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Old April 11, 2009, 09:46 PM   #1
chasekerion4
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New XD manufactured wrong? Need help from Springfield owners..

So my wife went and picked up my new XD-9 subcompact today. She doesn't know how to nit pick a gun upon purchasing a new one, nor should she have to look for this issue...

She brought it home, I looked it over and thought it was really weird that there were no "dots" on the rear dovetail sights. Now this doesn't make sense, why would the dots not be there?

So I flip it around - HA! Sights are installed backwards. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

The box was completely sealed when she got it home. It couldn't have been packed any tighter, so I'm certain that nothing funky went on, but seriously? Should I be wondering if this gun will shoot forward and not backwwards now? If they can't even get the sights on right I'm VERY concerned....

So here's my question.. For those of you who have dealt with Springfield's customer service, please tell me they'll bend over backwards to help me with this. I'm totally blown away that before I ever even shoot the thing, it's gotta go back. I don't want to have to stew on this 'til Monday without at least feeling a little better.


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Old April 11, 2009, 09:54 PM   #2
TCman
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Pricless!!! If it were my gun I would stil trust the gun. Prolly just an honest mistake. I wouldnt send it back. I would fix it myself and write them a letter.
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Old April 11, 2009, 09:54 PM   #3
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"Ever seen a shark's eyes? Kinda like a doll's eyes, all black and lifeless." Now it is more intimidating. When you point it at someone it has two beady white eyes peering over its big 9mm mouth. Should shoot fine in my opinion. Take this as your sign to send it back with a set of night sights for them to install instead. Steve
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Old April 11, 2009, 10:35 PM   #4
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interesting. I've never personally dealt with them, but from what I've heard they are very good. I'd send it back and ask them to check over the rest of the gun to make sure nothing else is installed wrong.
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Old April 11, 2009, 10:47 PM   #5
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I wouldn't try turning it yourself unless you are good with a punch and a good sized hammer.
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Old April 11, 2009, 11:00 PM   #6
chasekerion4
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I don't plan on turning it myself... I'm going to wait to see if the dealer can help me in whatever way on Monday, but I'm going to be pretty PO'd if I have to ship it back to SA before ever firing it. This is my first Springfield, and I'm stoked about the purchase and taking it out to the range, but looking at backwards sights kinda steals my thunder and knocks me down a peg or two....
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Old April 11, 2009, 11:05 PM   #7
teeroux
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You will probably send it back some smiths won't adjust those sights they are pressed in so tightly they break most sight movers and must be hammered off.
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Old April 11, 2009, 11:10 PM   #8
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Smiths here would not touch my XD sites and I know why. They are in tight as H***. I would send it back and ask for a couple mags for your trouble.
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Old April 12, 2009, 12:47 AM   #9
stonedog406
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+1 On Husker

plus you should be able to get a mag or two for your trouble. Can you return it to your dealer and exchange?
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Old April 12, 2009, 12:52 AM   #10
chasekerion4
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I'll call him Monday and talk to him about it. Honestly, this was my first purchase from this dealer, but I dealt with the owner and he is definitely a stand up guy. We chatted for awhile and the guy comes highly recommended, so I get the feeling he will take care of it by exchange. I sure hope at least that he'll exchange it.
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Old April 12, 2009, 01:01 AM   #11
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Talk to your dealer. If he doesn't have an exchange available, just send it in to Springfield. I've dealt with them in person numerous times and have been treated like royalty. And no, my visits weren't due to problems with my guns. I had custom work done to my XDs and 1911. The only time I used them for warranty was my Loaded's ambi safety was a bit loose. They had it fixed in a flash.
I'd trust them to fix the sights over anybody else due to the tight fitment of them. You won't be out any money. They'll pay shipping both ways. The hard part is you'll have to be without your new toy for a bit.
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Old April 12, 2009, 01:20 AM   #12
Rich Miranda
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Saving pic for future post use....
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Old April 12, 2009, 02:12 AM   #13
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That is classic, almost as good as the backwards round in the HK mag or the backwards Aimpoint on the M4 in an Army ad a while back.

I've tried changing the sights on a XD and broke my sight pusher doing it....those XD sights are pressed in tight. Even if your dealer will swap it out for you, I'd call Springfield just to let them know what you found.

BTW: I too saved the pic for future use.
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Old April 12, 2009, 05:56 AM   #14
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That is unreal. I'm not familiar with the XDs, but are they still made in Croatia?

Anyway, call Springfield, they should pay for shipping on this one and send it in. It's a new gun and shouldn't be an issue for them to turn it around quickly. Springfield has a great reputation for customer service so I'm sure that they'll take care of you.
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Old April 12, 2009, 08:47 AM   #15
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That's great! The bullets will probably still go in the right direction. It's actually the front sight that determines the direction of travel (forward or back) for the bullet. In the picture the front sight seemed to have been installed properly so you should be fine.

On a serious note Springfield will probably fix it for you no problem. I have no experience with XD's but I would guess that you can tap them out and back in yourself to save some time and shipping costs.
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Old April 12, 2009, 08:55 AM   #16
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Ok I'm in a joking mood

When your in the combat stance ask the guy shooting back at you if he would mind looking at the white dots on the rear sight for you and tell you when they are lined up on either side of the front site.

When they say, "Ok they are lined up"! start shooting LOL
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Old April 12, 2009, 09:10 AM   #17
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Quote:
I have no experience with XD's but I would guess that you can tap them out and back in yourself to save some time and shipping costs.
You guessed wrong...
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Old April 12, 2009, 09:23 AM   #18
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Old April 12, 2009, 09:24 AM   #19
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Really if it was my gun I would have just done what you did by taking a picture but then I would find the large side of the keyed slot with a caliper.

You will find one side of the keyed slot is just a hair wider than the other side in most all cases and the wide side is the side the sight needs to be pin punched out of.

Looks like that gun has polymer sights and possibly a polymer top frame which could be a problem of cracking if that key is tapered down on one side and the sight is removed from the smaller side of the key.

I would just do it to save time on having to take it back to the gun dealer finding out I would have to ship it to Springfield and wait 2-3 weeks before I got it back plus I know how to do it without messing up the gun also.

I have a feeling unless the dealer you bought it from has another just like it in stock you can check out to be fine that he would exchange for the defective one you might be in for a nice little time of waiting on the snail mail for weeks to get that gun repaired at the factory.

Now that I think of it the last time I did that it took 3 weeks to get it back and that was during a fantastic economy Reagan gave us back then.

Now days I have noticed instead of saying, “we can have it tomorrow” when I order some HVAC parts they say, “It will take 3-4 weeks what’s you phone number so we can call when it comes in because they are only manufacturing per order now days”?

Sometimes I do not get that call back and after 6 weeks I have to call and ask about the part I get the, “They are getting to your order” and this and that.

One part took 7 weeks and it was a part I use to get ordered and delivered in a couple of days or it was usually in stock at the store.

If it took 3 weeks during a time when I was getting HVAC parts the same day I hate to think how long of a wait it would be now days to ship a gun off to the factory to get it repaired.

Two years later, “Yes sir we are getting to your order for a new sight today and will ship your gun back in just 4 short weeks LOL

After dealing with S&W in that way once and then having them tell me they could not fix the gun it was always kind of a deterrent for me to ever do any business with any gun manufacture again.

After all I got the gun back and did fix it myself and never had a problem with it again.

No one could ever understand how S&W would say they could not fix a problem such as that and yet there I was firing away with a revolver I had easily fixed myself.

I understood it later when I called them and the recording said “For Espanola press one”, “For English press two”

If you call Springfield and get that same recording just let a local gun smith you can trust ping that sight out and reverse it.
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Old April 12, 2009, 09:24 AM   #20
jmr40
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That is going to have to go back. I do not know why exactly, but as others have said XD sights are in there tight. I had some night sights that would fit the XD and my smith nearly broke his sight removal tool trying to get them out.
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Old April 12, 2009, 09:33 AM   #21
rbb50
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From what tuttle8 says it makes me think it could all be polymer and the key is a straight cut but the sight is epoxied in.

Could just imagine some guy at the factory.

Wow! look at that new chick man she is fine, Ohhhh dang I epoxed this sight in backwards LOL Oh well put it in the box no one will notice LOL

Yeah that would probably mean a top frame change out if it is heat treated into the key or epoxed into it someway.

That could still be a rare collectors item I would think if left the way it was.
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Old April 12, 2009, 11:52 AM   #22
Shane Tuttle
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The sights should be steel. Mine are. And I don't think they use epoxy. It's just their tolerances are that tight and many a gunsmith have broken their tools trying to remove them. IIRC, there's a specific sight removal/installation tool for these. The universal tools haven't been all that successful. A gunsmith on this board can probably tell you the specifics more than I can. I don't know much regarding sight installation practices. What I do know, like I said, is the tolerances are very tight and headaches are common when having a local gunsmith do the work. My gunsmith had an XD in that the customer wanted Tru-Glo installed. He broke his tool trying to remove them. Since Springfield is located here, he refers his clients to go there for sight work now.

YMMV
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Old April 12, 2009, 12:35 PM   #23
teeroux
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They are not epoxyied in and are just pressed in hard they must use a hydr-press or some sort of contraption holding a pusher with a 5ft bar lever.:barf:

Quote:
I have no experience with XD's but I would guess that you can tap them out and back in yourself to save some time and shipping costs.
Well it is possible to drive one out yourself but I would not recommended it.

I drove mine out with a 1/8 steel punch and a large ball pin hammer. First I had made a set of blocks to hold the slide and C clamped the entire thing to a table so that I could make strong downward blows. I tell you what I thought I was going to BREAK MY TABLE I had to hit it so hard to get the sight moving.
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Old April 12, 2009, 12:57 PM   #24
Woodrowmag
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Send it in and ask SA to put night sights on!

You might want to also reiterate that you like to aim without the muzzle pointed at your face.
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Old April 12, 2009, 03:34 PM   #25
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Springfield will take care of you.

As long as you're sending it in, get night sites and a trigger job too. :-)
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