Can I easily adapt my XD-45 Tactical to shoot 9 mm?

[Smaug]

I have a friend who's a Springfield guy. He has an XDM 40 that he bought 357 Sig and 9 mm Luger barrels and mags for. (probably springs too?)

He thinks I can adapt my 45 to shoot 9 mm and 22. I don't think that's the case, as I think the larger frame for the 45 doesn't match up.

 

[mcb]

The original XD-40 was build directly on the XD-9 frame with no changes to the original frame. This is the reason the XD-40 has such bad capacity. Its not a true double stack since it has to use a 9mm width magazine bodies. But this made it easy to convert back to 9mm or 357 Sig.

The other reason you cannot convert most 45 ACP to 9mm is the breach face. The 45 ACP extractor would not touch the 9mm rim. The 9mm rim diamter is close enough to 40S&W rim diameter that the 40 S&W breach face and extractor could get a tenuous grab on the 9mm rim and for most guns extracts reliably. the XD-45 extractor would not get anywhere close to a 9mm rim and you would almost certainly have extraction problem.

You would also have a magazine problem as the XD-45 has a larger magazine well and magazine body then the XD-9/40 (or XDm-9/40) and thus here is no XD-45 compatible magazine that could feed 9mm rounds. The XD 10mm magazine might be an option but it might also need modified to reliable retain the 9mm rounds.

The nail in the coffin is, if you search the internet for XD-45 to 9mm conversion barrels you wont find one. So unless you know a good gunsmith that will make you a barrel your SOL.

22lr conversions almost always replace the entire slide and magazine to work and are alot more costly the a cheap drop in conversion 40S&W to 9mm barrel that many 40S&W handguns are capable of using. I believe their is a 22lr conversion kit of the original XD-45 (https://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=XDKits)

-rambling

 

[Smaug]

The original XD-40 was build directly on the XD-9 frame with no changes to the original frame. This is the reason the XD-40 has such bad capacity. Its not a true double stack since it has to use a 9mm width magazine bodies. But this made it easy to convert back to 9mm or 357 Sig.

The other reason you cannot convert most 45 ACP to 9mm is the breach face. The 45 ACP extractor would not touch the 9mm rim. The 9mm rim diamter is close enough to 40S&W rim diameter that the 40 S&W breach face and extractor could get a tenuous grab on the 9mm rim and for most guns extracts reliably. the XD-45 extractor would not get anywhere close to a 9mm rim and you would almost certainly have extraction problem.

You would also have a magazine problem as the XD-45 has a larger magazine well and magazine body then the XD-9/40 (or XDm-9/40) and thus here is no XD-45 compatible magazine that could feed 9mm rounds. The XD 10mm magazine might be an option but it might also need modified to reliable retain the 9mm rounds.

The nail in the coffin is, if you search the internet for XD-45 to 9mm conversion barrels you wont find one. So unless you know a good gunsmith that will make you a barrel your SOL.

22lr conversions almost always replace the entire slide and magazine to work and are alot more costly the a cheap drop in conversion 40S&W to 9mm barrel that many 40S&W handguns are capable of using. I believe their is a 22lr conversion kit of the original XD-45 (https://www.advantagearms.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=XDKits)

-rambling

Thanks mcb.

It's a shame they can't make the conversion kits any cheaper. At $285 and $25 for an extra mag, it could be $310 towards a new Buck Mark or something. I'd have to REALLY want to shoot 22 out of my XD...

 

[Riomouse911]

Thanks mcb.

It's a shame they can't make the conversion kits any cheaper. At $285 and $25 for an extra mag, it could be $310 towards a new Buck Mark or something. I'd have to REALLY want to shoot 22 out of my XD...

Ya, the kits cost as much as many new guns do.

But, if you want a true rimfire trainer for lower-cost practice with your centerfire, a rimfire kit is often the only way to do it. (Glock 19/44 excepted.)

Stay safe.

 

[LiveLife]

He thinks I can adapt my 45 to shoot 9 mm and 22 ... REALLY want to shoot 22 out of my XD

Leave that XD45 alone and get yourself a Glock 22 (Even used/police trade-in) to shoot 9mm with 40-9mm conversion barrel and 22LR with Advantage Arms slide kit.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Leave that XD45 alone and get yourself a Glock 22 (Even used/police trade-in) to shoot 9mm with 40-9mm conversion barrel and 22LR with Advantage Arms slide kit.

Agreed, if you want to play swappy-swap, Glock is the way...

Took me two years to track down a threaded XD45 barrel, let alone a conversion.

 

[tarosean]

Agreed, if you want to play swappy-swap, Glock is the way...

you’re not converting a 45acp Glock to 9mm either.

 

[mcb]

The only conversion barrels that seem to work well and widely available is converting 40S&W handguns to either 357 Sig or 9mm. Barrel for these conversion are fairly easy to find for Glocks, XD, M&P and a few other guns.

 

[Smaug]

I had an RO at the range the other day tell me the Beretta 92 in 22LR is wonderful. Is that a swap of components or a whole 'nother model?

 

[Smaug]

You see? We CAN have a unanimous agreement on certain topics here at THR!

Thanks guys!

 

[JTQ]

I had an RO at the range the other day tell me the Beretta 92 in 22LR is wonderful. Is that a swap of components or a whole 'nother model?

They do offer it as a model, but I suspect there is a conversion available

Available suppressor ready https://www.beretta.com/en-us/92fsr-22-suppressor-ready-kit/

Top Gun Supply https://www.topgunsupply.com/beretta-m9-22-fixed-sights-.22lr.html

 

[JeeperCreeper]

you’re not converting a 45acp Glock to 9mm either.

I'm aware, referring to the quoted response of getting a 40, then swapping to 357+9 and a 22 slide.

Only thing I can think of that might allow someone to swap everything from 10/45 to 9/40/357 to 22 is the old large framed Tanfoglio but I dunno if you can even get parts or if it's even possible

 

[Mizar]

I'm not a big fan of .22LR conversions, or a rimfire variant of a centerfire pistol for several reasons - the centerfire slide, as it is, it too heavy to be operated reliably by the .22LR round. Remember Colt Ace and it's "recoil booster"? So, in order to make them reliable, you must lighten that slide - either making it from a light weight alloy (Aluminum, ZAMAC), or make it a two piece design (CZ Kadet, or to some extent the Glock 44). And after all of this you still get a pistol that is usually more finicky about ammo - it's the nature of the beast, because it's a design build to fire an entirely different cartridge. And Aluminum slides, even well designed ones, are not that great at holding with high round count - they break more easily. The cost is another concern - the price for one is almost as high as getting a dedicated rimfire pistol. Add to that, that rimfire handguns, including conversions are actually "plinkers" and not "trainers" - outside of the basic shooting skills like proper trigger operation, proper grip, sight alignment, which are taught at the very beginning of your shooting journey, they cannot be used for training, because they are just too different. Those are strictly plinking guns - you must train with the gun & caliber you use. Everything else is not real training, no matter what one thinks.

So, at the end it is better to get a well made, steel slide, dedicated rimfire pistol - one, that was designed from the beginning to fire .22LR.