brand new gun owner, simple question

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beezy25

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just bought my first gun, SA XD 9mm two tone. tried it out at the range and loved it.

i'm a little confused about how cocking works. i know about the cocked indicated on the gun, but when i tried it out, cocking the gun to shoot it wasn't necessary. so, what does cocking the gun actually do? make the trigger length shorter? does this have anything to do with single action vs. double action?

im confused. thanks!
 
Your gun is essentially a double action only gun. The trigger pull will always be the same. When you chamber a round your gun is cocked. The hammer is inside the gun. In reality it is a striker in your gun but for simplicity we will call it a hammer. Whenever you chamber a round the gun is cocked and ready to fire.

I might suggest taking a class at a local range. They can explain it better than I can and help you become more comfortable with your gun.
 
so basically, there's no way for it to be uncocked with the clip in?

it loads the bullet as soon as the clip goes in right? i'm looking at my friend's 1911 right now and it always requires a cocking to fire. that is different from the xd 9mm right?

and if that is the case, what is the point of the striker indicator?
 
it loads the bullet as soon as the clip goes in right?
Click to expand...
Good heaven's no!!!

NEVER EVER equate LOADED and UNLOADED with the magazine. You can remove the magazine and the gun can still be loaded with a round in the chamber!!!
 
Reaper is right. XD is single action only. If it is empty & you insert a magazine the round will not chamber until you rack the slide. Once you have done this there will be a round chambered & the gun will fire if the trigger is pulled. If you want to unload it first remove the magazine then rack the slide. If there is a round in the chamber it should fall out the ejection port.
It is always a good idea to read the owners manual with any new firearm. If you did not get one with your pistol you should be able to download one from Springfield Armory's web site.
 
sorry, i am just very new to this and want to know exactly what i'm doing before getting my gun.

so, let me make sure i have this correct...

the gun is fully unloaded, no clip in the gun, uncocked etc. lets say i load the clip into the gun, and dont do anything else. the gun is still uncocked, which means it is not fireable until i cock it, right?

when i went to the range to test out this gun, i remember putting the clip in the gun and it was ready to shoot immediately, no cocking required. is it possible that wasn't the case?
 
The only way that would be possible is if someone handed you a gun with a round already in the chamber, which is a big no-no.

I don't mean to be rude, but if there has ever been someone on this forum that I thought really NEEDED a basic handgun class it is you. Find a class and sign up, preferably before even loading your new gun. It could save your life, or someone elses.
 
First of all what you're calling a 'clip' is a magazine. When you inserted that first loaded magazine into the gun, you had to have pulled the slide back and then let it go. Pulling the slide back and letting go will strip the first bullet out of the magazine and load it into the chamber. When you pull the trigger after that, the first bullet will fire and the recoil will force the slide back and that will pick up the second bullet and load it.

If you inserted a loaded magazine and did not pull the slide back, the chamber would still be empty and pulling the trigger would do nothing.

Hope this helps. I'm not getting into whether striker fired is single action or double action.
 
This may help:

http://www.sniperworld.com/content.aspx?ckey=Sniper_World_Glock_Index

Now that's a Glock, not an XD. But you get the idea.

First, the only way for the gun (your gun anyway) to be "uncocked" is to dry fire it. Dry firing is pulling the trigger on an empty gun.

If you're going to do this, you need to double and triple check that the chamber is empty and there is no magazine in the gun. The "chamber," if you're stiill getting used to the terminology, is the first part of the barrel. Check it visually and physically with the slide locked open. You should also be able to see straight down through the magazine well.

But seriously, don't even worry about dry firing at this point. Just do not pull or even touch the trigger until you're at a range and on target.

I'm going to say that again.

Seriously, don't even worry about dry firing at this point. Just do not pull or even touch the trigger until you're at a range and on target.

Please don't think I/we are treating you like an idiot. Do a search for a thread called "How did you accidental discharge happen?" and you'll see how easy a gun can go bang when you expected a click.

If the slide goes from its rearmost position to it's forward position while there is a magazine containing at least one round in the gun, that round will be loaded into the chamber.

What you said about going to the range and not having to cock the gun is possible, and also dangerous and unsettling -- it means you had a round chambered and ready to go, and you did not know it. At some point between buying the gun and going to the range, you racked (pulled back) the slide on a loaded magazine. Which like I described above, lets the slide move from its rearmost position to its forward position with a loaded magazine in the gun.
 
Last edited:
beezey25,

First the four rules. Live by them:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target (and you have made the decision to shoot).
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Make sure you read the owners manual when you get it home.

I would strongly suggest that you take a basic pistol class. Call your local ranges to find one that has classes.

I would also strongly suggest getting snap caps to practice with in order to get familiar with your gun before trying any of this with live ammo. The gun store you purchased your gun at probably sells them.

Here is a basic overview of your XD:

There is a loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide. This is a little tab that will pop up when a round is chambered.

There is a striker indicator behind the slide. This is a little pin that will pop out when the striker is cocked.

There is a grip safety, a tab behind the grip that gets pushed in when you grip your gun. If this safety is not de-activated (pushed in) your gun will not fire.

After you insert a loaded magazine you rack the slide (pull back the slide all the way and let it return on its own). This will chamber a round and cock the striker. You will now notice that the tab on the top has popped up because there is a round chambered and the little pin behind the slide has popped out because the striker is cocked.

Your gun is now ready to fire.

After each round is fired, the slide will cycle and chamber the next round and cock the striker.

There is no way to decock the gun without pulling the trigger so if you want to decock you must unload first. Drop the magazine out of the gun to make sure no more rounds get chambered then rack the slide to make sure you remove the round that was chambered. It is common to rack the slide a few times to make sure.

Then, lock the slide open and visually check to make sure there are no remaining rounds, some also advise sticking your finger in the chamber to physically check that is it empty.

Once you have checked and rechecked that your gun is not loaded you can release the slide and pull the trigger to release the striker.
 
Echo9 said:
This may help:

http://www.sniperworld.com/content.aspx?ckey=Sniper_World_Glock_Index

Now that's a Glock, not an XD. But you get the idea.

First, the only way for the gun (your gun anyway) to be "uncocked" is to dry fire it. Dry firing is pulling the trigger on an empty gun.

If you're going to do this, you need to double and triple check that the chamber is empty and there is no magazine in the gun. The "chamber," if you're stiill getting used to the terminology, is the first part of the barrel. Check it visually and physically with the slide locked open. You should also be able to see straight down through the magazine well.

But seriously, don't even worry about dry firing at this point. Just do not pull or even touch the trigger until you're at a range and on target.

I'm going to say that again.

Seriously, don't even worry about dry firing at this point. Just do not pull or even touch the trigger until you're at a range and on target.

Please don't think I/we are treating you like an idiot. Do a search for a thread called "How did you accidental discharge happen?" and you'll see how easy a gun can go bang when you expected a click.

If the slide goes from its rearmost position to it's forward position while there is a magazine containing at least one round in the gun, that round will be loaded into the chamber.

What you said about going to the range and not having to cock the gun is possible, and also dangerous and unsettling -- it means you had a round chambered and ready to go, and you did not know it. At some point between buying the gun and going to the range, you racked (pulled back) the slide on a loaded magazine. Which like I described above, lets the slide move from its rearmost position to its forward position with a loaded magazine in the gun.
Click to expand...
this explains it. i realize what happened when i went to the range is each time i was done with a "magazine," (shot all the rounds)...i would remove the clip and move the slide to the back position so everyone could see its unloaded. then, when i came back to it, i put the loaded mag into the gun and moved the slide to the front position. when i did this, it loaded the round into the chamber. i was confused why i didnt have to do a "full cock" (back and front) to get the gun ready to shoot.

thanks for everyone's help!
 
Straight Shooter said:
beezey25,

First the four rules. Live by them:

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target (and you have made the decision to shoot).
4. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Make sure you read the owners manual when you get it home.

I would strongly suggest that you take a basic pistol class. Call your local ranges to find one that has classes.

I would also strongly suggest getting snap caps to practice with in order to get familiar with your gun before trying any of this with live ammo. The gun store you purchased your gun at probably sells them.

Here is a basic overview of your XD:

There is a loaded chamber indicator on top of the slide. This is a little tab that will pop up when a round is chambered.

There is a striker indicator behind the slide. This is a little pin that will pop out when the striker is cocked.

There is a grip safety, a tab behind the grip that gets pushed in when you grip your gun. If this safety is not de-activated (pushed in) your gun will not fire.

After you insert a loaded magazine you rack the slide (pull back the slide all the way and let it return on its own). This will chamber a round and cock the striker. You will now notice that the tab on the top has popped up because there is a round chambered and the little pin behind the slide has popped out because the striker is cocked.

Your gun is now ready to fire.

After each round is fired, the slide will cycle and chamber the next round and cock the striker.

There is no way to decock the gun without pulling the trigger so if you want to decock you must unload first. Drop the magazine out of the gun to make sure no more rounds get chambered then rack the slide to make sure you remove the round that was chambered. It is common to rack the slide a few times to make sure.

Then, lock the slide open and visually check to make sure there are no remaining rounds, some also advise sticking your finger in the chamber to physically check that is it empty.

Once you have checked and rechecked that your gun is not loaded you can release the slide and pull the trigger to release the striker.
Click to expand...
this is good info. i know most of it from the california handgun safety test i took, and the live demostration i was asked to give. thanks though, safety is definitely my #1 concern at all times.
 
The XD has a loaded chamber indicator. A small metal tab will pop up on the top of the slide when the chamber is loaded.

FORGET that it's even there, and get into the habit of opening the action of the weapon to visually and physically inspect the chamber. I do this obsessively. That, and just remember how the chamber is loaded in the first place.

And no problem. Any more questions, just ask.
 
I would second don'tshakepandas suggestion. Get competent instruction. Once a round is fired there is no taking it back.
 
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