Big Problems w/ My Little XDs

[jimneb]

I have had light strikes in every box of ammo. Anywhere from 1-6 light strikes in every box of 50 rounds. It happens with all 3 of my magazines, in random locations in the magazine. The light strikes show a very small dent that is located way off center, and the fired rounds have a nice, deep dent, not always perfectly centered, but moreso than the rounds that don't fire.

Last night was the first time I had any failure to feed problems, which happened twice, and one stovepiped. I don't limpwrist the gun, I can shoot this XDS one handed, left or right, without a light strike, so shooting it two-handed, fully locked out and having it light strike is contrary to the common limpwristing problem many people could legitimately complain about.

When it shoots, it shoots great, but I can't get the gun to stop malfunctioning in less than 100 rounds, which doesn't give me enough confidence to carry it yet. I have put 450 rounds through it, and it is getting ridiculous to be spending this much on ammo trying to proof out a bunch of theories that don't fix the problem.

I have contacted Springfield 3 times about the problem, but they only indicated cleaning it and relubing it, leaving it 'wet'. That didn't solve the problem, and I am still having problems after having sent it back to Springfield. They disassembled it, saw nothing wrong and re-lubed it. They test fired it and it worked; well yeah, I can get it to run for just a few mags, too, usually, but it will have a light strike within 100 rounds.

I normally love Springfield, and have shot them for 20+ years, so this is a frustrating and conflicting problem for me. But I am disappointed in Springfield's dismissing attitude about the problem. I also have a problem with the recoil assembly having nicks on the edge that even created burrs. I sent a picture of that to Springfield and was told it was normal. This was after the first 60 rounds.

The gun shoots straight and handles well, when it does shoot. It is the perfect concealed carry pistol with great features, and most people are having great luck with it, but mine so far is a lemon, and I am getting fed up with spending a pantload of money on ammo just to prove these theories aren't fixing the problem.

My serial number is XS551xxx and it was test fired by Springfield on 10-26-12. Is yours an earlier production model?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[douglanders]

I disassembled and found these damaged/worn areas that don't appear to be nominally designed part wear. All of them point to related components that point toward the failure with the light strike. How they exactly relate, I'm not sure completely, but a few relationships between the parts makes sense.

The damage on mine is in the recoil assembly's flange that seats on the notch in the barrel, like the barrel link on a 1911. The flange is being shaven off on the edges; I mic'd the flange thickness from .039" (where I can't hardly find any virgin material) to .052" where the largest burr is. The diameter, because of the material shaved off on the edges, ranges from about .500"-.505" due to the distortion of the flange diameter.

Another image is the striker pin itself, where there is a chunk taken out of the lower part of the disconnector/stop. That is the 'button' under the slide that allows the striker pin to travel forward into the primer. Otherwise, it blocks the striker (as in the case of dropping the gun in the muzzle) as a safety.

The other image shows the middle round (still live) with the off-center striker hit (also a very light hit), and two fired rounds with a well-centered striker hit (a nice, deep primer dent), and the most off-center striker hit in the batch of brass I recovered and analyzed.

20121215_160849.jpg20121215_153620.jpg20121215_152345.jpg

My best guess for now is that the recoil assembly has a problem with the steel temper, which I reported and sent photos to Springfield about. If the steel shears there, it takes some of the energy away from the recoil assembly, among other issues that aren't part of the design. I will contact Springfield, first, before I start stoning any parts to remove burrs. I wanted the full burrs on there to show them the trouble spots produced by the gun's own parts, rather than my machine-work.

[douglanders]

Mine is XS525XXX. I don't have the test fire date off-hand. I heard someone else with that series, but I don't know the production runs well enough to know if it is in a similar batch of parts.

[jimneb]

Mine is XS525XXX. I don't have the test fire date off-hand. I heard someone else with that series, but I don't know the production runs well enough to know if it is in a similar batch of parts.

I have seen pictures of other recoil assemblies that looked similar to yours. I have also seen another striker with the same type of chip missing.

Your gun definitely needs to go back to SA. I will attempt to find the other post with similar issues and will edit with a serial number if available.

[kzrider]

Well atleast im not alone here. Thank you guys for coming forward about this. NO this isnt my post im just glad im not alone. And was tired of going to other websites reading others type, your pulling the trigger wrong, or not holding it right. I havent test fired mine after taking off the milling metal. But it sure does go into battery better. I used to be able to push the barrel against something and the slide stayed to the rear just slightly. No matter how much lube was running out of it. Ill spend another half a bill on ammo to find out if the turd will work.

[kzrider]

And for those of you who sold yours, i dont blame you. I am almost there myself. My problem is [ when i get a problem or something up my craw i need to know.]

[kzrider]

to douglander. If i may interject. Im thiking the firing pin isnt the problem. [ if im reading your post right ] As the whole in the slide it goes through is to small to cause the off center primer strikes. Im thinking the back of the barrel is almost to top center. But not all the way? Between the taper of the end of the firing pin and the pin being seated is to tight of a tollerance. ie. the firing pin cannot be off center as the whole it goes through is to tight. Or am i reading your post wrong? Sorry my heads starting to hurt thinking about this. SERIAL. XS537XXX

[douglanders]

to douglander. If i may interject. Im thiking the firing pin isnt the problem. [ if im reading your post right ] As the whole in the slide it goes through is to small to cause the off center primer strikes. Im thinking the back of the barrel is almost to top center. But not all the way? Between the taper of the end of the firing pin and the pin being seated is to tight of a tollerance. ie. the firing pin cannot be off center as the whole it goes through is to tight. Or am i reading your post wrong? Sorry my heads starting to hurt thinking about this. SERIAL. XS537XXX

Hi KZRider,

Yes/no. Yes, the firing pin isn't the problem it has to do with the barrel/recoil assembly being out of position, somehow when the striker pin drives forward. But the other thing that could be related is that if the slide is not in full battery the disconnector is designed to prevent the striker from travelling forward. I think that is where the damage occurred. So, my current parts list damage started with the recoil assembly, and I believe the striker pin was damaged because of it. I am contacting Springfield about it now, I'll let you know of their response.

So correct (no the pin cannot move laterally), the striker pin is guided well and cannot move laterally from its position, pointing back to the barrel/recoil assembly displacement.

Thanks for your response.

[douglanders]

Thanks, jimneb, I just sent a message to Springfield for warranty service. Let me know what you find out about the other posts or s/n's, and I'll post any updates here as I get them. I appreciate your help.

[jimneb]

Thanks, jimneb, I just sent a message to Springfield for warranty service. Let me know what you find out about the other posts or s/n's, and I'll post any updates here as I get them. I appreciate your help.

I haven't had any luck locating the thread with the chewed up guide rod assembly. The striker that I was thinking of actually has what appears to be a blob of metal rather than a chunk missing. I hope SA gets your gun up and running. One other thread showed a broken striker guide but that was possibly done when the owner took it apart.

[douglanders]

I haven't had any luck locating the thread with the chewed up guide rod assembly. The striker that I was thinking of actually has what appears to be a blob of metal rather than a chunk missing. I hope SA gets your gun up and running. One other thread showed a broken striker guide but that was possibly done when the owner took it apart.

Okay, Thanks. The chunk taken out of my striker pin is actually displaced metal, so it does have a 'blob' of some sort that I would call a burr from it being forced against a hard stop. I'll post the response and outcome as it happens, or if I find anything else out. I had a hard time thinking this was just my isolated issue.

[chuckusaret]

Sorry to hear about your gun problems. I have a XD40 sub compact and .40 cal 5" and have never had a problem with either, sub compact has 6K plus rounds down the pipe and th 5" has less than 1K.

[kzrider]

I hope SA fixes your problems. I sent mine in and they told me its a lube problem. And theres nothing wrong. Yes even that chewed up and shaved spring assembly. So ya i have no faith in there efforts/ or lack there of. Im going to try to see if wolf makes a spring housing that doesnt get chewed up from use. Sorry but im still in shock that they sent mine back to me and stated [inspected entire gun] REALLY??? I mean you dont even have to look at it. You can feal it when you field strip it. If it doesnt cut you in doing so.

[sonnycrocket]

I feel your pain, sonnycrocket, and I'm trying to hunt down more of the problem areas because I love the features of the gun. I have gotten the same response, basically, which is what is really ticking me off. I can handle some problems with a new firearm, I had to send my brand new Ruger LCP back for stovepiping rounds, another intermittent but consistent problem in a box of ammo. Like this gun, I was breaking it in with round nose, full metal jacket, off the shelf factory ammo of all kinds, and none of them alleviated the problem. I sent it back, and they fixed it; they changed the recoil spring out with a lighter one and now it has run through almost 200 rounds with a failure.

If they don't fix it soon, I will be taking mine back, too. I'm just trying to give them the benefit of the doubt that one or two idiots in the customer service dept is the reason they haven't cooperated yet. We'll see, I'll reply back to the forum when I get updates. For now, I will post some picturse of the damage. I can see what is going on, I just can't figure out what to do about it yet, especially if Springfield keeps refusing to replace parts.

Thanks for your reply. By the way, did you ever replace the XDS with another concealable 45? I have seen plenty of nice, small .45's, but most of them have lots of 'furniture' like large safety levers, high profile sights, exposed hammers, etc. that make concealment or drawing more cumbersome under stress.

I ended up with a Kahr PM9 which i like very much and its in my EDC rotation,Kahr also makes a nice 45 also......

I did end up buying last week a SIG P220 Carry on BUDS which runs like a champ,I may carry that also
Hear that Springfield RUNS LIKE A CHAMP!~

[kzrider]

Im thiking ill figure out whats wrong with this thing. Springfields no help. ya know. I mean its just a simple machine. Very basic. No wires, no hydrolics.