[para401957]

I am trying to get less muzzel flip from my XDM. I have installed a Canyon Creek Tongston Shinny guide rod. This guide rod will let me use 1911 5in. springs that have been cut off to fit a 4 1/2in. gun.

Has anyone installed lighter than factory 17lb recoil springs in their XDM, and what was the result?

 

[CHA-LEE]

When I did my initial testing with recoil springs on the XDm I really liked the 16lb spring. But when I switched from the A-Grip to Grip Tape along with using ProGrip on my hands the 16lb spring was too light and I ended up switching to a 20lb spring to get the front sight to return back to its natural position post shot. With the 16lb spring the front sight would be high after the shot.

Which recoil spring you use really depends on your grip so its best to get a range of springs and try each one until the front sight returns to the correct position post shot.

You also have to rig up a scale measuring system to accuratly measure the spring lb rating before and after you cut the springs to make sure that you are not changing the lb rating of the spring by cutting off too much or too little. Its not as simple as cutting 1/2 an inch off the spring to compensate for the barrel length difference.

 

[para401957]

Well I used a 12 1/2lb sping first, it made the slide feel like my 1911 USPSA gun when I cycled it. I took it out to the range, it shot like a dream, but I had some failer of the slide to go completely back into battery. The spring wasn't heavy enough, so I wondered if someone had played with lighter spring wieghts. But my fixed three dot sights were dead on at 15yds.

 

[Loves2Shoot]

Any lower than 16#'s is dangerous.

 

[CHA-LEE]

para401957> If you find a slide spring that works best for the return of the sights post shot but does not return the slide to full battery then try clipping coils off of the firing pin spring. On the XD's the firing pin spring fights against the slide spring when the slide comes forward. If you make the firing pin spring softer by cutting coils off you get a more consistent slide return and better battery engagement. The only trade off is that if you go too far with the firing pin spring lightening you will start to get light strikes on the primers which lead to misfires. On my pistol I can cut 5 coils off of the firing pin spring and still get solid primer strikes with Blazer Brass ammo. How soft you can make the firing pin spring really depends on how hard or deep the primers are in the ammo you use. Lightning up the firing pin spring also lightens up the trigger pull weight as well so it’s really a double win. Give it a try, I know it made a big difference on my XDm.

 

[Loves2Shoot]

...or you could just by the lighter striker spring, but going too light on your recoil spring in a 9mm doesn't pay back much.

 

[para401957]

I already have a lighter stiker spring which came in the trigger spring kit from Canyon Creek that my gun smith instelled for me.

AAlso I have a XDM 40 not a 9mm. I also am shooting a 180 TC lead bullet at 700fps for target shooting.