Everything in the first sentence is true...what?
Whether or not you you were aware there is a struggle for first place in the CCW manufacturing world. The top contenders are Glock, S&W, and Springfield XD. Any one of those three would make an excellent choice for a concealed carry weapon. However, after trying all 3, I'm giving my vote and my money to Springfield.
Let's go through this step by step, but first... a little show and tell.
Ain't she pretty?
Ok, back to the review:
Function: This is a striker fired pistol, so no exposed hammer. It's also single action only, meaning you have to manually feed a round in to the chamber, after that it's rock and roll.
Ergonomics: This is a personal thing, since no one has the same sized hands. But, for me, this puppy fits just right. Plenty of room on the grip, the grip length is right where I want it. It fits really well. Now, XD's have these optional backstraps, but this one didn't come with any (I got it used) however, it fits as it should for me as it, so no worries there. The grip is 1911 style, meaning it's a little raked, which is great. The gun isn't heavy or, better said, it doesn't feel heavy in your hand, solid, yes, but not burdensome. It's slab-like much akin to the Glock series of pistols, but I think it feels slimmer than the glock does, probably because of the backstrap.
Firepower: Holds 10 rounds of 45acp ammunition and one in the chamber, so that's 11 rounds of bad-assness in a pistol frame that's easily (for me) concealable. You can't go wrong with that. A Glock 26 which is just as thick in the frame and thicker in the grip (not to mention shorter) and holds 10 + 1 in 9mm. So, the XD stacks up favorably.
Reliability: It's a shooter. Will it last 100,000 rounds like a Glock will...doubt it, I'm not saying it wouldn't, I'm just saying I doubt anything can outlast a Glock. However, I ran 50 rounds through the XD and it handled them flawlessly.
Accuracy: Extremely accurate. at 6 yards (remember, realistic training distances people) I put 35 out of 50 in a fist sized hole in the target, I took some head shots and connected and had some flyers as well, all of which were me, not the XD. I was a little to the left, but I think that's just me adjusting to the gun. I'll get it back to center.
Recoil: Due to it's weight and size, and the Chevrolet 2500 HD Diesel sized recoil spring, it's not a beast to shoot at all. I was quite pleased with it's smooth action and almost non-existent recoil. Now, I was mentally comparing that to my PF9 which slaps your hand around some, so keep that in mind. Also, I was initially concerned that the bore axis being about the webbing in the thumb would cause some flip and rise, but it didn't... well done XD, well done.
Concealability: Believe it or not, as big as this gun is (I would say it's a full-size, and some would say compact) it carries really easily, I can't complain in the slightest. Now, again, you have to consider my personal dimensions, I'm a big guy, I can carry larger guns. But I think with the right holster, one should be alright.
In conclusion, I think you'll find that the XD 45 fills multiple roles and does it well. It's a range gun to be sure, it's a home defense gun extraordinaire, and it's a pretty good CCW tool as well. All in all, you can't go wrong. I was lucky and got mine used, but even new they are right in line with Glock and a little cheaper than the M&P.
Stay Safe.
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