Give it another chance or not take that chance?

[Terry A]

My XD-45 finally had a major malfunction. Was shooting factory loaded Federal 230 HB as is the regular load and the slide just froze shut. The thing wouldn't budge at all. I ejected the magazine and tried and tried to no avail to get it to rack.

The guide rod was protruding out an extra quarter of an inch, maybe slightly more. Other than that, nothing else looked different.

I notified Springfield, they immediately e-mailed me a paid in full shipping label along with instructions to take it to a Fed-Ex for shipment back to them.

I received a telephone call two days later from a lady who said the pistol had ben examined, taked apart and re-assembled. She said the tech had a tough time getting the slide to open. She said even though it was totally locked up, it fired fine when they re-asembled it. Every part was in good shape when it was inspected. NO REASON FOR THIS MALFUNCTION COULD BE FOUND.

I received it back in another few days, along with a report that stated they received it in a jammed shut condition. No shell casing was found in the chamber, which is really odd, as there was still another 7 rounds left in the magazine. It was test fired prior to being shipped back.

Here's my question....Should I ever trust this pistol again? Or should I trade it in? Prior to this, I loved it. Many of my posts here on these forums were extolling the virtues of my XD-45. Now it feels like a wife who cheated...can it ever be trusted to be 100% faithful in the future?

I can't say enough good things about Springfield Armory's customer service. But I'm not 100% comfortable that this won't happen again. I have put a magazine thru it with no further problems. But it just isn't the same in my head any more. It showed a flaw.

Should I give it another chance, or not take that chance?

Comments or advice is most welcome fellas!

 

[rsxr22]

thats a really strange problem! I would give the gun a second chance, it sounds ammo related to me and even if you were using factory loads, they still screw stuff up sometimes.

During the ammo frenzy, i couldnt believe how many bad rounds companies were boxing up. They were trying to produce the stuff so fast and obviously not taking their time.

 

[ScottRiqui]

If you go a couple hundred more rounds without the problem happening again, I'd be inclined to trust it.

The nice thing about guns is they go through the same mechanical actions every time they're fired, so problems that are actually inherent to the gun (as opposed to ammo problems) tend to recur pretty frequently and reliably. Compare that to something more complex like a car, where symptoms may only manifest under certain circumstances (heater on, transmission in third gear, tank less than half full, etcetera.)

 

[geetarman]

Very odd post. . . .

I bought some HSM ammo locally because it was pretty cheap and had much the same experience as you,

I went to the range and bought 2 magazines and loaded all 4 up with WWB and shot that with no issue.

I loaded up two magazines with this HSM stuff and the fun began. I had two failures to go into battery with the first magazine and managed to get the gun cleared.

I then loaded the second magazine and the gun locked up and failed to go into battery.

I had to get help to clear the gun.

I then went out to counter and bought two boxes of range ammo and shot three magazines full of that with no failure.

Thinking it must be the ammo, I went to the range today and took a SIG P220 and shot the rest of the ammo up. I had one failure to feed.

The HSM ammo is remanufactured and I will not be buying any more of it but now I am thinking there might be issues with the XDM.

I will be going to the indoor range again and trying some Mag-Tech ammo. I have always had good luck with that.

Please keep us posted on what you find out.

My failures required a whole lot of force to break the round free and get the slide back.

I hope it is an ammo issue and not a problem with the gun.

Geetarman

 

[ScottRiqui]

The HSM ammo is remanufactured and I will not be buying any more of it but now I am thinking there might be issues with the XDM.

Still sounds like an ammo problem to me - it may just be that your XDM isn't as forgiving as your P220 (although even the SIG choked once.)

There are lots of threads here where posters have multiple guns of the same caliber, some of which will reliably feed ammo that will consistently choke their other guns.

 

[rtpzwms]

From Terry A But it just isn't the same in my head any more.

Sounds to me like you have decided what to do on your own. If so I hope you find what you're looking for and good luck.

 

[orionengnr]

My GF had the same problem with her XD-9.
High primer jammed the works up completely--slide was back just 1/32" or so, recoil spring forward just the same amount. Barely noticeable, but would not move in the slightest (in either direction).

Could not extract/eject; took the smith at the range, plus a vise and a leather-faced hammer to bust it loose.

Looking at the round, I could **just** discern that the primer was a tad high.
Doesn't take much. Since I imagine you no longer have the round, it would be difficult to validate...but I'd probably steer clear of that ammo for SD use.

If you can put 200 rounds through it without failure, it is trustworthy.

 

[Terry A]

Today 11:21 PM
rtpzwms Quote:
From Terry A But it just isn't the same in my head any more.

Sounds to me like you have decided what to do on your own. If so I hope you find what you're looking for and good luck.

Thanks everybody who's contributed so far. Good words from all!

geetarman, I was particularly interested in your dilema. It does sound similar.
Naturally, I will update this thread in the next few days as I'm going to keep shooting the XD to see how it performs.

rtpzwms, on the contrary my friend, I'm looking for reasons to KEEP it. I'm about 75% sure I'm keeping it long term, provided it doesn't hiccup any in the next month or so. I'm 100% certain that it only has ONE more chance to be flawless (minor ammo jams, i.e., stovepipes not withstanding).

The words that you all have offered so far are like therapy D) for me. These posts are calming me down on this and giving me hope that it can stay in the family after all!

 

[geetarman]

Terry,

I am feeling the need to take the XDM to the range in the morning and see what happens.

I will jump back on here when I get back.

Geetarman

 

[rtpzwms]

From Terry A

I'm 100% certain that it only has ONE more chance to be flawless (minor ammo jams, i.e., stovepipes not withstanding).

I can understand you position. But with a statement like the one above I would not have it for a SD/HD. I have some that I would never pull for SD/HD but there just so cool I can't get rid of them. My Luger is first on that list Minor ammo jams at the range are fine but not when you only have one chance and need it to work with out issues. If you're having these types problems with the Federal 230 HB I would find a different ammo. The range is the best place to find the ammo that works best for your gun. Again the best of luck!

 

[Terry A]

Today 02:34 AM
rtpzwms From Terry A
Quote:
I'm 100% certain that it only has ONE more chance to be flawless (minor ammo jams, i.e., stovepipes not withstanding).

I can understand you position. But with a statement like the one above I would not have it for a SD/HD. I have some that I would never pull for SD/HD but there just so cool I can't get rid of them. My Luger is first on that list Minor ammo jams at the range are fine but not when you only have one chance and need it to work with out issues. If you're having these types problems with the Federal 230 HB I would find a different ammo. The range is the best place to find the ammo that works best for your gun. Again the best of luck!

rtpzwms,
Prior to this issue with the slide jamming shut, the XD had never even had a stove pipe! It even cycled 185 gr HPs steadily! It was just a tremendous pistol.

What I wrote about it being on it's last chance was true. The minor ammo jams (which have never occured thus far) was me giving it more lee-way than I should have! I feel like a dad who is "enabling" an errant child to have some "wiggle room". Not my intention. So, to re-phrase it, the ol' XD is already on it's very last chance. Any susbsequent malfunctions of any kind and it'll be traded in on another brand .45! (I feel better having said that!)

Thanks rtpzwms for the tough love brother! You're right, of course. It needs to know how I really feel about it.

Them guns of ours, they know if they get pampered or not. This XD HAS to stay a manly gun to be afforded the priviledge of being called a primary self-defense weapon of choice! Be assured he'll be having a nice diet of assorted ammo to consume this week to prove whether he still has it or not!

 

[Leejack]

Terry, just a thought:

First, sorry to hear of this unusual event.

I would probably limit the gun to range use for a while. I would shoot the heck out of it, and then shoot it some more.

You will know after a while whether or not this gun is a keeper. You, and only you will feel it (one way or the other) in your gut.

Sometimes, "flukes" happen that are never duplicated again.

I wish you the best of luck,

Lee

 

[houser52]

Like the others have said I believe I would use it strictly as a range gun for awhile and shoot the crap out of it to see if it would happen again.
I had a XD 9 jam shut during an IDPA match one time and luckily I unjammed it after pushing the muzzle end of the slide hard against a tree. Never did find out why. It never jammed again after that one time.

 

[insolentshrew]

My GF had the same problem with her XD-9.
High primer jammed the works up completely--slide was back just 1/32" or so, recoil spring forward just the same amount. Barely noticeable, but would not move in the slightest (in either direction).

My dad's xd-9 had a similar instance when I was shooting at a friends farm. It was caused by reloads that we had, soft lead bullets for range use. One of them was slightly larger and basically got squished outwards when going into the battery and caused it to lock up the same way with the slide just a hair further back than it should have been. We took a block of wood on the back of the slide and gently tapped it down with a hammer until it was all the way forward & then we were able to fire the round/slide returned and locked. I find it very odd that they mentioned in OP that they said it was frozen forward with no shell at all in it. Unless there was a little bit of debris in the gun, how else would it have locked up like that without empty brass/live round?

 

[geetarman]

I just got back from the range with the XDM and shot 4 magazines of MagTech 230 gr. No failures at all. I think the issue with my gun was the HSM ammo and I will not be using any more of that.

Geetarman

 

[Terry A]

Today 12:04 PM
insolentshrew Quote:
My GF had the same problem with her XD-9.
High primer jammed the works up completely--slide was back just 1/32" or so, recoil spring forward just the same amount. Barely noticeable, but would not move in the slightest (in either direction).

My dad's xd-9 had a similar instance when I was shooting at a friends farm. It was caused by reloads that we had, soft lead bullets for range use. One of them was slightly larger and basically got squished outwards when going into the battery and caused it to lock up the same way with the slide just a hair further back than it should have been. We took a block of wood on the back of the slide and gently tapped it down with a hammer until it was all the way forward & then we were able to fire the round/slide returned and locked. I find it very odd that they mentioned in OP that they said it was frozen forward with no shell at all in it. Unless there was a little bit of debris in the gun, how else would it have locked up like that without empty brass/live round?

The part about the SA rep saying there was NO shell casing inside the chamber really bamboozled me as well. I can't even understand how that would even be possible????

The gun was clean prior to shooting it. The ammo (factory) was what usually goes thru it. The one clue I had in my mind was I remember reading somewhere that when we clean the XD-45, extra care should be used when returning the guide rod assembly into it's proper configuration. Any deviation, no matter how slight, was said to cause functioning issues. I mentioned that to the rep who telephoned me and she really had nothing to say on that. No fault of hers, as she was basically reading to me the "in house" report from the tech who took apart, examined, re-assembled and test fired my pistol.

If it had a spent casing inside, it would make just a little more sense to me.

 

[Skans]

GET RID OF IT! When a gun fails that bad, I don't take any chances - I get rid of it and get something more reliable. That's what I did with my Taurus PT-99 when it locked up like that due to a shattered locking block.

 

[g.willikers]

Does that model have a polymer recoil guide?
If so, maybe it's not quite straight and causing the slide to sometimes bind on it.
Since the recoil guide can turn, a slightly less than straight one might not act up all the time.
Just a thought.
One more reason to carry a 1911.
When they quit working, they still make a good hefty club.

 

[Terry A]

Today 04:04 PM
g.willikers Does that model have a polymer recoil guide?
If so, maybe it's not quite straight and causing the slide to sometimes bind on it.
Since the recoil guide can turn, a slightly less than straight one might not act up all the time.
Just a thought.
One more reason to carry a 1911.
When they quit working, they still make a good hefty club.

No, it's not a polymer recoil guide, it's steel. Good thought though.
I really do appreciate all the help and insights here fellas! You are a bunch of really good guys in my book!

 

[rtpzwms]

Today 12:04 PM
insolentshrew Quote:
My GF had the same problem with her XD-9.

Wow! now I'm wondering how many have had this problem with the XD-9? Is this a known issue? Was there a recall? I don't have the answers and I'm not trying to bash just asking if someone has even more info on this. I think the gun looks cool and I would like to see one up close. Wouldn't it be nice to see the return desk records on this type of stuff from all of the gun makers?