Hello, I've been lurking on the board for some time now, but decided to go ahead and register. I own an XD-9 Service model and was somewhat dissapointed with the accuracy of the model at 25 yds. I realize that it is not a true 25 yd gun, but was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how I could make it more accurate, I could improve a little on my shooting skills with a handgun, but was looking for some general improvments to the weapon. Thanks for any help.
Service XD-9 Accuracy
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You could try to buy and have fitted a match barrel, then send it Springfield For their accurracy job (they take the slide in a clamp and squeeze the bottom portion of the slide together for a tighter fit on the locking block and rails) This will allow the rear polymer rails to wear though and I would not recomend, but if you want accuacy thats whats needed. Also load your own ammo to suite your pistol or find something thats accurate to start with different ammo behaves differently.
Thanks for the advice, would the match barrel impede on reliability? Because if it does, thats not an option, I'd rather it go bang than be really accurate, and get shot trying to clear the weapon. I'm all on paper at 25 yds, but I would like to get better results, without givving up much reliability. I know I'll give up some, but I don't want a single shot pistol. I've been looking into extended barrels, thinking I should've bought a tactical model. Any comments?
Are you sure it's the gun? I'm not being a smart ass.
With a good gun, I can shoot one inch groups at 50'. When I first shot my .40 tactical, the trigger was so awful (heavy, gritty, and with a ton of overtravel), I was shooting 7" groups. With much trigger polishing, sight adjustment, and installation of a trigger stop, my groups are down to a normal size.
My point: your 4" bbl probably isn't any more inherently inaccurate than the 5", and you may be able to salvage this purchase rather than giving up and moving on to another potential disappointment.
Mine isn't as good as I had hoped, but it gets better the more I tinker with it.
PS - on the positive side, I've had none of the rust issues I anticipated.
With a good gun, I can shoot one inch groups at 50'. When I first shot my .40 tactical, the trigger was so awful (heavy, gritty, and with a ton of overtravel), I was shooting 7" groups. With much trigger polishing, sight adjustment, and installation of a trigger stop, my groups are down to a normal size.
My point: your 4" bbl probably isn't any more inherently inaccurate than the 5", and you may be able to salvage this purchase rather than giving up and moving on to another potential disappointment.
Mine isn't as good as I had hoped, but it gets better the more I tinker with it.
PS - on the positive side, I've had none of the rust issues I anticipated.
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Both our .40's will group around 2.5" at 25 yards, a little over 4 at 50. My son's 9mm shoots just as well. All 3 are bone stock, factory barrels. All are dead reliable.
http://www.thesixgunjournal.com/springfieldxd.htm
With our guns, the flyers are definitely shooter error.
How much accuracy do you need, and can you shoot better than 2" at 25 yards? If you really need more, maybe what you want is a bullseye gun. Expect to sacrifice some reliability when you are tuning autopistols for extreme accuracy.
http://www.thesixgunjournal.com/springfieldxd.htm
With our guns, the flyers are definitely shooter error.
How much accuracy do you need, and can you shoot better than 2" at 25 yards? If you really need more, maybe what you want is a bullseye gun. Expect to sacrifice some reliability when you are tuning autopistols for extreme accuracy.
Really? You find that implausible?NExd said:Also, I would like to throw aon the 1" groups at 50'![]()
50 feet isn't all that far away, and with a heavy enough gun with a good trigger, it isn't a circus trick. I don't even have particularly good eyesight, but I need to know where the target is, i.e. clear reference points visible, but not in focus beyond the front sight.
These are only 5 shot groups btw.
Of course, no matter the inherent mechanical accuracy of the item, I can't do that with a bad trigger or a heavy recoil (with a hot 44mag I can put it on the paper, but that's about it.)
A general rule of thumb is that a handgun will keep shots within 4 inches at 25 yards minimum. This figure seems to be widely quoted in various gun magazines and this figure is arrived either by bench rest, or placing the gun in a mechanical device (Ransom Rest) to eliminate shooter variables.
That said, guns seem to prefer certain lots of ammo and a prettygood performance from an off the self service weapon is 2 to 3 inches at 25 yards. I find the range tests reported from the NRAs "American Rifleman" to be the most "honest" results as they do not seem to get the shear number of ads from various gun makers. They typically test guns using the Ransom rest and often report groupings of 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards on the average with occasional 2 inch groups with a particular brand of ammo.
The advantage of reloading, is finding a "magical" combo or bullet and powder that will give you exceptional results. I was lamenting the shortage of Rainier 124 gr TC copper washed bullets from my favorite supplier (zerobullets.com). Rainer has been substituting their bulet with the South African made Frontier. My groups, at rest, were 2.5 to 3 inches which was not merely as good as with the Rainer....But today, I went to the range with some Frontiers loaded with 4.2 gr of Titegroup (instead of my usual 4.4 gr) and the groups were once again wht I'd expect from the Rainer (4 shots in one ragged hole and one flier an inch away at 50 feet).
I have found my XDs (XD40, XD9SC and XD9 Tactical) are all capable of excellent accuracy with the proper load.
If you are shooting off hand....A really excellent performance is to keep 5 shots in 3 inches at 50 feet. I have in fact done this a few times, but 99% of the time, I struggle to keep all my shots withing 6 to 7 inches off hand at 50 feet with centerfire and 4 to 5 inches with my Ruger .22 using iron sights. If someone is staring over my shoulder; forget it....
That said, guns seem to prefer certain lots of ammo and a prettygood performance from an off the self service weapon is 2 to 3 inches at 25 yards. I find the range tests reported from the NRAs "American Rifleman" to be the most "honest" results as they do not seem to get the shear number of ads from various gun makers. They typically test guns using the Ransom rest and often report groupings of 3 to 4 inches at 25 yards on the average with occasional 2 inch groups with a particular brand of ammo.
The advantage of reloading, is finding a "magical" combo or bullet and powder that will give you exceptional results. I was lamenting the shortage of Rainier 124 gr TC copper washed bullets from my favorite supplier (zerobullets.com). Rainer has been substituting their bulet with the South African made Frontier. My groups, at rest, were 2.5 to 3 inches which was not merely as good as with the Rainer....But today, I went to the range with some Frontiers loaded with 4.2 gr of Titegroup (instead of my usual 4.4 gr) and the groups were once again wht I'd expect from the Rainer (4 shots in one ragged hole and one flier an inch away at 50 feet).
I have found my XDs (XD40, XD9SC and XD9 Tactical) are all capable of excellent accuracy with the proper load.
If you are shooting off hand....A really excellent performance is to keep 5 shots in 3 inches at 50 feet. I have in fact done this a few times, but 99% of the time, I struggle to keep all my shots withing 6 to 7 inches off hand at 50 feet with centerfire and 4 to 5 inches with my Ruger .22 using iron sights. If someone is staring over my shoulder; forget it....
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"off hand". Can I be sitting down at a bench, or do I need to be standing?
I think that the post describing a 1" group at 50 feet is completely reasonable.
In my experience, many stock handguns are easily capable of sub-2 inch groups at 25 yards or more. I shot this five-shot group offhand today, using a modified Weaver stance. Pistol was a bone stock Ruger Mark II target model, and ammunition was Federal Value Pack. I've shot tighter groups from a benchrest. I had this target sitting in my range box today so I took a pic of it, but I've had similar results from other stock handguns, including the XD-9 tactical. Next time I go to the range, I'll try to get some tight groups using the tactical and post them.
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In my experience, many stock handguns are easily capable of sub-2 inch groups at 25 yards or more. I shot this five-shot group offhand today, using a modified Weaver stance. Pistol was a bone stock Ruger Mark II target model, and ammunition was Federal Value Pack. I've shot tighter groups from a benchrest. I had this target sitting in my range box today so I took a pic of it, but I've had similar results from other stock handguns, including the XD-9 tactical. Next time I go to the range, I'll try to get some tight groups using the tactical and post them.
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Comparing a Ruger MkII .22 LR with a 6 3/8" barrel and a XD with a 4" barrel does not prove a thing and you know it. The Ruger is inherently more accurate with the longer barrel and sight radius. It is after all a blood target gun compared to a service piece.
I know that off hand standing in a good chapman without leaning against anything I can keep all of my XD rounds in a 9 ring on a B-27 target at 25 yards. I do not shoot 5 shot groups, I empty a magazine. Most hits are in the 10 ring which has a nice ragged hole in it.
That is what sort of accuracy the gun is meant to have. It was not meant for bullseye competition, but for serious work by serious people. I will never understand why people want to take a tool designed with a specific purpose and twist it to something else. If you want to shoot bullseye get a damn target pistol for several K $. If you want a reliable, serviceable sidearms, get a XD. Enough said.
I know that off hand standing in a good chapman without leaning against anything I can keep all of my XD rounds in a 9 ring on a B-27 target at 25 yards. I do not shoot 5 shot groups, I empty a magazine. Most hits are in the 10 ring which has a nice ragged hole in it.
That is what sort of accuracy the gun is meant to have. It was not meant for bullseye competition, but for serious work by serious people. I will never understand why people want to take a tool designed with a specific purpose and twist it to something else. If you want to shoot bullseye get a damn target pistol for several K $. If you want a reliable, serviceable sidearms, get a XD. Enough said.
Please read the thread again. I'm not comparing a Mark II with the XD, I was responding to the skeptical post about a 1" group at 50' . My point is that many handguns are capable of sub-two inch accuracy, even if they don't cost $1000 and fire precision ammunition. As far as your comment about "specific purpose," Shogan knows why he chose the XD. He elucidated his reasons quite well in his initial post. I'm sure Springfield Armory will be glad to reduce the accuracy of your XD if it makes you feel better! :wink:manygunner said:
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A longer barrel will do nothing for you except add velocity, a longer slide will offer you a longer sight radius which CAN improve accuracy. As far as being a good shot with a rifle, these are totaly two different animals, I shoot a rifle VERY well, as in under 1/2 minute of angle at 100 yards for 5 shots, a pistol on the other hand humbles me. I THOUGHT I was pretty decent untill I started Pin shooting. Practice practice practice and you will see your groups shrink. The XD has more than adequate accuracy for combat needs. A match chamber will be tight and would not be my first choice for a defensive gun.shogan511 said:
I did a couple of Pin shoots with my sub and didnt do too bad, I didnt care that I didnt win, it was great practice with a carry gun under stress.
Thanks for all the replies guys, really. I realize now, that I just need practice. And you're right, rifles and pistols are completely different animals. I just felt that it might have been me, because the second pistol I shot, an XD40, I shot so accurately, it pissed the owner off enough to sell it less than a week later. The only other pistol I had shot was a M9 when I was in the Corps (so was he). But I appreciate all the help, and hope to continue the great conversations on here.
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