Sear geometry on pistol

I have a Springfield XD-9 that I just can't stand the trigger anymore! It is long, jerky, sticky and muddy. I refuse to pay the $85 for a trigger job and will do something myself. I have noticed that there is a slight angle difference between the striker and the sear so that the release isn't even, I would guess at about 2 degrees. I confirmed this with bluing. I carefully stoned the top of the striker that engages the sear until the angle was gone and the trigger was MUCH better. I would prefer not to ruin the striker or sear and would be WAY too embarrasses to buy new ones from Springfield, they will know I'm an a-hole and I'm trying to disguise that fact.

  1. Anybody know XD-9's?
  2. What else should I do, I've done many small gunsmith jobs but I have no experience with strikers.

My groups are 2" high by 6" wide, what does that tell you?

Reply to
Tom Gardner
Loading thread data ...

It took me a long time to just sheepishly admit that I'd screwed things up and could someone please fix/replace/sell me spare parts. If you take responsibility no one will think you're an a-hole.

Reply to
Tim Wescott

You are heeling the weapon. Proper trigger finger position, but you are anticipating the shot and are clenching to fight the recoil.

That would be my off hand guess. Or the barrel is not locking up the same way every time.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Reply to
MK1

The only a-hole is one that is unwilling to be wrong once, accept guidance and be right (about that) thereafter.

How do you like the XD-9 other than the trigger problem, pray tell? That one is on my short list if I actually get a handgun. It fits my hand, I like its simplicity of design and the layout of the safeties is familiar to me.

Reply to
Don Foreman

I haven't screwed the SEAR up yet but it's still too late otherwise!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Battery is fine, it's that damn trigger! It moves in fits and starts and I can see the front sight waver side to side as the pressure on the trigger pulses...worst I've ever seen!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

EVERYBODY thinks that, ask around.

I'd say the striker at least is through hard, A file won't touch it even where I dressed it. I didn't remove the finish from the sear, it looked ok. I just burnished the micro burrs off.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

My last new pistol was a loaded Springfield 1911. That thing is sweet and the trigger is like a breaking glass rod. It's like a brand-new pick-up truck. The XD is like a brand-new Lexus! The engineering and technology is a marvel and it feels and handles like an extension of your mind...then you squeeze the trigger. Springfield offers three levels of trigger work, what does that say? The pistols true potential for target is hampered by the stock grunt trigger. The only other stock trigger I have is on a Ruger Gov. Mk-II .22, Ruger sure got that one right, it's a surprise when it fires. I think my XD is on the outside end of factory specs, I'm just not good enough to compensate for it. Somebody like Gunner could probably half my group size with the first magazine.

I bought it because it's cheap to shoot and I read everything I could find. I had some idea that the trigger was not great before I got it but I figured I'd run it stock for a thousand rounds before I did anything. Not one jam, takes 7 seconds to field strip it, cleans easily, more recoil than my .45 though. It's a shooter's pistol and a work of CNC art! You'll LOVE it...might have to tune the trigger though.

Reply to
Tom Gardner

Then why is the group 2" wide?

Its that 6" deep part that needs looking at.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Btw Tom...Springfield has a pretty decent warranty department..and Id consider this to be a warranty issue. Get an RMA, stick it in a box, and send it back to them.

I sent back a P9C..8 yrs after buying it..when the lever broke off the thumb safety. Came back nice and slicked up, new style lever and with a trigger job.

Just a heads up.

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Don't forget to polish all the pins and lap all the holes the pins go in. I've made new pins that fit snug in polished holes that really improve some of my pistols. After you polish the holes you will be amazed at the slop of some of those critical parts. If it's a self defense gun leave it sloppy, don't want anything jamming up a mag load of kick ass.

Reply to
Mike

"Earth to Gunner, Earth to Gunner"....The group is 2" high by 6" wide!

Reply to
Tom Gardner

oooops...my bad... ayup..trigger

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

Reply to
Gunner Asch

Actually, poor trigger control (brought about by a poor trigger or lack of practice/training) will usually spread shots down around 7:00 for a right handed shooter. Right to left spread is usually the result of grip variations. Shots to the left come from squeezing with the finger tips as the shot is breaking, and shots to the right are frequently caused by thumb pressure. People tend to squeeze the trigger as if they were gripping something between the thumb and forefinger, and this will spread things sideways. Another possibility is that the trigger finger is too far or too close to the trigger, so that the trigger squeeze isn't straight to the rear. Having a rough trigger mechanism could exagerate this effect.

Other than dry firing, the best diagnostic tool is a "ball & dummy" exercise where you have a friend mix up live & dummy ammo in the magazine. If you are anticipating, flinching or grabbing at the pistol in any way, it will show up when you think the pistol is going to go bang & it doesn't.

Doug White

Reply to
Doug White

Thanks for that input, Tom. Of a couple dozen models I casually looked at a while ago, that one jumped out of the pack for me. I liked it's rep for reliability, it's simplicity, ease of field stripping, and it just felt "right" in my hand -- a natural extension as you also noted. It was the only one that struck me that way. The arrangement of safeties was also familiar to me, a plus.

More recoil than a .45 is a negative, but might be OK if it fits well. The Army .45 did not fit me well, I hated that damned thing. It was my assigned weapon, but I glommed a rifle ASAP. I could use a rifle effectively. Nobody on our side ever objected.

My measure of recoil is just how quickly I (we) can recover to fire another round accurately. Gentle Mary agreed today that we should look at one more than casually, as in go to a knowledgable dealer where we can try it "live" on his range. We also agreed that if it needs a trigger job to be right then it'll get a trigger job if it feels right in all other regards. Trigger's gotta be right for the piece to be right.

Reply to
Don Foreman

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.