Shot an XD Tactical

[Euclidean]

Actually, about the only people who honestly might benefit from a mag disconnect are patrol officers if they had combatives training to back it up.  I mean think about it, sure they have retention holsters, but nothing changes the fact their gun is right there for the taking on their belt, and no one can be perfectly aware of their surroundings at all times.  I remember reading somewhere that a fair number of officers are shot with their own service weapon.

Granted I still wouldn't want that feature even if I were a patrol officer, but I can't blame someone who does.

Anyway, some guns are in fact designed to be field stripped by pulling the trigger.  If that makes someone uneasy, they honestly need more experience and the apprehension will go away.

[Len Budney]

Actually, about the only people who honestly might benefit from a mag disconnect are patrol officers if they had combatives training to back it up.

I think the idea of the mag disconnect is so that when you tell a roomful of people that you're the only one professional enough to carry a Glock fo-tay, you can rack the slide, drop the mag and then not shoot yourself in the foot.

--Len.

[RadioFreeSeaLab]

I shot an XD9 once.  Not my favorite.  Wasn't bad, but it was just ...eh.

[wooderson]

My M&P is sans mag disconnect and internal lock. If you can't find one served that way, I hear the mag disconnect is pretty easy to remove.

re: earlier - true, true, what am I thinking. But my current gun money is going toward (most likely) a Robinson Arms XCR or a civilian Masada/FN SCAR should one look like it will hit the streets in a reasonable time frame. Or maybe a FAL, but I can barely afford to shoot .223 much less .308.

[Len Budney]

Or maybe a FAL, but I can barely afford to shoot .223 much less .308.

I think someone could make a fortune giving away guns free, chambered in a wildcat caliber that they can buy (naturally) from you...

I'm lusting after an M&P, but I think my next two purchases will be a Lee Enfield and a Garand. My wife's growing horror at the cost will only accelerate when she realizes that no matter what the gun cost, I'm gonna end up spending 10x that on ammo...

--Len.

[Manedwolf]

Anyway, some guns are in fact designed to be field stripped by pulling the trigger.  If that makes someone uneasy, they honestly need more experience and the apprehension will go away.

Or, since guns managed to not need that for most of a century, it's a failure of human design engineering that Gaston started.

[Paddy]

Or, since guns managed to not need that for most of a century, it's a failure of human design engineering that Gaston started.

The old SAA's were carried with the hammer over an empty chamber, weren't they?

[Manedwolf]

Or, since guns managed to not need that for most of a century, it's a failure of human design engineering that Gaston started.

The old SAA's were carried with the hammer over an empty chamber, weren't they?

Until transfer bars were invented, yes.

I'm talking about semiautos. From the 1911 through the hi-power till now, semiautos had no need to pull the trigger to take them down. Other full-sized and compacts have kept that design. My SIG P220 does not need the trigger pulled. My Taurus PT745 does not need the trigger pulled.

[Len Budney]

The old SAA's were carried with the hammer over an empty chamber, weren't they?

Until transfer bars were invented, yes.

Yep. Old-timers still recommend doing that, even though all revolvers since the late 1990s or so are drop-safe. Their argument is that enough older revolvers are out there that sooner or later you'll be carrying one of them, and drop it.

--Len.

[Brad Johnson]

I have an XD-9 with over 20K rounds and nary a hiccup.  Recoil spring is about due for a replacement, though.

Brad

[Balog]

I just don't understand why having to pull the trigger to take the gun down is such an earth shatteringly horrific feature. Are you against all dry firing, or just when disassembling?

[Len Budney]

I just don't understand why having to pull the trigger to take the gun down is such an earth shatteringly horrific feature. Are you against all dry firing, or just when disassembling?

I wouldn't call it horrific. But since "every gun is a loaded gun," take-down requires all the precautions that go with dry-firing. Inattention because you're "just cleaning your gun" could mean an ND. And philosophically, it involves touching the trigger without the intention to fire the weapon. All things equal, you'd rather not do that.

--Len.

[Euclidean]

Anyway, some guns are in fact designed to be field stripped by pulling the trigger.  If that makes someone uneasy, they honestly need more experience and the apprehension will go away.

Or, since guns managed to not need that for most of a century, it's a failure of human design engineering that Gaston started.

Well guns managed to not routinely have double digit capacity magazines for a long time either (twenty shot revolvers not withstanding).  I guess that's a design flaw too.  Everyone throw out your Hi Powers!

But seriously, it doesn't harm the user or anyone else to have to dryfire it to take it down.  I used to think it was weird too, now I'm used to it.

[Balog]

I just don't understand why having to pull the trigger to take the gun down is such an earth shatteringly horrific feature. Are you against all dry firing, or just when disassembling?

I wouldn't call it horrific. But since "every gun is a loaded gun," take-down requires all the precautions that go with dry-firing. Inattention because you're "just cleaning your gun" could mean an ND. And philosophically, it involves touching the trigger without the intention to fire the weapon. All things equal, you'd rather not do that.

--Len.

Inattention when doing anything with a gun can result in an ND. I use the same precautions when cleaning as I do when dry firing anyway, so....... I dry fire for practice; why should I object to dry firing for take down? I clean the damn thing less than I dry fire it, so if I was going to have an ND it'd be far more likely to be from practicing.

[MechAg94]

Someone suggested on thehighroad that bucket of sand would be good to have if you don't trust yourself to check the chamber before dry firing. 

I traded up for an XD .45 tactical a couple weeks ago.  I have only put a couple mags through it so far, but it was smooth and flawless.  I expect to put a couple hundred rounds through it this weekend. 

[Headless Thompson Gunner]

When did XDs get so expensive?  Last I looked at one in a shop they were less than $500, and everyone thought they were overpriced.

[charby]

When did XDs get so expensive?  Last I looked at one in a shop they were less than $500, and everyone thought they were overpriced.

The standard black service model is around $500 here in Iowa.  Other models are more, not sure about the compact one. Mine has the stainless slide so it was more $$

-C

[MechAg94]

I think the 9mm and .40S&W models are under $500 here.  Similar in price to Glocks.  The .45 ACP model with the 13 round mag is the one that tends to be over $500.  At least, that is what I have seen around here.  The guy I got it from gave me decent trade value on a Springfield mil-spec so I didn't argue about the price much.

[atomd]

I don't see the pulling of a trigger during takedown as any problem at all. XDs and Glocks have a very simple takedown procedure. If you can't get through that without a ND, you probably shouldn't be handling a firearm in the first place. Plus, field stripping a pistol is not usually a combat maneuver done ASAP under stress...unless you're Jet Li in that Lethal Weapon movie. Also, rule #2 still applies during takedown.

[mfree]

If you look carefully, when you release the slide forward after dropping the takedown lever, the slide goes further forward than normal.

I'm reasonably sure that this either takes the disconnector off it's bump or fails to disengage the firing pin safety, but I have yet to test...

[charby]

I'm reasonably sure that this either takes the disconnector off it's bump or fails to disengage the firing pin safety, but I have yet to test...

Please don't, you might be wearing the slide like in guy in the movie "Sin City"

[Paddy]

When did XDs get so expensive?  Last I looked at one in a shop they were less than $500, and everyone thought they were overpriced.

Apparently they're becoming more popular  They've been getting good press and I understand police depts are switching to them.  The Santa Maria CA PD just switched to the XD Service .45 acp because the Beretta 92's weren't getting the job done.  Lotsa illegal alien gangbangers in that town.

[mfree]

"Please don't, you might be wearing the slide like in guy in the movie "Sin City""

Uh... well, no. You aren't too familiar with the engineering on this one, are you?

I was talking about using a dowel or pin, in teh same manner as testing the decocker on a CZ52 anyways.

[charby]

"Please don't, you might be wearing the slide like in guy in the movie "Sin City""

Uh... well, no. You aren't too familiar with the engineering on this one, are you?

I was talking about using a dowel or pin, in teh same manner as testing the decocker on a CZ52 anyways.

I need smiley face don't I?  I'll try it with a wooden pencil when I get home tonight.

[charby]

I need smiley face don't I?  I'll try it with a wooden pencil when I get home tonight.

Tried it with a pencil and I'll be damned the firing fin does fire with the slide stop (or whatever it is called) disengaged.

So make sure to drop the mag and check for empty chamber before pulling the trigger.