The Springfield XD is a high quality, reliable pistol. However, it does have a weak spot.

Since Springfield XD’s started showing up in our classes, it’s been a constant battle keeping the magazines running. We’ve blamed it on the sandy conditions of Sand Burr, the main range we use in Indiana, but last week we were working on paved range and experienced the same problem.

With the XD, slightest bit of dirt, grit, or sand gets in the mag, and the follower sticks. This causes a failure to feed due to lack of spring pressure, and the student will go through the typically prescribed “Tap/Rack” to fix it. …which works.

However, during the “Tap” portion, a phenomenon occurs the late Louis Awerbuck referred to as “The Ketchup Bottle Effect”. It’s when one round flips backward due to the jarring of the entire affair without spring tension on the rounds.

[He mentioned it in reference to the G21, of which he witnessed the problem with partially voided magazines – XD’s weren’t around, yet.]
XD stoppage

Rounds in the magazine are lose. There is no spring/follower pressure pushing up on them.

So, shooter fixes one problem, continues firing, and is eventually faced with the ultimate failure of a reverse feed.

This has occurred with every XD we have had in class when magazines were dropped on the ground. Generally, students carrying them spend all their breaks, and then some, disassembling mags and cleaning them out. To the point where they all opt to retain mags during reloads.

Last week one of our Instructors, Ruth Godinez, ran into the problem with her personal gun, and having learned over the years to expect it, ejected the mag instead of tap/racking so we could get the above picture.

Again, the gun and its function is not the problem. The magazine is the weak link.

Something to think about .