (its squared edges were digging into his flesh, and actually peeling off skin). A similar attempt could be made in an effort to relieve the rear portion of the slide-stop in a way that's similar to the Springer Precision unit (I discuss this a bit, here: XDm -9 MM COMPACT 3.8 UPGRADE 1.0), so that it helps clear your dominant thumb (if that is the culprit) - or modify it in an otherwise similar manner if it's your non-dominant hand that's the issue.
 
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