XDE is tough to shoot.

[Trunk Monkey]

Nevermind, I was thinking about a completely different pistol.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

I have no desire to own a striker-fired pistol.

Have you ever considered the M&P line? Even though they are striker-fired pistols they do have a safety. Best of both worlds?

 

[Trunk Monkey]

The Striker Generation (everyone under about 60) generally learned to shoot on striker-fired pistols and assumes they are the standard. Many shooters in this generation strive to make their striker-fired guns' triggers as light and short as they can be [exhibit A: Apex parts] because a lighter, shorter trigger gives the shooter more practical accuracy, e.g., it is easier to press the trigger without moving the sights off target if that trigger is light.

The Striker Generation has generally worked without safeties -- most striker-fired guns don't have them, and in pistol types that do have safeties, sales of guns with safeties are far below sales of the same gun's variant without the safety. A lore has sprung up among hardened internet posters that safeties are "bad" and that someone who is "trained" doesn't ever need or want a safety.

Indeed, some folks in some roles have little need for a safety -- based on the way they use the pistol. Safeties may not be as useful to patrolling police officers (whose belt-carried holster is a sort of safety, and whose trigger-off-the-trigger-until-ready-to-fire is another sort of safety) and to those in active and continuous combat, or, for that matter, most competition shooters. In the case of the cop, if the pistol is out because a suspect is being apprehended, if that suspect suddenly pulls a gun -- well, a safety would be an impediment. For an assaulter, under the assumption that there is an armed combatant at the target, a safety "on" would only be an intermediate step that would slow him down (the "safeties" in combat are mental discipline and tactical control measures like the line of departure, assigned duties in the stack, general muzzle discipline, etc.). The competition shooter generally doesn't need a safety -- his or her "safety" is muzzle discipline on the course and the beeper, I'd guess.

For people who carry and handle the pistol a lot more than they shoot it in anger (or competition), a mechanical safety (and a long trigger pull for the first shot, and a decocker) might be very useful indeed. The cop is only supposed to shoot to protect life or stop a dangerous felon; the soldier is only supposed to shoot when confronting a threat that meets the ROE; these are more on-off situations where training can indeed be beneficially focused in advance, and where having a pistol with a mechanical safety "on" could cost precious response time. For all other soldiers who are not imminently engaged in combat but who carry weapons around a lot while performing other duties; or for security guards on routine patrols; or for civilian concealed carry permittees, etc., the decision to shoot is going to generally have more ambiguity and require more situational analysis (which take time). In those cases, a safety can be operated fairly easily during the time period where assessment and decision making are taking place. In these type of situations, where the individual has to determine if he or she has justification or need to use force, that short period of time to operate the safety is probably a blessing. (The Army apparently believes that most of its people who might have to carry a pistol as a personal defense or backup weapon are not in active combat most of the time and benefit from having a safety -- and has specified their variants of the P320, the M17 and the M18, will have one).

Thus for the non-operator or non-competitor, the benefits of a mechanical safety on the pistol (e.g., the prevention of accidental or negligent discharges during long periods when the gun is carried and during repeated instances of loading or unloading a weapon, or holstering and unholstering a weapon for administrative purposes) out weigh the down side (a half a second delay in firing up a possible target in the rare instances when such presents itself unambiguously).

That a return to the hammer-fired pistol with a long trigger pull and a safety might make for a realistically safer pistol for the civilian user under every day conditions has been discovered by some members of the Striker Generation. The XDE fits the description of a desirable type of pistol for those who have made this discovery.

For the person who prefers a striker-fired pistol with a pre-tensioned striker with a light and short trigger, and wants to carry that IWB, pointed at his crotch day in and day out for years in anticipation of the imminent need to draw and fire the weapon instantaneously, there are plenty of other choices on the market. But for the person who wants a pistol with a safety -- because it is a little bit safer when there are dangly pull cords on jackets, and bunched up T- shirt material around the beltline where the IWB holster resides, or little kids who might reach into Momma's purse in the back seat of the car, or extra trigger fingers inadvertently left in trigger guards when a pistol is reinserted in the holster repeatedly -- well, the XDE might be a reasonable proposition. [I mention those examples because each of those scenarios has accounted for at least one fatal shooting of an innocent person by a good guy or girl in the past year].

Now, how good is the XDE's trigger? How reliable is the action? I'll find out as I run the first couple of thousand rounds through my XDE, which just joined my collection of revolvers and hammer-fired pistols with safeties and decockers.

That's one of the best explanations I've ever read.

 

[rpenmanparker]

That's one of the best explanations I've ever read.

Agreed.

 

[HighRoadRover]

I've fired an estimated 1000 rounds through my two XD-E 9's in the seven months I have had them. Both have been flawless in operation.

One XD-E 9 is set up with Trijicon Tough and Bright night sights, and the other with Trijicon XD HR night sights - the large yellow front dot. Either of these two sight combos is excellent for the use of this pistol as a SD carry gun at ranges inside 21 feet and even beyond. I usually shoot targets at 21 feet - and the XD-E's allow me to hit the Shoot-n-C 3" target virtually all of the time. If the 3.8" barrel had been available when I bought the second XD-E that would have been my choice. I'd like to shoot a 3.3 and the 3.8 together to see if there is any appreciable increase in velocity (I'd have to borrow a chronograph) or decrease in muzzle flash with the extra half-inch.

I bought this model pistol because I wanted something with a few more rounds, and a little bit more power, than my S&W 642 - which is one of the easiest handguns to carry in a front pocket under a variety of conditions, summer and winter. But when I have a bit more room to carry something concealable (IWB) the XD-E gets the task. The thinness of this model makes it a good fit for an IWB holster, and the sights on it are better than the sights on a 642 as a bonus.

To return to the original issue -- is this a hard gun to shoot because it is a DA/SA gun with a safety? It takes a bit more training to get used to the two types of trigger pull in a hammer-fired pistol than a striker-fired gun where every trigger pull is the same.

Is DA/SA "better" than a striker-fired trigger? It is entirely the user's preference. There is nothing wrong with striker-fired guns! Only you can be the judge of whether they are right for the conditions under which you shoot and carry a pistol.

I don't agree when I read, "the XD-E has a really bad trigger because the trigger pull in DA is long and heavy." That is by design, and while it is okay to not like it, it is not "bad." (I think some folks raised on striker-fired pistols are a bit shocked by it when they first encounter this feature; they may feel the same way when they shoot a revolver). But the long trigger pull in DA is "good" if it brings the benefits you want, because it is a baked-in safety feature and, by design, brings the bonus of a nice SA second-shot (or first-shot, if you take the time to cock the hammer) that is generally lighter than almost any stock striker-fired pistol. There are enough DA/SA pistols still on the market (Berettas, Sig P-classics, Hk's, CZ-75's, etc.) to tell me at least some other folks agree.

Bottom line: My two XD-E 9's are functioning as expected, which is just fine, after 7 months.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Yup, much like a Glock, love em or hate em, they tend to work.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I forgot about this thread.

I started this discussion 9 months ago. I have run the XDE in three league seasons now, and just started my 4th season last week. I'm approaching 3k rounds fired at this point. (All of it 115grn FMJ) The gun grows on you. The issue with the magazine dropping out has vanished all on its own. It hasn't happened in months of me shooting it every week. Shots at 15 yards and beyond are still very challenging and often require multiple rounds to get hits. Under 10 yards is usually not too much issue. The first shot DA is no problem (of course, I came from shooting a revolver), the follow up SA trigger is getting pretty good. Disengaging the safety doesn't slow getting the gun out. I have found it easier to hit the "lefty" side of the mag release with my trigger finger, rathe than the "righty" side with my thumb. Other controls are placed well.

So it's all coming together; it just took time and a lot of ammo downrange. I finish a stage a slightly faster with my XDE than with my revolver with far fewer rounds fired (better accuracy). I'm never going to place anywhere out of the bottom 1/4 of competitors with it, but such is the nature of things. (I'm never going to be a top competitor anyway.)

Probably the most interesting thing about this gun is the way in which my 17 year old son has taken to it like a duck to water. He doesn't like guns much, but this is the only one he will shoot. He's done some steel targets with it, and next year, I'm going to try to get him into league shooting with me.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Have you ever considered the M&P line? Even though they are striker-fired pistols they do have a safety. Best of both worlds?

Hey I'm sorry I missed this somehow when you first posted it.

As I stated earlier, I don't want a gun that has a firing pin with energy stored in it over a live round. I guess I could always carry it with an empty chamber.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

...people who shoot very little and want a "safe" gun... And people who know almost nothing about guns. The only "safe" gun is one that is incapable of firing live ammo.

. The quote "People who shoot very little and want a "Safe"Gun and people who know noting about guns"? Where does this come from? , I have known some great shooters over the years that carry DAO and SA/Da and for years shoot every weekend and then some.
All my Carry Pistols are DAO and I laugh at anyone who says I do not shoot often or know about guns. My bank account for ammo expenditures will testify to how much I shoot. I had a light day of shooting yesterday and it was 300 rds and hopefully will be out again today.
And when a internet poster makes a statement like, "It has a horrible Trigger", well my first thought is, has this guy even shot the gun, or just doing internet talk? Or is he just another guy that can't learn a different trigger other than a light striker fired pistol.
Triggers are subjective for the most part, yes there may be some triggers that do not suite some folks, but rather than declaring a trigger horrible, simply because it is not the individuals choice is for a lack of better word, a unjust bias.
And the same with accuracy. Some will say this gun is not accurate or that gun is not accurate, and then someone with skills will prove them completely wrong. Yes a gun may not be accurate for the shooter, but they should state this. Most modern day guns have more accuracy potential then the shooter.
And anyone that has experience knows that you take the internet bashing with a LARGE grain of Salt, regardless of if it is the description of triggers, accuracy, or failures of a certain firearm.

 

[Buckeye63]

Im a Glock guy ... I own 9 at this time ..
I own 2 semi-auto pistols that are not ..
One a Taurus TCP , the other is one of my favorite shooters ..
a Springfield XD9SC .. Cluncky , a bit heavier than its Glock counterpart..
But its 13+1 and 16+1 with extended mag. .. I find it concealable and very very shootable .. Its a great pistol..
If I switched platforms I'd pick XD and not look back..

 

[jonb32248]

Im a Glock guy ... I own 9 at this time ..
I own 2 semi-auto pistols that are not ..
One a Taurus TCP , the other is one of my favorite shooters ..
a Springfield XD9SC .. Cluncky , a bit heavier than its Glock counterpart..
But its 13+1 and 16+1 with extended mag. .. I find it concealable and very very shootable .. Its a great pistol..
If I switched platforms I'd pick XD and not look back..


View attachment 861319

Took mine to church today, love it. I carry only SA, xde and xdsc 9's.

 

[Jeb Stuart]

Sounds like a nice gun.

 

[JohnnyBravo]

I may not like this 9mm Springfield Armory XDE I just bought a few weeks ago. It's kind of a tough gun to shoot well with. Let me preface all of this by saying that I'm transitioning from a Ruger Redhawk revolver, and the only other semi-auto I have any experience at all with is the 92FS.

What I like about the XDE:

Controls and ergonomics. I didn't at first, but they grew on me quick. I really like the safety. It has all the functions of a 92FS, plus the ability to go cocked and locked like a 1911, which I would never do. I can manipulate everything, even in gloved hands at 9˚F.

What I don't like:

The magazine catch often gets hung all the way to one side (it's ambidextrous) and won't retain the magazine. This is well documented on the u tubes. I have no idea what do about it.

The double-action first shot trigger is horrendous. I swear, the DA trigger on my Redhawk is lighter and smoother. (My Redhawk has just about 3k rounds though it.) The single-action trigger is pretty darn heavy and stiff, too, but I can do as good with it as I can with my DA revolver. (Only, with the XDE I can do it faster.)

Is there anything to be done with that trigger?

Recoil and muzzle flash. This gun is actually harder to shoot than my Redhawk with 44 specials. ore recoil, more muzzle jump, more flash...louder... I suspect some of that has to with the 3" barrel and 25oz weight.

So I'm not real sold on this gun, yet, but, I only have about 200 rounds of 115 grn ball through it. I feel like I'll ultimately end up with a 92FS. Or back to a revolver.

You might try contacting Ernest Langdon and see if he would be willing to look at it.

https://www.langdontactical.com/products/springfield-armory-guns-and-parts-xde/

 

[roscoe]

My complaint with the XDE was size. It is noticeably larger than the other pistols in that market niche, like the Shield and Ruger LC9. I love the DA/SA of my CZ75, but it was just not competitive. Kudos to Springfield for going there, (the marketing was kind of cheesy, though - 'The Hammer!'. Hah!).

 

[Hawkeye1952]

I've had my xde since March and agree a little about the DA action being a little heavy compared to my two Sug P220's but they have been upgraded with grayguns straight flat triggers and sigs SRT kits. There was a company Galloway Tactical that was looking into making a better trigger for the xde but they stopped

 

[JDGray]

I had an XDM45 and that thing did not agree with my hand at all! I took it, and a Para commander to shoot side by side, and you would have thought I was shooting the XDM with a broken hand It hurt so bad. The 1911, no pain at all, shooting the same loads. I liked the accuracy, but traded that thing off immediately!

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I've had my xde since March and agree a little about the DA action being a little heavy compared to my two Sug P220's but they have been upgraded with grayguns straight flat triggers and sigs SRT kits. There was a company Galloway Tactical that was looking into making a better trigger for the xde but they stopped

Talk about raising a thread from the dead...this one pre-dates Covid LOL.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Having now owned the gun for 2 years, I can see some improvement.

The DA pull has gotten better. (Or I've just gotten better with it.)

The magazine catch problem seems resolved. It does require a bit more force to fully seat the mag when the slide is closed and the mag is full. It shoots Barnes Tac-X PD pretty well, but it's a 7 yard gun and not much more.

I'm some where around 1500 rounds thought it (estimate) and the only jams have been with steel or aluminum ammo, and few of those.

It's a keeper.

 

[Hawkeye1952]

Having not put as many rounds as you I've noticed the same with seating the magazine with it full 7 rds of 45 and with the slide shut, but so far no problems with the magazine release. Also I only shoot brass rounds

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Also I only shoot brass rounds

Must be nice.

Just kidding.

The steel stuff I got almost by accident and not much of it, so I gave it to my son to shoot in the gun and be rid of it. The Federal Champion Aluminum is actually really good ammo. About as good and about as accurate as Blazer Brass. 2-3 times when the gun was brand new, I had ht the slide release on a full magazine and it didn't quite close all the way. And I've shot a lot of aluminum through it. It's solid, reliable gun.