The Reliability of carry weapons, I need help.

The problem with those shows is you don't know why the gun didn't go bang. Was it a training problem (officer doesn't swipe safety) or a true malfunction? Was it a close quarters shooting (grappling range) and it jammed? Not really the gun's fault in that case with 4 hands and clothing all mixed in. Was it poor maintenance on the part of the officer, or was it ammo related, or was it really a weapon caused malfunction?

Your well maintained XD should be fine.

XD should be reliable. If it isn't ... send it back to Springfield and have them tune it up.

Personally, I only carry 1911s.

My XD-40 has been 100% !!!!
Then again,so has my Glock 19,26,21.
With good ammo,and standard care,they
should be just that, 100%!!!!

Three things.

First the shows you are watching are sensationalist pap for the masses, unless there is an exciting denouement it hits the cutting room floor. Basic principle, "If it bleeds it leads" . You never see the 99.99% where nothing happens.

Second, remember the "21 foot rule" of reaction time when being rushed. Most of the incidents you see occur when a police officer is practically within touching distance and has little to no time to draw, aim, acquire sight picture, disengage safety, squeeze trigger.

Third the OODA principle

For a stressed action to occur it goes through a Observation, Orientation, Decision, Action loop.

Observe the individual or activity and what is occurring
Orientate as in understand WHAT the activity means
Decide what actions need to be undertaken
Act upon the decision.

If an additional activity occurs during the cycle, unless you are intensely trained, you restart the loop each time without getting to the Action stage.
This is one of the reasons the military train and trains and trains again in set practice action drills such as ambush, FIBUA etc to react in a more instinctive manner.

Police don't do this.....

It's overwhelmingly training, situation and occurrence that causes the "firearm failure" not the firearm itself

The XD is a fine gun but to test the reliability of it you need to shoot it, and shoot it often.

Are you involved in any gun related competition? I have found that the pressure of competition puts a lot of stress on the shooter and the equipment. This stress will show the weak points and I am certain that the XD will not be one of them.

I've heard tell of a couple of instances where the mag latch got popped inadvertently and the officer didn't know his mag fell out during activity or was loose and fell out during the draw.

Or was on the car seat.

At this point, call it a rumour, but how likely is that, realistically?

The XD is a great weapon but just as any weapon, shoot it A LOT with the ammo that you'll use while carrying.

Any gun can jamb if it doesn't like the ammo that is used so don't shoot tons of reloads/cheap stuff/neighbor's favorite and then load up with some expensive CorBon or Double Tap without testing it.

As posted any gun can jam but its often related to poor technique, carelessness, lack of maintenance, big problem with some cops I used to know. Some only take the gun out of the holster to qualify and thats it.

Even if you only shoot 20 rounds a week try to do it every week just to keep the feel of the gun in your hand. Competition is great and I recommend it highly but don't restrict yourself to one kind, do a little bullseye, bowling pin, cowboy, what ever is available in your area. You get to meet a lot of great people and letting them know you may very well pay off big dividends someday.

If you can, get a wheel gun and do some work with that too. If nothing else get a 22 pistol or revolver and shoot a box of ammo out of it every time you go out. Keeping sharp with the mouse gun keeps you sharp with all of your guns.

If you ever become unsatisfied with the Springer XD, then look to a
SIG P220A in .45 ACP. Probably, the most accurate double-action
.45 on the current U.S. market. It ranks as my all time favorite as
a duty weapon; having carried a West German model for over 12
years~!

As long as you maintain it you shouldn't have any problems with the XD. Mines 100% but it gets cleaned and lubed after every range trip. Anytime it is shot it needs to be cleaned; that's something you already know.

You said you wanted to change to a different gun for CCW. What reason? Do you want something smaller size; bigger caliber; what's the reason?

If you are going to go police then you might not have the option of deciding what your duty gun is, so proper gun care and familiarization would be the only options.

As a BUG or an extremely reliable primary CCW I'd recommend a wheelgun. No doubts whatsoever about my M&P 340. You could get a nice 442/642 from smith for a better price point. I carry an XD and have no doubts about it but if I had an auto I'd carry a G26; it's got a smaller grip for concealment and I'm a bit lanky. The revolver helps me out there as well. Another thing to consider in a BUG and a very strong point for revolvers is that when someone is on you; you don't have to worry about it going out of battery by either someone smart enough to push the slide back or jamming the gun into a body.

A little food for thought but let us know the reason you want to switch carry guns and we can help you in that choice more.

Keep in mind that makers like Sig and others have pretty good discount programs for military and LEO, also.

Prove it at the range, and re-prove it's reliability often. I won't go more than a month without putting a hundred or two rounds thru something I rely on as a carry weapon. You need to stay familiar with it and make sure it still works, cleaning a carry weapon at least every couple weeks, fired or not, is a good idea too.

An XD is a perfectly acceptable weapon for carry, they have had a great reliability history so far. I wouldn't worry.

Personally, I only carry 1911s.

Click to expand...

Ditto on that. There is a reason why the 1911 has been around virtually unchanged for a hundred years and has overwhelmingly been the choice for most military side arms. My sidearm is a compact Kimber 1911.

Nothing against XDs, Sigs, or 1911s - all are great guns - but remember - Glocks go Bang. They are the revover of the 21st century.

Pretty much ditto on what others have said here. The only thing I'd add is that all guns are mechanical devices and you never know what weird thing is going to happen out in the real world.

In addition to finding a reliable gun, and training with it, also develop a "plan B" for what to do if the gun does go out of commission.

Train in "tap-rack-bang" failure drills and also train yourself to switch over to using whatever else is on hand IMMEDIATELY if your firearm should fail.

Do this in advance. As they say "after the whistle is no time to come up with a game plan".

Doesn't NC SHP issue their own weapons?

Yes SCKimberfan, and they issue Sig Sauer 229Rs in .357Sig last I knew

230RN: I've heard tell of a couple of instances where the mag latch got popped inadvertently and the officer didn't know his mag fell out during activity or was loose and fell out during the draw.

Or was on the car seat.

At this point, call it a rumour, but how likely is that, realistically?

Click to expand...

It’s happened to me a couple of times. I've never lost the mag but have found it loose. I carry a Ruger P90 on the left side and the mag release is on the left side of the frame. I suspect that the seatbelt is responsible but I’m not sure. I’ve heard that they are reversible on the newer models. I’m going to check with Ruger to see mine will take the new style release.

I clean the XD9 I use in IDPA every case of ammo (Blazer). When I remember, whether it needs it or not. I do keep it lubed. Still waiting on my first FTF or FTE in about 7,000 rounds. I've never done anything special to it.

Training, training, and more training. Whether you carry a cheap piece of tupperware or a real gun, practice with it. Know how to clear a jam. Practice reloading. Practice at the range - more than the average LEO.