Springfield XD-9 slide stop lever

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Rayden

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Hi all,

I just picked up a XD-9 for my wife. While I have no problem with it, she is having a little hard time with the slide stop lever. I must admit that depressing the slide stop lever to move the slide forward is a lot harder than many semi-autos that I've handled before. For her, she definitely needed both thumbs to depress it and she's got a bruised thumb finger after depressing the lever a few times.

My question is: will the lever loosen up and be able to be depressed easier .. or this is something we have to live with regarding the XD?

The only time she has to depress the lever on a frequent basis, it would be at the gun range. If she continues to be unhappy with the lever, then I might have no choice but to see if I can exchange it for something else.
 
Rayden,

I too had the same problem, on my XD 40sc, but after a trip to the range and a few hundred rounds, and a good cleaning, I've noticed my slide stop loosened up to were i like. I love the gun, and hope your problems are fixed soon.
 
I never noticed it being any harder to depress than any of my other handguns I've owned. Glocks, XDs, H&K, Walther... none were ever noticeably hard to depress. I mean, of course, men have it easier than women, but still the XD shouldn't be any more of a problem than the others. Modern handgun slide-stops all work the same way. You are just overcoming the tension of the slide on the slide-stop lever where the lever holds the slide in place via a notch cut-out on the slide. None are really any more difficult to operate IMO, but once again I'm a male so I might not even be able to detect the differences between the bunch.

Either way, I'd just give it time to break in. It's still new..
 
it should smoothen out over use, just like the trigger does, but with that said i don't use the ;ever so that isn't an issue for me, i manually release the slide with my weak hand during reloads.
 
I too had the same problem, on my XD 40sc, but after a trip to the range and a few hundred rounds, and a good cleaning, I've noticed my slide stop loosened up to were i like. I love the gun, and hope your problems are fixed soon.
Click to expand...

Rjb, how noticeable is the difference after the the few hundred rounds? My wife couldn't do it with just the right thumb only, she has to use both her right and left thumb, and she has long delicate fingers and obviously not strong. I can do it with just my right thumb, but had to use double the effort as with my brand new Ruger P345.
 
It'll loosen up with time and a bit of use. I bought a SIG 228 years ago that had a slide release that was so tight I had to press it with both thumbs to close the slide. After a couple thousands rounds it had loosened up nicely and was no problem at all.
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Instead of using the slide stop as a release, 'sling-shot' the slide instead. Just pull the slide back slightly and release it, allowing it to go forward on its own.
 
It'll loosen up with time and a bit of use. I bought a SIG 228 years ago that had a slide release that was so tight I had to press it with both thumbs to close the slide. After a couple thousands rounds it had loosened up nicely and was no problem at all.
Click to expand...

I really hope that is the case because else there might be XD-9 for sale soon.


Instead of using the slide stop as a release, 'sling-shot' the slide instead. Just pull the slide back slightly and release it, allowing it to go forward on its own.
Click to expand...

Crimp, I tried that and it doesn't "sling-shot", unless I pull the slide back and at the same time depress the lever then release the slide .... too much for the wifey to play with. I just hope she likes the gun enough at the range to overlook this tough lever problem.
 
I am with Crimp, I have two of these, and for a variety of reasons, prefer to 'slingshot' the slide, rather than use the slide release lever to release the slide.
So you're saying, that if you insert a full mag, and slingshot, the slide won't release without holding down the lever?:confused:
 
Just this moment I took my XD-9 and took a closer look at the slide release. I can see how it could be difficult to release the slide for some folks for a variety of reasons. That is, if you have your thumb on the flat side.

However, when I use the slide release I put my thumb ON TOP. That is I go for the top of the release instead of the ridged flat surface and simply push down with my thumb and the slide is released quite easily. This is what I have always done and taught my wife to do (My wife being all of 95 pounds and YES, I have to open a 2-liter bottle of soda for her). Neither one of us ever had a problem.

Take a closer look at how she operates the slide. And no, it won't pinch.

Pretend it's like a huge 1 inch long lever like on some other pistols and operate it the same way.
 
I am with Crimp, I have two of these, and for a variety of reasons, prefer to 'slingshot' the slide, rather than use the slide release lever to release the slide.
So you're saying, that if you insert a full mag, and slingshot, the slide won't release without holding down the lever?
Click to expand...

I did not try it at the range today with a full mag ... I'll try that next time. My wife had an easier time pressing the lever at the range ... may have something to do with adrenaline :D
 
it might just be me... but for whatever reason I think the slide release is 10x easier with a loaded mag. Have her try it at the range with a loaded magazine if you havent yet. :)
 
XD-9 slide difficult - no, impossible for me too....

I am a woman and have a difficult time with the XD-9's slide also. I can't use this gun. I tried a used one at the range and couldn't use the slide on a "broken in" model either. I didn't have any problems with the slides on the Glocks....
 
They are stiff. I think it's more getting the thumb strong enough to release it more than the slide gets smoother after firing a number of rounds. It's the nature of the beast.
I bought one for my daughter and she hated it choosing a .38 hammerless Tarus instead.
 
It should loosen up some after a few rounds, or maybe you get used to it. Its gotten a lot easier for me to drop the slide on my XD9 now. Im left handed so I have to use my trigger finger to do it.

Its not gonna slingshot with an empty mag, b/c the follower will continue to push the slide release into "lock". With a full mag it should slingshot fine.
 
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