Had FBMG do a trigger job and XS sights on my XD9

[DonSilkman]

Could not be happier! I don't know if I've ever owned a better shooting, more accurate gun than my XD9 at this point. Joe at FBMG got the trigger job done and XS sights installed in about a day after the parts got in. Took it to the range last night and I couldn't stop smiling. Not sure why the popular opinion for XS sights is that they are only good for protection because I was consistantly putting 12 rounds into 3" targets from 35 feet away. The trigger felt great. A huge improvement from stock in travel, pressure and reset. Like I said, I couldn't be happier with the gun. Thanks to Joe at FBMG for doing a great job on it. Any other gun work I need done will go straight to him.

[Crusader Smithy]

Thanks Silkman.

[MarshallDodge]

Good review. I have been curious about how well the XS sights perform and have been thinking about putting them on my project 1911.

[Goosedyou]

A huge improvement from stock in travel, pressure and reset.

I'm interested in how the trigger has improved. Travel = initial take up? Pressure = 4lb trigger rather than 5.5lb? Reset = shorter reset?

People say that the XD has a crappy trigger, but from what I can tell, it feels like any other single action trigger after the point that it "catches." The grand poo-bah of pistol triggers is the 1911, or so I'm told. "Like glass" is a common metaphore. Other than the take up on the XD, I really can't tell the difference between how the triggers feel then they break on my XD, my cousins 1911, or my brother's Sig P245 (single, not double action trigger pull).

From what I understand, the extreme amount of take-up on the XD is so that all of the internal safeties are moved out of the way (thus acting as another safety sort of like the AS trigger on the P99). Eventually the trigger "catches," then it's straight back and kaboom.

So what exactly was changed and "improved" on your XD's trigger. Please know that I'm not argumentative, but curious. I'd really like to know.

[DonSilkman]

So what exactly was changed and "improved" on your XD's trigger. Please know that I'm not argumentative, but curious. I'd really like to know.

No, that's fine and I'll do my best to give you an explanation. I know some people just hammer the stock trigger on XDs and say its sloppy, mushy, etc. I never thought that was really the case but what I disliked about the stock trigger was that the take up and to a degree the pressure required me to put more effort into holding the gun on target while squeezing the trigger than I cared for. Specifically, when I would get a little sloppy with my shooting and pull the trigger a touch too fast my groupings would consistently be low and left. To correct the problem I would have to concentrate more on my finger placement on the trigger and holding the gun more upright to compensate for the downward pressure my finger was applying to the entire gun as I was pulling the trigger back. Not a big deal, but it was more than I wanted to concentrate on. I'd rather just be able to put the gun on target and fire.

The way the trigger is now (and I apologize, if I had actual measurements I would share them but I don't) the take up is considerably less than the stock trigger and from my understanding the pressure is about 3.5# (will verify on a fish scale when I have a moment). There just isn’t much "play" in it at all. I put the gun on target, depress the trigger safety and just slight pressure past that...BOOM! The trigger breaks very cleanly and yes, the reset seems to be quicker. The shorter take up and pressure allows me to put the gun on target, pull the trigger and I don't have to worry about whether I'm putting too much pressure with the "front or back" of my finger while I'm squeezing the trigger or if I'm pulling slow enough to keep the gun on target rather than letting the barrel dip a little.

Hope that was helpful in some way to answering your questions.

[Crusader Smithy]

So what exactly was changed and "improved" on your XD's trigger. Please know that I'm not argumentative, but curious. I'd really like to know.

No, that's fine and I'll do my best to give you an explanation. I know some people just hammer the stock trigger on XDs and say its sloppy, mushy, etc. I never thought that was really the case but what I disliked about the stock trigger was that the take up and to a degree the pressure required me to put more effort into holding the gun on target while squeezing the trigger than I cared for. Specifically, when I would get a little sloppy with my shooting and pull the trigger a touch too fast my groupings would consistently be low and left. To correct the problem I would have to concentrate more on my finger placement on the trigger and holding the gun more upright to compensate for the downward pressure my finger was applying to the entire gun as I was pulling the trigger back. Not a big deal, but it was more than I wanted to concentrate on. I'd rather just be able to put the gun on target and fire.

The way the trigger is now (and I apologize, if I had actual measurements I would share them but I don't) the take up is considerably less than the stock trigger and from my understanding the pressure is about 3.5# (will verify on a fish scale when I have a moment). There just isn’t much "play" in it at all. I put the gun on target, depress the trigger safety and just slight pressure past that...BOOM! The trigger breaks very cleanly and yes, the reset seems to be quicker. The shorter take up and pressure allows me to put the gun on target, pull the trigger and I don't have to worry about whether I'm putting too much pressure with the "front or back" of my finger while I'm squeezing the trigger or if I'm pulling slow enough to keep the gun on target rather than letting the barrel dip a little.

Hope that was helpful in some way to answering your questions.

If you field strip the gun and watch the trigger work you will see that there is no pre-creep any more. It's basiclly a one to one movement. It still feels like there is creep left because of the trigger insert safety. Leaves it feel like there is a little sponge left.

[Goosedyou]

Thanks for the kind info. I also have a tendency to shoot low and left. I wonder if I'm doing the same thing you were. What did the trigger job cost?

[DonSilkman]

Sent PM Goosed