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When I bought my Springfield XDm a while ago, I wanted to go straight to the range. It is my first handgun and I didn't know how big of a difference ammo makes in a gun. I went to Academy and bought some Monarch bullets and headed to the range. My gun was having problems ejecting the spent casings and I went inside the shop to get something different. The guy in there sold me some PMC that was better but still failed to eject often. I called Springfield and they told me I needed better stuff for the match barrel and that I needed to get my hands on some Winchester in the white box. I've been using that ever since and have not had a single problem.
I'm sure I'll get plenty of "if it ain't broke" responses but would someone please educate me on any other types of ammo that are of the same quality that I might be able to fire through my gun? The reason I ask is I can't find anything other than target/range bullets from Winchester at the stores around my house. Thanks.

I'm only asking this because you stated that is your first hand gun.
Did you thoroughly clean and oil the gun before shooting it for the first time?

Winchester, Remington, Federal, and Speer/CCI all make a full line of ammo that should run just fine in your XDm. Field strip the gun and clean it thoroughly and lubricate it with a good quality oil. It should run AOK after that.

For personal protection I like the Speer 124 gr JHP +P, and the Cor Bon 115 gr +P DPX. Any offerings from the "Big Four" will serve you adequately for personal protection.

USA1 wrote:I'm only asking this because you stated that is your first hand gun.
Did you thoroughly clean and oil the gun before shooting it for the first time?

Don't think that would make any difference. Any commercial gun should function properly right out of box with most commercial ammo. Call springer and send it back.

Any chance that you might have been limp-wristing it? That is..any chance you weren't holding it with a firm enough grip? I have seen a lot of people have issues with semi-auto pistols ejecting because they were holding it too loosely. I have seen it primarily with people that are new to shooting pistols.

Edit: can you explain to us how it wasn't ejecting? Try to explain to us what it was doing, that way we can get a better idea of what may be a problem.

I am not a fan of the XD line of guns. That said I have to say the guns function. I have several women that shoot them in my classes. Their XD's (whether the old version or the "m") function with every type of ammo mentioned above. They are very reliable.

I agree with Stupid send it back or get an experienced shooter to shoot it. You can eliminate shooter error by having another shoot it.

Most likely shooter error, wrist-limping.

Since all of my Springfields have always eaten everything I fed ‘em, I’m not speaking from experience with that particular weapon, but I have seen similar behavior in new semi-autos before.
There’s lots of stuff goin’ on with a new weapon. New recoil spring, slide-to-frame fit, machine marks, lubrication.
I would suggest that after a hundred or so rounds of ‘white box’, you try the others again.
Don’t forget to lube all mating surfaces.
I guess it could be ‘limp wrist’ but, frankly, I don’t see that very often with striker fired, fat gripped weapons, such as the Springfield or Glocks.
I’m bettin’ that you will see an improvement after a few rounds down range, as all the movin’ parts settle in.
BTW, since Academy’s Monarch is cheap, I shoot a LOT of ‘em, with no problems at all.

I have yet to see an XD come from the factory with such issues. That's not to say it can't happen, we all know it can, but it's probably quite rare.

I have also seen many people limp-wrist striker fired autos. I can think of 4 or 5 accounts where I have seen people new to pistol shooting that has taken a piece of ejected brass right to the face/forehead and then the pistol failed to feed. Or, a piece of brass get stuck in the ejection port sideways because of the limp-wristing.

From what the OP said, it could be the gun, I would just like to rule out shooter error before he sends it back and is without his only pistol for a month or so.

It wasn't a limp wrist issue. Shells were ejecting about half way and getting caught in the slide. Perhaps it needed to be cleaned and oiled out of the box. I didn't do that. I've had no problems with the gun since that first day and I've put maybe 500 rounds through it. Thanks for everyone's help.

zeke80 wrote:It wasn't a limp wrist issue. Shells were ejecting about half way and getting caught in the slide. Perhaps it needed to be cleaned and oiled out of the box. I didn't do that. I've had no problems with the gun since that first day and I've put maybe 500 rounds through it. Thanks for everyone's help.

Now that it is functioning properly, you might try going back to the cheaper rounds and see if they still fail. Should help to show for sure if your gun doesn't like the ammo or if it was just the lube and cleaning.

CompVest wrote:I am not a fan of the XD line of guns.

Why not ? Strongly considering an XDM 45

I agree with everyone above me posted. I've shot 1k rounds of Brown Bear between cleanings with my XDSC/Service and XDM and had no problems.

Stupid wrote:

USA1 wrote:I'm only asking this because you stated that is your first hand gun.
Did you thoroughly clean and oil the gun before shooting it for the first time?

Don't think that would make any difference. Any commercial gun should function properly right out of box with most commercial ammo. Call springer and send it back.

I'm going to have to take USA1's side and disagree with you, Stupid. Of course, it varies from one manufacturer to the next and even one gun to the next, BUT you stand a better chance of a gun working reliably with no initial problems if you thoroughly clean it and properly oil it BEFORE the first shot is fired. A lot of guns these days come packed in a lot of preservative grease that can gum up the inner mechanisms quickly once you introduce burnt powder etc. from firing the first few rounds (of course this is NOT the case with Glock, as most of the Glock armorers I've met say to leave the gold/copper colored grease in the slide until it wears away from normal shooting ... thought I had that documented in a manual somewhere, but can't find it at the moment .... but the rest of the gun can be cleaned/lubed before first use).

A lot of initial complaints about problems with a new gun can be traced back to either

a. gun not cleaned/lubed before first use
b. unfamiliarity with new gun leads to limp-wristing or other such problems.

EDITED TO ADD: Of course, OP should follow Springfield's recommendations for using proper ammo in a match barrel. But that seems to me a separate concern from ejection problems. And also above is not to say that there may not actually be a problem with this gun and it may need to go back to Springfield. But I would certainly try a thorough cleaning/lube first, then shoot various different ammo to see if the problem repeats.

92f-fan wrote:

CompVest wrote:I am not a fan of the XD line of guns.

Why not ? Strongly considering an XDM 45

Prob gonna say bc lack of parts from SA. Or grip safty is a hazzard